Henry Cuir gets back to basics with this Pirogue Saddle Bag.

He certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel here. The Pirogue looks like it could have been lifted from a horse’s back. Its curved shape is familiar and classic. The soft grained leather is in a soft nude tone which looks like it’s come straight from the tannery. The hue isn’t a show stopper, but in this world of colored leathers such a natural hue really stands out.

Though you might find it hard to believe, the Pirogue’s double compartment interior is actually more minimalist than its exterior. After all, on the outside we had the pale contrast stitching and button tab closure. Inside there’s, well, nothing. I’m not exaggerating folks. There are no pockets or other organizational aids. In fact, there’s not even a lining. It seems there’s a fine line between minimalist and unfinished. It’s a shame because that double compartment design had so much potential.

While I find Henry Cuir’s no frills approach intriguing, I can’t understand paying $1650 for it. That’s an awful lot to spend on a bag which offers us very little.

More Features of This Henry Cuir Leather Saddle Bag

• An adjustable cross-body strap
• Measures 12 x 11 x 5.5 inches
• Made in Italy

Get this Henry Cuir Pirogue Handbag:

• Available to buy at Barneys New York
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More saddle bags on BagBunch
• The Freebird by The SAK Idolized Tribe saddle bag, a great alternative to this saddle bag.
• Searching for more Henry Cuir bags on eBay
• Other leather saddle bags on eBay:

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Britain’s Supergran Ann Timson continues to enjoy an extended 15 minutes of fame, after fending off a gang of would be jewelry thieves with nothing more than her handbag last February year. The fearless feat netted the plucky 72-year-old a Spirit of Britain Award and a Police Bravery Award, and she’ll soon add a Queen’s Commendation for Bravery to her trophy case.

“It is a true honor to receive this award, especially when my name is included alongside those of so many brave people,” she said, referring to fellow award winners including the late PC Bill Barker who was swept away while directing traffic near a flooded river in Cumbria.

Despite her global fame, Timson has her feet planted firmly on the ground and insists she’s no hero.

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand why people find what I did so interesting, compared with other people’s, much braver acts,” said the ever-humble gran. “It was just a one-off event in my life, compared to what soldiers, firemen and the police do every day.“

While a date for the ceremony has not been announced, its believed Mrs Timson will receive her award from Penelope Escombe, the High Sheriff of her local Northamptonshire.

[Source: Northampton Chronicle]

Emilio Pucci takes us back to the swinging sixties with this bold Rio Piazzato Bowler Bag.

We know the designer’s creations are never shy, retiring types, but I’ve never seen a Pucci purse with quite this much retro flair. Its saturated citrus, hot pink, and pale teal hues explode over the surface of this bowler bag. The teardrops remind me a bit of a paisley print, but that classic pattern has been reinterpreted in the way only Pucci can.

On a different purse, or even one created by a lesser designer, the wild psychedelic print may have fallen flat. But Pucci gets it right here. This is a simple bowler, so it benefits from such an eye-catching print. It’s a petite purse too, so all that color doesn’t seem like overkill.

If it were more expensive I’d hesitate to invest in the Rio Piazzato. It has such a distinct look, so it’ll never become anyone’s everyday bag, and it’s too small to function as one anyway. But for $795 this bowler is a fun way to inject some individuality into your wardrobe.

More Features of This Emilio Pucci Retro Bowler

• Light golden hardware
• Zip top closure
• An open interior pocket
• Tubular top handles with a 4 inch drop
• Measures 7 x 10 x 6 inches
• Made in Italy

Get this Emilio Pucci Rio Piazatto Handbag:

• Available to buy at Bergdorf Goodman
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Emilio Pucci bags on BagBunch
• The Emilio Pucci Cancello Nylon bag, a great alternative to this colorful bag.
• Searching for more Emilio Pucci bags on eBay
• Other retro bowler bags on eBay:

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Dutch tech accessories company CoverBee has created an ultra-opulent laptop sleeve for girls who believe only the best will do. The exorbitant case costs much more than any laptop at a staggering £6.9 million.

The sleeve’s exterior is studded with thousands of glittering diamonds. In fact there are more than 8,800 round cut gemstones with VS clarity grades and F color. As an assurance of their quality, each comes with its own certificate of origin.

The interior doesn’t skimp either; it’s lined with rare ebony sable fur sourced from Russia. The plush lining helps to protect your precious technology while giving the laptop sleeve a final luxurious touch. It’s also surprisingly animal friendly, as CoverBee only uses the pelts of creatures that have passed from natural causes.

CoverBee’s chief executive Peter van Soldt concedes that creating such an outrageous laptop sleeve is “a little crazy,” but he adds that it’s “only thanks to this attitude we can design brilliant products.“

Anyone with a cool £6.9 million can order the extravagant Diamond Sleeve directly through the CoverBee website. You needn’t worry about the accessory going astray either, as its shipment will be handled by a leading secure logistics company that’s used to taking care of gold ingots and bank notes. The last thing you want is an investment like this getting lost in the mail!

[Source: Daily Mail]

With a needle and thread Patricia Nash has made her Como cross-body bag something special.

Patricia Nash has handstitched horizontal lines around the body of this burnished brown leather purse. By using a paler thread than the leather Patricia Nash has ensured the stitching adds definition to the Como’s quirky squat shape without taking over the design.

The Como looks like the kind of purse you might find at a thrift store, but its interior shows it’s a more contemporary creature than a truly vintage accessory. Its interior features a zippered pocket for valuables and two open pouches for modern gadgets.

I’m in two minds about the cross-body strap. On one hand it’s very practical for busy days. However it doesn’t quite gel with the Como’s old world feel. Perhaps adding a short top handle and making that cross-body strap detachable would have provided the best of both worlds.

It’s hard to get too critical of any real leather handbag costing just $148 though. While you might find cheaper shopping vintage, who’s got the time to scour those second-hand stores?

More Features of This Patricia Nash Stitched Cross-Body

• Antique brass hardware
• Latch closure
• A single cross-body strap with a 25.5 inch drop
• Measures 10 x 7 x 4 inches

Get this Patricia Nash Como Handbag:

• Available to buy at Macy’s
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More cross-body bags on BagBunch
• The Sondra Roberts Reese bucket tote bag, a great alternative to this stitched leather bag.
• Searching for more Patricia Nash bags on eBay
• Other stitched leather bags on eBay:

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New online store Oliver’s Farm is bringing handmade accessories from around the world to fashion fans in its native America, and the rest of the globe.

The boutique specializes in hard to find items created in far flung corners of the planet. I’m particularly taken by the handbags sourced from South Africa. The shoppers, messengers, totes, and weekenders are crafted from high quality leather, cowhide, and native springbok skins. While that won’t please animal activists, it’s some comfort to see all skins adhere to South Africa’s government animal preservation guidelines. And as each one takes a month to prepare, the attention to detail is first class. Oliver’s Farm is one of the few retailers outside of its native South Africa to stock the luxurious handbags.

The handbags are perfect for coordinating with the colorful Sami Lapland Bracelets handcrafted by the Nordic Sami people. The indigenous artisans incorporate pewter, reindeer leather and shed antlers into their vibrant designs.

And if you want to decorate your home, Oliver’s Farm has you covered too with sheepskin rugs sourced from traditional English tanneries.

Alice Thornhill, the marketing director of Oliver’s Farm, says that the company constantly travels the globe to find new accessories and homewares, so it sounds like several new items might join the collection soon.

“We emphasis the use of traditional techniques, local materials and generations of expertise, ensuring all Oliver’s Farm products are highly original and proud representations of the culture of their land of origin,” she explained.

If you like to stand out on the street, it might be worth bookmarking Oliver’s Farm website.

[Source: Dakota Digital]
[Image Source: Oliver’s Farm website]

Springbok Bags on eBay

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With a flurry of fringe Balmain’s Amazon Pochette makes a big impression.

The vertical line of flowing fringe running down the center of this purse is really the star of the show. It ensures this simply shaped pochette isn’t passed over, as it might have been without it. I love the soft suede and that pretty lilac color, but these elements can only do so much.

The Amazon’s interior is even simpler than its surface. The suede lining makes us feel pampered, but with only a single pocket there’s not a lot to it. A magnetic snap keeps what we can carry safe, but that won’t be a lot. Despite its name the Amazon is no giant, after all. But considering there’s no handle to help us out, those petite dimensions aren’t really a bad thing. Any larger and it’s be unmanagable!

On looks alone the Amazon is a pretty innocuous purse, but its $895 offends my sensibilities. No designer has any right to charge almost a grand for such a simple accessory, no matter what their name!

More Features of This Balmain Fringed Pochette

• Magnetic closure
• Measures 5.25 x 11.5 x 0.5 inches
• Made in France

Get this Balmain Amazon Handbag:

• Available to buy at Barneys New York
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Balmain bags on BagBunch
• The Giuseppi Zanotti Tassel Clutch bag, a great alternative to this suede bag.
• Searching for more Balmain bags on eBay
• Other suede pochette bags on eBay:

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Patchwork has fallen out of favour in recent years, but if any fashion house can bring it back it’s Proenza Schouler. The label gives it its best shot with this Patchwork Shopping Tote.

I’ve always been partial to well done patchwork, and this shopping tote offers that. Proenza Schouler’s sewn together colored swatches of high quality leather to create an abstract geometric pattern. I love the way the muted tan, green, blue and white hues work together, and the way they complement the darker chocolate straps and accents. The zigzag stitching wasn’t the most sophisticated choice, but it does give this shopper a quirky homespun charm. Perhaps we shouldn’t expect a patchwork purse to be too posh, even if it does bear the Proenza Schouler name!

This patchwork tote is spacious, with long leather handles that are easy to grab as you run out the door. Its single interior pocket has a big job to do though. The main compartment is really too large for just one pocket, and without any closure this is the only secure space we have. And goodness knows anyone who can afford to spend more than a thousand on a tote probably has some precious cargo to carry.

It might be tempted if it had a closure at the least, but without it I can think of several better ways to spend $1150, can’t you?

More Features of This Proenza Schouler Leather Shopping Tote

• Cotton twill lining
• Golden hardware
• Dual handles with a 7.75 inch drop
• Measures 12 x 15 x 6 inches
• Made in Italy
• Comes with a dustbag

Get this Proenza Schouler Patchwork Handbag:

• Available to buy at La Garconne
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Proenza Schouler bags on BagBunch
• The Lucky Brand La Brea bag, a great alternative to this tote bag.
• Searching for more Proenza Schouler bags on eBay
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Mischa Barton is taking another stab at a career as fashion designer with the launch of her new Mischa’s Place collection.

The actress, who shot to fame on the teen drama series The O.C., has created handbags since 2008. However this is the first time we’ve seen her releasing apparel, cosmetics, bath products, and other accessories including leggings and scarves.

As she made her first design foray with purses, it’s not surprising to see these accessories are well represented in the Mischa’s Place range. There’s a diverse collection of bags, from small wallets and clutches to larger totes and satchels. I particularly like the neutral color palette which features modern favorites like nude and mustard hues alongside traditional black, brown and gray. By opting for manmade synthetic skins rather than authentic leather, Barton’s kept most of the handbags priced below that magic $100 mark.

The complete Mischa’s Place range is available now from the label’s website before it’s rolled out into stores. Rumor has it that she’ll launch a Mischa Barton flagship store at London’s Spitalfields Market this spring.

Are you excited to see Mischa Barton expanding her design repertoire, or would you rather see this celebrity back on the small screen?

[Source: Stylelist]
[Image Source: Mischa’s Place website]

Mischa Barton Bags on eBay

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Juicy Couture returns to its glammed up girly roots with this Northern Star Mini Bag.

Lately the fashion house has been showing a more polished reserved side, but perhaps you can never completely take the showiness out of the label. It’s almost like it was bottling all that garishness up until it reached boiling point. And now with the Northern Star it’s let loose, and how!

Every square inch of the Northern Star is covering in glitzy purple sequins. There’s also a silver version, but I figure if you’re going to go girly, why not go all the way? All those shiny metal discs will seem over the top to many, but I think they work on a bag so small. I could never carry a tote made out of the same fabric; it’d simply be too much. But on a purse so petite the shimmery finish offers a dazzling pop.

Even though I enjoy the Northern Star I know I’d never wear it everywhere. It’s a party purse, made for karaoke nights and cocktails with your besties. And since it costs just $98, it doesn’t matter if we only bring it out once in a while.

More Features of This Juicy Couture Sequin Mini

• Made of polyester
• Top flap with snap closure
• Cotton lined interior
• A chain link shoulder strap with a 20.5 inch drop
• Measures 5.5 x 1 x 4 inches

Get this Juicy Couture Northern Star Handbag:

• Available to buy at Zappos
• Check the Cash in the Closet eBay store to see if this Juicy Couture bag is in stock
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Juicy Couture bags on BagBunch
• The Juicy Couture Sequin Stripe $ Pieces bag, a great alternative to this sequined bag.
• Searching for more Juicy Couture bags on eBay
• Other Juicy Couture Northern Star bags on eBay:

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