Purses, Shoes, Gloves and Jewelry
CK Calvin Klein, spring 2004
Once again, the sunglasses are all about the color. The translucent white frames and champagne lenses reflect the colors of the Bead-filled Platform Sandals—it’s an easy (and fun!) way to unify your accessories and pull a look together.
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Anne Klein, spring 1999
What a fun idea to fill the platforms of these champagne leather banded slides with sparkling faux crystals! Too bad the company didn’t take the time to test the durability of the vinyl shell of the platform…the first time I wore these, one platform split open and the tiny beads trickled out! It was a sort of Hansel and Gretel event, with the shiny bits marking my shopping path in Soho!
Fortunately Neiman Marcus replaced these fun and funky Italian sandals; the second pair just doesn’t go long distances!
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Furla, spring 2005
10 ⅜” l. x 4 ¾” w. (base) x 10 ¾” h. + 6 ½” drop
I love when my colors have yummy food names! And when I think they’re not really accurately descriptive, no matter how delicious they sound, I come up with another! I’ve never seen paprika quite this hue…let’s see, how about coral cream? Or nectarine sorbet? Anyway, that’s the designer in me—I have to make it my own.
This tote is really my go-to summer bag—it’s a clean, simple design and useful size (big enough for a statement/presence and to hold plenty; not so large as to weigh me down). Like the Francesco Biasia Wave Tote, there is no extraneous hardware to clutter up the bag or to compete with my jewelry. And, this beautiful not-really-paprika works equally well as a pop of color with black and white or a bright accent for neutrals.
Even after several summers of use, this bag still looks fresh and only lightly worn. I’m pretty careful with my bags, but high praise goes to Furla for its amazingly stain and scuff resistant leather. And Furla always has beautiful color choices which you are free to rename! When in New York, be sure to visit one of the two Furla boutiques, either 598 Madison Avenue @ 57th Street or 727 Madison Avenue @ 64th Street. Furla is known as an affordable luxury brand, but mine was even more affordable since it came from Loehmann’s!
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Metal Pointu’s, spring 2000
This lovely handcrafted gold on brass necklace was a find at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris…just a small digression from my handbag mission in the spring of 2000! I especially love it with the Francesco Biasia Wave Tote; the repetition of the undulating pattern reinforces the strength of each piece. And, the counterbalance of the precision-cut leather to the artisanal quality of the metal makes it infinitely more interesting.
Metal Pointu’s is designed by Bernard Bouhnik and fabricated in Paris. M. Bouhnik began creating jewelry in 1988; he now adds a new design to the collection twice a year to coincide with the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Collections. In addition to the five Parisian boutiques, Metal Pointu’s can be found in Soho at 252 Elizabeth Street, NY, NY 10012, 646.454.1539. Enjoy!
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Anne Klein, spring 1998
I bought these Italian slides as a starting point for an outfit to wear to an elegant spring wedding. Yes, I often start with the shoes or bags, or even a belt or pair of gloves. I definitely would style a look around a unique piece of jewelry. My clothes are typically simple, clean designs; this allows the accessories to star without the look becoming too cluttered. Also, this allows me to create more looks from my basic wardrobe…and have more money left for handbags!
So, back to the wedding…it was cancelled two weeks before the invitations were due to be mailed. My fashion event was certainly not of equal significance to that! The gold sandals just became incorporated into my wardrobe without leading to something new.
When you have a very specific design ideology (and strong personal style), and stay true to it when shopping, the elements of your wardrobe will always come together…at some point. (Shopping alert! Don’t buy everything you like if it really has no place in your closet—be objective about your purchases! And call a friend with a hot tip if the item should really be in her closet!) When I found the Francesco Biasia Wave Tote I found a new counterpoint to these slides. The key element which brought them together is the color of the sandals—it’s a bit unusual, sort of a pinkish-cast warm gold—really nice with the warm metallic coral tote. Of course, both shoes and bag have a fresh, modern feel. So even though this is not the “wedding guest” look which I originally envisioned, it did find a place in my closet!
Francesco Biasia, spring 2002
11 ½” l. x 4 ¾” w. (base) x 10 ½” h. + 8 ½” drop
This Italian tote was designed two years after the three Jean Paul Gaultier bags which I showed on 06.08.2009—06.10.2009, and it employs laser-cut leather in a new and ingenious way. I love the clean edges and elegant simplicity of the wave design—look at my detail shot—it looks like a detail of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum! The color is just gorgeous—a warm coral with a mellow metallic glow, with antique gold inner surfaces and drawstring pouch. I usually carry this tote with a small black zipper pouch (really necessary so small item don’t slip through the cracks) which just disappears in the shadows and gives the bag a more minimal appearance—my personal style. I also love that there is no extraneous hardware to clutter up the bag! This is a real feel-good piece!
Is there really a Francesco Biasia, or is it just the name of the company? Neither from the website nor Google could I find much to pass along, except that Francesco Biasia is once again supporting “Baby nel Cuore”, a non-profit organization which develops solidarity for children in need throughout the world.
From the “Spotlight “ section of the Francesco Biasia site:
“The association also uses a non-profit Web portal called eforpeople.com that sells designer clothing and accessories at competitive prices to raise money for its projects. To this end, Francesco Biasia has donated some of its unique pieces for sale on the website. The proceeds from the sale of the bags will be used to create children’s homes for street children in the city of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. Currently about 30 percent of the population in Salvador de Bahia lives below the poverty line in “favelas.” The illiteracy rate among young people is more than 30 percent. These alarming numbers along with problems in terms of health care, education and professional training among young people make for a real emergency. This is why Francesco Biasia is proud to participate in this initiative to help resolve the problems in this part of the world.”
For more information or to support the project by making a purchase online, go to:
www.eforpeople.com
Kudos to the company for their compassion and generosity!
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Stella McCartney, spring 2005
Okay, I’m exaggerating the star motif by including these Stella McCartney shades, with just a tiny star icon…
Born in London in 1971, Ms. McCartney attended Central Saint Martins; after graduating and showing only two of her own collections, she landed the top spot at the Parisian house of Chloe. She managed to turn it around financially while also making it fun and saucy. Of course it didn’t hurt that she and her famous friends, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, and Madonna, were live advertising (the best kind!) for her clothes!!!
She departed from Chloe, and with the support of Gucci she again showed her designs under her own name, beginning in spring/summer 2002.
Ms. McCartney has certainly earned her own reputation in the fashion world, but I can’t hear her name without thinking of the Beatles and the fabulous Sir Paul McCartney (her father, in case you’ve been living in a cave) —to me, the real star of the family! So, over the years, I’ve followed her career with interest and tried very hard to love her clothes, but I just don’t. Air-brushed tee-shirts and pineapple-emblazoned bikinis (very memorable—after all, I’m still mentioning it some eight or nine years later) are not part of my vernacular. But that’s okay—fashion is about personal taste, personal choice, and a personal point of view.
So back to these sunglasses…what drew me to this particular pair (and why I needed another pair of black ones) was, specifically, the pristine straight line across the top edge—very architectural and graphic. This, combined with the elegant oval lenses and delicate scale represent the essence of Stella McCartney’s strong, yet feminine designs.
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Prada, spring 2006
Mario Prada established his Milanese leather goods company in 1913 and began producing high quality leather bags, trunks, and accessories. What we know of Prada today is due to the influence of Miuccia Prada (born 1950 in Milan), the founder’s granddaughter, who joined the company in 1970. She gradually revitalized the family business, particularly with the introduction of her now iconic utilitarian black nylon handbags and backpacks—a new definition for luxury, subtlety, and desirability in modern fashion.
I fell in love with these rock star shades at Saks Fifth Avenue, but I avoided rock star excess and didn’t add them to my collection until I found them at Loehmann’s!
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Moschino Cheap and Chic, spring 2004
17” point-to-point
I was simultaneously both star-stuck and totally amused by this glittering bag! This witty piece is from Moschino Cheap (not really, unless you mean a bit tacky) and Chic (sort of, but also sort of cheeky). The Italian designer Franco Moschino (1950-1994) was known for bringing humor and irreverence to fashion. Picture this: a cashmere jacket with “Expensive Jacket” embroidered across the back, or a perfectly crafted leather handbag detailed to look exactly like a steam iron! I saw the iron bag in Saks circa fall 2000; even reduced it was much too much of a splurge. I’ve never even seen a picture of it since! But the handbag which is truly iconic is the ivory and dark brown leather trompe l’oeil dripping “Chocolate Handbag”—delicious!!
I initially discovered this handbag in an editorial layout in the now defunct Shuz magazine (miss it!) but never saw it “in person” until it found its way into the designer case in the Manhattan Loehmann’s. I won the treasure hunt that day!!!
To see another approach to molded construction handbags (like the steam iron), check out www.braccialini.it or visit their tiny Soho boutique at 436-438 West Broadway, NY, NY 10012, 212.334.2441. You’ll be amazed by the flawless craftsmanship and amused by the array of animals, vehicles, birds, flowers, etc. Past season bags are available by special order.
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Vintage Belt, c. mid. 1980’s
2 ¾”—5 ½” w. with 3 ⅜” buckle
This belt was part of the “Dynasty” excess of the eighties—big hair, big shoulders, and big belts! Yet, as bold as this belt seemed a quarter century ago, it’s a light-weight compared to some of today’s huge and heavy accessories.
There is no designer label or “made in” tag. It’s not super soft like the best Italian leathers, but it is super fun! And that’s what fashion is all about!
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