Posts Tagged ‘Handbags’

High Heels, Big Bags

December 21st, 2009

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In the past few weeks, there have been some wonderful posts about the fashion good of 2009 and the bad of 2009. But as we close the first decade of 2000, I wanted to revisit one of my first ever posts – Fashion Identities of the Decades.

Christian Louboutin Slingback

Christian Louboutin Slingback

To sum it up:
70s – feathered hair and tight pants
80s – shoulder pads
90s – grunge

This decade? – Decadent Accessories

I believe that when fashion minded people look back on this decade, it will be remembered for fabulous shoes and bags.

The red soles of Louboutins be this decade’s trademark like the Chanel suits for the 1920s. This was the decade when guys with no fashion knowledge said things like “you know, those red-soled shoes.” Each season Louboutin seemed to come up with something new for us to get excited about. He recreated Mary Janes and allowed us to wear glitter on our feet with a straight face. With respect to Manolo Blanik and Jimmy Choo, the past 10 years belong to Christian Louboutin.

Hermes Birkin Bag

Hermes Birkin Bag

But the resurgence of Hermes symbolizes even more decadence. The Birkin bag seems to be more iconic now than it was when Jane Birkin began carrying it in 1984. Behind the Birkin goes several luxury bag lines. Pick your favorite: Gucci, Prada, Mulberry, etc. And as we all started carrying enormous bags, I recently read that, “Jane Birkin attributes her tendinitis to years of carrying the heavy bag and now tends to carry a small leather sporran.“

So basically from 2000 through 2009, we overspent, overindulged, wore heels too high and toted bags too big. But it was great fun!

Of course things have changed over the past two years. Most people have adjusted their spending habits and have become more selective on luxury purchases. We are still buying, but buying less.
Predictions for the next decade?

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Bye-bye Labels, Individuality is In

October 26th, 2009

Like any great idea, Laudi Vidni (www.laudividni.com) was born out of necessity.
It’s no coincidence that Laudi Vidni is Individual spelled backwards. This line is all about individual expression. And it may be the best thing to happen to handbags since the shoulder strap.

A few Options from Laudi Vidni

A few Options from Laudi Vidni

The two women behind Laudi Vidni are Laura Kofoid and Grace Tsao-Wu. I met with Laura a few weeks ago and when she walked in, I didn’t initially know that it was one of the Laudi Vidni ladies. But I thought, “wow, that woman has a fantastic bag.” The leather was gorgeous and the bag was incredibly well made. I adored the bag right away. Then Laura and I started talking, and I knew that I liked her right away when she asked, “Why is fashion so snarky?” That pretty much sums up the approach of Laudi Vidni. Why should women be so concerned about a label instead of quality, practicality, and their own interpretation of fashion?

Hmmm, good question. And spending time on their website, you can see that these two women tried to remove the attitude and just give you freedom. The essence of Laudi Vidni is that you design the bag that is right for you, as an individual.

Blue Croc Satchel

Blue Croc Satchel

First, be yourself. What silhouette suits your life and your style? Look at the 8 options available. Once you’ve chosen your silhouette, pick your leather/color combination. There are 40 choices here. After the leather, select your hardware. Are you a gold gal and tired of years of silver hardware? Or do you finally love bag only to find out its limited to gold hardware and it clashes with your engagement ring? Not going to be a problem here. Then you get to pick your own interior lining (6 choices). All in all, there are 10,000 options possible.

The best part is that you get to watch it being built on the website. If something doesn’t look amazing to you, scrap it and start over. Play around with all different options until you find the one that suits your style. Do you think fuchsia printed snake on a structured bag is a good idea? You get to see it before you commit. Better yet, you get to see it on a model. Have her hold it or throw it over her shoulder – however you would normally wear your bag.

Once you complete your personal design, it takes 3 weeks for your bag to be custom made for you in Chicago. Oh, and if you become overwhelmed by choices, there are pre-designed bags to suit that need too.

Plus Laura and Grace are always available for advice at www.laudividni.com

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