Mark my words: Chanel bags in exotic skin are indeed rarer commodities than Hermes Birkins in Crocodylus Porosus. Here are two of my favorite Chanel bags in perfect matt black croco skin for the Reissue flap and grey snakeskin for the Cert tote respectively. They are classic, luxurious, gorgeous and you just don’t see them that often in person, which means super unique. Both pieces are super highly collectible pieces from the Fall/Winter 2011 collection.
I don’t have the exact prices for both pieces and they are not even be available in most countries but my conservative estimation is USD30,000 for the croc flap bag and USD15,000 for the snakeskin Cerf Tote plus a few months of wait list.
Images are courtesy of Chanel
It was a good day to stroll along the Orchard Road yesterday and I dropped by Chanel at Ngee Ann City as some of the bags on display literally stopped me from my stroll. One of the bags that caught my attention is the simple large bowling bag from its Fall/Winter 2011 collection. The shape of the bag is indeed very simple and fuss-free. Its thread details create the signature quilting that Chanel is closely associated with. Aside from the quilting and the CC lock that is used to combine the two zipper pulls, nothing much gives clue that it is indeed a Chanel. The only thing that I find disappointing is that the bag is lined with fabric instead of full leather or suede. The price in Singapore store is around SGD5,500. Should the bag have been lined with leather or suede, it would have been an absolute keeper, even if the price had to be one grand more because of it. I am not a hater. As it is now, it is still a very nice bag. I just would prefer more leather inside a Chanel.
Image is courtesy of Chanel
I just watched The Green Lantern last weekend and although it was not as impressive as I had hoped for, I was not, in my opinion, as bad as most movie reviews had given it. It is a superhero movie after all and not all superhero movies are The Dark Knight or Iron Man. While Ryan Renolds looks pretty in green tight suit, it was Blake Lively that stole every single scenes she was in. I could not believe how hot she looks in brunette but she apparently looks hot in anything.
You should have known by now that Blake is the current face for Chanel Mademoiselle handbag lines, which as the name suggests, targeting younger fans who have been toting their mother’s flap bags. I think the line does a great justice to the classic Chanel lines and is a valuable addition to the house’s relatively limited bag designs. The Mademoiselle comes in five different sizes and available in ten choices of materials. Prices start from around EUR1,700 for the mini satin version to EUR2,500 for the Maxi Calfskin and a lot more for the precious skins such as Iguana and matte croco.
My clear favorite version has got to be the Small Bowler in Iguana, which happens to be one of the bags featured with Blake in one of the campaign visuals. It now costs around SGD10,000 in Singapore.
Images are courtesy of Chanel
I rarely feature Chanel bags simply because for a house with such an influential prowess in the fashion industry, it relies too much on its classic quilted flap bags. On the other hand, I am a big advocate for a tasteful reinterpretation on a classic piece. This heavily sequined flap bag from Chanel F/W2011 collection turns out to be one of those collectible pieces. I expect the price to be around SGD8,000 when it is out and I am going to say a very rare “yes”, if you ask me whether you should get it. Just try to get it from Europe and you might be able to shave off a neat one to two grands off the price tag.
Image is courtesy of Chanel
It might be a precious and very highly artistic piece of art to some but to me, this baby looks like it had been stored in a damp room for weeks and grown mosses all over. What do you think about this bag? Would you be willing to part with your money (should be in five digits) over this bag?
Image is courtesy of style.com
Blake Lively came to our attention from her days in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but it is her role as Serena in the Gossip Girl that made her a star. Lively has since been the new style icon and a darling to the US Vogue and Anna Wintour. Who is better to be the face representing Chanel’s Mademoiselle bag collection today? I can’t think of any.
“She’s a kind of American dream girl,” Lagerfeld tells WWD of his new coup. “I think she will become a great actress. It [the shoot] was an easy job because everyone fell in love with her.”
Seems Blake’s adjusting to her new role as ambassador rather well, too.
“I will always feel [the bag] is more than just a purse,” she says. “It’s a quilted case full of lipstick, love letters and the dreams and possibilities that I have always felt every time I see that beautiful ‘CC’.”
Sounds like a match made in fashion heaven to me.
Lagerfeld himself shot the campaign, which will be out worldwide in March. Love the bags! Love Blake! Can’t wait to see the pairing.
Images are courtesy of Chanel
Chanel opened its second store in Singapore to the world on the 14th September 2010. The store is part of Marina Bay Sands’ line of exclusive designer boutiques which include Gucci, Fendi, Burberry, Dunhill and Tiffany. It is nice to finally have another Chanel store here in Singapore, especially a bigger one. Here are some peaks into the inside of the store.
Make sure you visit the store for the MBS exclusive pieces!
Images are courtesy of Chanel