Y-3 striped beach bags

Y-3 beach range for spring / summer 2009. We love the summer seaside stripes mixed with the nautical, fishing inspired backpack and tote.



I have been seeing stripes around alot recently, best done thin and neat with minimalist detailing and slouchy shapes.


Unisex beach bag made from canvas with leather trim. However, I reckon the price tag is a little steep, at £330 for this tote i'd rather carry my towel rolled up into a little bundle or thrown into a recyclable shopper.


This backpack has a bit more personality and pizazz and could be used for a bit of urban commuting action.



But my fav has to be the little round coin purse, who can resist it. See my previous post on "striped bags" for Ally Cappelino and Mulberry's go at the classic stripe.

Link: Striped Bags

Louis Vuitton mens backpacks

From the Louis Vuitton men's Spring / Summer 2009 catwalks recently in Paris.

In the spirit of 90's minimalism, these bags are made from luxury materials such as ostrich leather and seem to be inspired by vintage school satchels as evident from buckles, straps and name badge holder in the centre.


The monochromatic use of colour and leather give them a very understated luxury feel. For spring summer, they have a pretty wintery feel but i guess would make a great bag for a day down at the beach.





These bags signify and support the shift back towards 'dressy' mens backpacks. In particular the more structured variety. I really like the flat side handle and the leather loop tab in the centre.


The towel, or blanket holder at the base of the bags would make this a good one for a picnic or for carrying additional items or equipment down below. Due to the styling, materials and details, they also have a very luggage feel about them and would make a nice addition to a set of LV suitcases for more rugged terrain.

CALUMET PHOTOGRAPHY SHOP NEW YORK

This is a little camera case I bought last week in new York from a fab
shop that does every kind of photographic equipment you could ever need.

I am also attempting mobile blogging for the first time from my trusty iphone, so expect more 'on the run' entries in the weeks to come before i get completely jacked off with typing on tiny buttons.

DESIGNER BUM BAGS

ITS OFFICIAL! Bum bags are back a la mode. This time its not the touristy geeks with high waisted chinos sporting these practical little hands-free numbers, its the fashionistas!



Marc Jacob's tongue in cheek bum bag labelled "Marc Jackass". A good thing he took the piss out of himself before anyone else got the chance to.


This flatter fanny pack construction is pretty cute. Minimalist graphics and the silver utilitarian zips makes this style pretty nice. I'm still not sure whether i'm a convertee or not but i would give it a whirl depending on my outfit.


These sporty nike bum bags are lots of fun, they are not so "oh my god that person is wearing a bum bag" because sports naturally lend themselves to bum bags, ie running with your ipod / water inside. Sporty people are more typically likely to wear a bum bag so this would be a good place to start.


Now, here is a cute little number. The Chanel quilted bum bag is SO on the money. Its very much in the style of the 2.55 right down to the gold detailing. I don't know whether this is actually real or not. I found it on this cool vintage website called Decades Inc.



I would really love to get my hands on one of these, I love the signature chain waist band with the interwoven leather and the gold detailing. I only wish i could get a closer look at the zip pull.

Kenzo spring summer 2010

I just had to post these kenzo bags from the mens catwalks recently. Backpacks have made a huge come back and especially in the dressy area, they are being worn with suits and all kinds of fashion formal outfits.


Check out this slouchy rucksack style with snake skin detailing.


And this ultra flat, odd proportioned backpack which sort of reminds me of an artists back. You expect to see a canvas, sketchbook and some paints fall out to be laid out for some plein air painting in a meadow somewhere... or maybe thats just me dreaming of being on holiday.

Urban Outfitters

I was in New York on the weekend and popped into an urban outfitters, i saw this great display showing these bags by Slow and steady wins the race.

I just thought they were absolutely AWESOME, and i don't ever even say that word, i think it must have lingered in my mind from my short stay in New York where a lot of things are 'awesome'.


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Basically you can identify most or all of these bags as highly distilled down versions of recognisable 'it' bags. They are made from humble canvas and are VERY FLAT. which i LOVE. To me, they sort of poke fun at the original Guccis and balenciagas by portraying them as parodies or very cheap rip-offs.



I love how this one has the gucci stripe down the middle as well as the bamboo frame, they really remind me of another post i have on this site showing hand-knitted versions of designer handbags. let me just try to find it... Found it, its called Crocheted Counterfeit Bags - check it out.


This one is the chanel 2.55 made from marl jersey quilting and chain with the same marl jersey interwoven. To find out more about this great concept check out the site - slow and steady wins the race.

jacqui satchel

This is a satchel bag / shopper that turns into a backpack, i made it with my very own little hands a few weekends ago. It was a bit of an experimental number which i hope to get made in some better materials when i get some funds and motivation together.


The photos are taken outside my place at London fields on the day when i got locked out of my house a few weeks ago. I remember cos there was nothing else to do whilst i was waiting for morgan to come home than to take a few photos of this bag i just made.



The straps come off from being backpacks and transform the bag into a shopper.



With a little help from the old press stud it all works together.

LOUIS VUITTON PERSONALISED

There have been a of brands getting into this 'personalised / customised' area of accessories branding. People are looking for something special, well, beyond special even, they are looking for something UNIQUE.


Its easy enough for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton to do this, afterall, they have always done it. Starting out in custom made luggage, the brand seem to have come full circle from their mass made luxury epi-leather super branded bags that we have come to see all over the place.


Here are some photos of bags that i took at a recent press day. They show the range of classic monogram bags adorned with stripes of colour and initialed in a modern painted style.


The idea is that you purchase the bag from a LV stores and choose your colour branding and state the initals that you wanted painted onto it. When the artwork is complete they post it out to you or you come and pick it up in store. Its a pretty chic way to customise the bags, but i say that they should go a step further and you should be able to take your old LV bags into the store for a bit of a graphic revival. I think slick modern paint on an old worn in LV bag would look fab. Much better than a brand new one, and LV would also be doing their bit for the old environment at the same time encouraging people to treaure their old vintage bags and think twice before buying a new one.

more backpacks

I have been going through some old photos recently and came across these beauties from a few seasons ago. Missoni's traveller-style rucksack definitely has a native american feel to it - a trend which has been coming through more recently.

Missoni, autumn / winter 2007/08

Street shot from L.A

Burberry, Spring / summer 2007

I just wanted to post these images for a bit of wednesday night inspiration. I know its a bit of a random selection but thought i had better post them before i forget.

Fjallraven backpaks

Swedish brand Fjallraven have an iconic backpack style - as iconic if not more than the eastpak backpack. Its a simple polyester bag with an iconic round red and white logo and my favourite part is the two thin handles than hang down and button together with a mini-handle wrap.




These bags have established quite a cult following. You can check out them as well as their extended range on their website: http://www.fjallraven.com/


This is of course, an Eastpak backpack but i just wanted to show it here alongside the Fjallraven backpaks to illustrate how this simple style backpack has come back into popularity big time.

MARNI MENS SPRING SUMMER 2010

I'm really loving Marni spring summer 2010 mens bags from the recent Milan men's fashion week. The bags are highly unisex decorated with what i call 'ordered embellishment'. The rows of flat studs lined up on this shopper make it slightly masculine, whilst the rest of the clean lines of the bag make it very understated.

Whenever i look at this image below i keep thinking that the guy is wearing Pjs, popping down to the shops for an asprin or something. Actually he is sporting the latest mini mans clutch which i have been going on about recently.



Small details such as the loose / unstitched down lower panel make this bag interesting despite the fact that its pretty minimalist. The flat zip pocket is enough detail to say 'i care' whislt the luxurious looking tan leather takes me back to the internal office envelopes of the 90s.


Understated feminine is the feeling of this collection. Interesting draw-string closures and soft nappa give the range of bags a very chilled out but expensive feel.


Even this print which looks slightly japanese inspired is summery enough to say beach bag without going to crazy and i have always been a sucker for the outsidey-hangy bags, so this one really gets my vote.


On this one, please note the lowered side zip tab right at the base of this sporty tote. The metal zip with off white zip track and wide opening make this more interesting than you're average holdall.

Milan Fashion week mens portfolios

Good morning, its a rainy saturday morning in London town. Yes, i don't have much else to do tan post a few of my favourite bags These are some of my favourite street shots of mens bags from Milan Mens fashion week for Spring / Summer 2010. Sometimes the stylish fashion types that attend the fashion shows can outshine the shows themselves. Its a great place to pick up trends and this one is no big surprise to see italian men with 'man bags' but they are getting more and more interesting as times go on.


I absolutely love this one. Its a portfolio style clutch bag with a table tennis pocket posted onto the front of it. It looks like Fred Perry logo to me, but who knows, the preppy look is certainly in keeping with what Fred Perry would do. This bag says, I-am-a-man-carrying-an-effeminite-clutch-but-becuase-there-it-is-sporty-its-ok. Either way, its a man-clutch otherwise known as a portefeuille.


This one is very much in the man bag territory, but the flat retractable handle makes it more like a bag. The shiny-ish leather gives is a dressy business feel. Perfect to be teamed with a short sleeve red blazer!

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This one is more like a mini briefcase. With its concertina style construction and antique tan leather finish it has a dual purpose as you can see from the detachable shoulder strap peeping around the corner.


I just love this newspaper inspired portefeuille. Dressed up as a spanish newspaper you could definitely be mistaken as someone just popping down to the shops for a croissant and the paper on a saturday morning if you are feeling a bit coy about clutch carrying.