Alexander McQueen Wicca Velvet-Covered Leather Shoulder Bag, $1365 via Net-a-Porter
Designers seem to be trying to make velvet happen once again for fall, and despite being a child of the 90s and an unashamed fan of the era’s grungy, highly questionable fashion, I’ve been slow to warm to the almost-trend. I remember having velvet T-shirts and dresses too vividly in elementary school for velvet to be an automatic winner in my mind as an adult.
Following Rachel Zoe confirmed her pregnancy, the style world began to buzz around her stylish baby on board. While many speculated if she would have a boy or girl and exactly what her baby could be spotted wearing, I had been busy wondering what diaper tote Rachel Zoe planned to carry.Luckily, Rachel Zoe shared with us that she’s going bananas for her Alexander McQueen diaper bag.Looks such as RZ was given a customized rendition of this Alexander McQueen Black Folk Tote. The variant on the McQueen website doesn’t feature the whipstitching details like Rachel’s bag does. On top of this, the stylist includes a custom RZ tag dangling from her new baby purse. It resembles Rachel is really excited about this tote, squealing: “OMG!!! McQueen diaper tote????? It leaves me speechless!! XoRZ”. Price of this moderate Tote is $1,595 in McQueen online.Sarah Burton had large shoes to fill when she stepped in at Alexander McQueen. But her transition hasn’t just been eloquent but has also continued to bring us stunning pieces. At this time I’m absolutely obsessed with the Alexander McQueen 3D Hobo. While Neiman Marcus describes this bag as flower-detail, I would like to clarify: this my friends is black leather cutwork leaves. In a time once we have come to expect florals from the likes of Valentino, I feel happy with this appearance from McQueen.Truth be educated, leather flowers are stunning but with these floral leaves we’ve got an earthy spirit brought to the style. The Alexander McQueen 3D Hobo is an ethereal beauty, and I can’t prevent any part of me from needing it. Romantic would be another word used to refer to this bag and I am only mesmerized with the easy hobo shape with its botanical and gold Western buckle bits. If you paid attention to the McQueen Spring 2011 runway show, the two leaves and Western buckles have been a resounding theme. The idea of partnering Western with earthy is not what would first come to mind as a fantastic match, but it works superbly.
But I’m a McQueen fangirl of the highest order, which means that I’m willing to consider basically anything the brand designs with an open mind. As a result, I might kind of totally love the Alexander McQueen Wicca Velvet-Covered Leather Shoulder Bag. If only I understood exactly what “velvet-covered leather” means.
I’ve been at the whole handbag thing for a few years now, and in that time, I’ve seen almost every leather fabrication that you can think of. I’ve never heard leather be described as velvet-covered, though, and I have a few follow-up questions. Is the velvet somehow applied to the leather, or is it just a leather bag with a panels of velvet over it? Based on the pictures, it seems to be the latter, but I’d love it if someone could figure out how to make the former happen.
Either way, this bag appeals to me a great deal. The velvet is matte and lush, and thankfully it’s not the tacky crushed velvet that some brands have used (hopefully ironically). And you really can’t argue with this explosive shade of pink – heavily textured materials like velvet and suede tend to take rich color better than leather, and the end result is eye-popping. You win again, McQueen. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1365.