Gucci Artisan Traveling Tour

2011 will be the 90th anniversary of the luxury House of Gucci. And with the anniversary nearing, Gucci has a new “Forever Now” campaign along with the Gucci Artisan Traveling Tour to celebrate its traditions. The artisans of Gucci will be leaving Florence, Italy and traveling world wide for the first time. The Artisan Corner tour arrives in America on April 19 where it will stay open for two days at Gucci San Francisco on Stockton Street. On April 22, the corner moves to Beverly Hills, followed by Chicago on April 26th, and its final destination will be at the Gucci 5th Avenue Flagship in New York City on April 29.

Here is why you must check the tour out if you can make it to one of the four cities:The artisans will be completing finishing touches on Gucci bags in each store. This is not only a way to learn about Gucci’s heritage and tradition of quality, but also a way to see how meticulous and hands-on Gucci artisans are. Being able to have a trained artisan complete the finishing touches on a bag you buy will show the quality, craftsmanship, and luxuriousness of the product you are buying.

Anyone can purchase one of the bags and have a Gucci artisan finish the construction of the bag. You must make a new purchase of one of the New Bamboo or New Pelham bags to have the artisans work on your bag in store (along with some small leather good styles). The craftsman will hand-stitch the handles, assemble the iconic bamboo tassels, prepare leather strips for woven stitching, and hand emboss customer’s initials if they would like. On top of that, if you purchase a bag to have the artisan complete it, there will be a special inside plaque embossed with the location and date of the event you attend.
If I lived in any of the cities this tour will be stopping at, this would be an event I would not miss. To watch a true artist practice their craft is no different than watching a talented dancer dance, singer sing, or any kind of performer perform.

Gucci Joy Boston Bag with Snowman and Elephant Print

Yes, elephants and snowmen all over a designer handbag. Why not pair two seemingly polar opposite things together on a handbag? In fact, it is so quirky that I simply, totally adore it. So much so that I want it. Not just a little bit of want, a lot bit of want.

The Gucci Joy Boston Bag with Snowman and Elephant Print features elephants seemingly dancing and running alongside snowmen on their white beige GG plus bag. In the larger photo I posted, the elephants appear to be black, but on the Gucci website they are brown. I’m going with the website, since that is showing the actual product being sold. The print, which may sound silly, is perfectly fitting.
The brown elephants against the green leaves with the white snowmen is perfect. There is white leather trim and light gold hardware. The color scheme of this bag is perfect for summer whites and khakis but will easily work for fall as well. Dimensions are 12.6″L x 6.7″W x 8.7″H. Best part of this bag (other than how much I love love love the print) is that Gucci will donate 25% of each sale of this bag to UNICEF. Buy through Gucci online for $695.
The kind of want where I am going to go tell Vlad, “You know how much you like elephants? Well, there is this bag…”

For any remaining people that think leopard can’t be done in a classy way, I think this particular bag is a pretty convincing argument that it can be. The dark chocolate leather trim is beautiful and classic, and the printed pony hair that it frames gives it a pleasantly textural vintage touch. I wish that the straps were a tad longer for easier arm carrying, but other than that, the details of this satchel are pretty much perfect. The cream-colored lining is a nice touch; in a big bag, it’s nice to be able to find things quickly. Buy through Saks for $2400.

When I covered the Gucci Joy Boston Bag with Snowman and Elephant Print, the reaction was mixed (except on Facebook where most everyone disliked the bag strongly). But not me. I loved this bag from the moment I first saw it. You see, I recently took a look into my handbag collection and realized I was lacking playful and whimsical designs. My collection is overflowing with great leather bags, but I not only wanted but felt that I needed to add some bags that are meant to be taken lightly and meant to be fun. I found it in the Marc Jacobs Fluorescent Tweed Bag and I have found it in this Gucci Bag. You know who else is drawn to it? Elle MacPherson.

I must admit, I have had Elle MacPherson envy for years. She somehow pairs gorgeous with casual so well that it makes me mad. And in her all dark ensemble, Elle added a playful touch with the Gucci Joy Boston Bag with Snowman and Elephant Print.
I told you all I was going to order this bag, and I did. It arrived last week and Vlad and I plan on doing a photo shoot with it coming up soon. In person, it is great! This bag is not meant to be taken super seriously, rather it is all in jest (while also being for a good cause). I am looking forward to pairing it with a crisp white top and summer khaki pants! Buy through Gucci online for $695.

Gucci is the latest designer to take a walk on the wild side

It seems as though I should have waited another week to write about leopard print as a bag trend – since that post was published, several more enormous brands have made their entrance into the fad, most notable among them Gucci. I was surprised to see the Gucci Heritage Pony Hair Boston Bag at first, but once I had a chance to think about it, the print totally makes sense with the retro feel of their most recent collection. As several commenters correctly pointed out on my initial leopard print post, animal prints have been around for ever and waxed and waned in relative trendiness for generations. It only makes sense that when most of fashion is taking a look back to find inspiration from over half a century ago that leopard print would experience a resurgence in popularity.

For any remaining people that think leopard can’t be done in a classy way, I think this particular bag is a pretty convincing argument that it can be. The dark chocolate leather trim is beautiful and classic, and the printed pony hair that it frames gives it a pleasantly textural vintage touch. I wish that the straps were a tad longer for easier arm carrying, but other than that, the details of this satchel are pretty much perfect. The cream-colored lining is a nice touch; in a big bag, it’s nice to be able to find things quickly. Buy through Saks for $2400.

The shape of the bag is simple and not over-complicated, but the throwback logo and use of suede give it a distinctly vintage feel, as does the satchel shape. What has impressed me most about Gucci’s fall offerings is that they’re so restrained – this is a bag made for sophisticated grown women, which is exactly what it should be for the price. Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $1750.

No one knows exactly how long the mini crossbody trend will last, but put me on the record as hoping that this shape stays around as a wardrobe staple for years to come. Not only are minibags delightfully functional, but they’re easily modified to embody nearly any style from hippie to industrial. In this case, the mood of the Gucci 1973 Small Shoulder Bag is clear – it’s all about the retro throwback. This bag comes as no surprise to anyone that saw the looks from Gucci’s Fall 2010 runway show – I would have pegged the look as more late 60s than early 70s, but the retro shapes and color palette were omnipresent throughout the bags featured in the show. The altered Gucci logo is the touch that really completes the look.

My only real criticism of the design is that I wish perhaps more had been done with the chain – a piece of leather where the bag will sit on the shoulder is always an appreciated nod toward utilitarian comfort, but I imagine that this bag was meant to be worn atop a layer or two of cold-weather clothing anyway, making that detail less important. The olive color works beautifully with the gold hardware, and sub-$1000 leather Gucci bags aren’t easy to find as of late. This one might be small, but don’t underestimate its style. Buy through Saks for $760.

This Gucci satchel may be named after 1973, but it’s just as chic today

It takes a lot for me to like a suede bag, but Gucci has gone and done just that. I’m already on the record as being a fan of their “1973″ line for fall, but I was a little bit dubious of the Gucci 1973 Medium Satchel until I saw the red suede version.
Because of the tactile nature of suede, colors usually end up looking muted when the finished product arrives. I like my colors vibrant, which contributes to my usual distaste for the material. In this case, though, the orange-y hue comes through loud and clear, taking advantage of suede’s texture without sacrificing vibrancy.

The shape of the bag is simple and not over-complicated, but the throwback logo and use of suede give it a distinctly vintage feel, as does the satchel shape. What has impressed me most about Gucci’s fall offerings is that they’re so restrained – this is a bag made for sophisticated grown women, which is exactly what it should be for the price. Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $1750.

Mad Couture with RueLaLa, Take Two

After a successful first round in July, the good folks at RueLaLa are staging another irresistible Madison Avenue Couture event. The big sale launches tomorrow, September 9th and the selection of designer bags, shoes and accessories include brands like Gucci, Prada, Armani, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and many more. We can expect a vast variety of styles, with prices ranging from $200 to $2,000.
This is not one to miss. Grab an invite and make sure to hit the event early, as desired pieces vanish off the virtual racks in minutes.