Marc Jacobs Collection “Quilted Colorblock Soft Pouch”

I absolutely love the whole Quilted Colorblock SS collection from Marc Jacobs. All of the bags in the collection have that special feminine touch to them which makes them very alluring. They make you put your hands on them and not let go, ever! The leather is of superior quality and soft both on the eye and to the touch. The combinations of colors used on these bags do a wonderful job giving them a distinct look that makes them stand out among other collections released this season. Victoria Beckham had the Mika Bag from this collection with here everywhere for some time and did a great job putting these fabulous bags in the spotlight.

I’ve heard a lot of comments on this collection and not all are positive. Some are saying these bags have that “old lady” touch to them, and come to think about it, that’s true. It’s just that I don’t see it as a bad thing. Marc Jacobs is well known for his wild combinations of styles and his talent to make the most impossible combinations imaginable work. Quilted Colorblock defintely isn’t your everyday handbag collection, we’ve got Marc by Marc Jacobs for that. If you consider this collection to be a bit too unusual or simply not you, you can always start with the Mika Bag or this pouch since they are a bit less overwhelming due to their size.

The key signatures of this collection are the quilt detail on the leather and the large shoulder chain with leather weaven through it. We’ve already seen that on other MJ bags, but this time he decided to go for an oversized approach, and if you ask me, he did a great job because it emphasizes the soft and and gently slouchy look. He did something similar on the Louis Vuitton Monogram Olympe bags with the oversized shoulder strap and the plaited leather… In fact, the whole look somehow reminded me of the Monogram Olympe… Anyway…

As I said, this bag is made of subtle grained leather with a quilt detail. The top is in beautiful a contrast to the brown leather bag body. Featuring gusseted sides and a pleated front which give the bag it’s feminine look, the Quilted Colorblock really won my heart. Interior is fine textile lined and featured with patch pocket. I really like it!

SIZE: 10″ x 6″ x 2.5″

PRICE: $695.00 @ eLuxury.com

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Marc by Marc Jacobs “Leather Clutch”

I loved it on the MJ Airliner Leather Bag and I love it here. The flap zip closed top clasped with the buckle once it’s folded - perfect. It is both simple and catchy at the same time. The combination of beautiful pebbled leather and gold toned hardware always pushes the right buttons in me if it’s done with sense of dose, which is the case here. Actually, I have nothing special to say about this bag. You might ask “what’s all the fuss about” but that’s just it. Sometimes the simplier a bag is, the more beautiful it turns out to be. And with all the designers, including Marc Jacobs himself, being so competitive and trying to come up with something “no one has ever seen before” which is almost impossible, a simple but beautiful handbag is always welcome. There’s no debate over the leather, necessary or unnecessary details, question of wearability or how long will the sytle be able to last…
It’s just plain nice and that’s it!

SIZE: 14.25″ x 10.25″ x 1″

PRICE: $328.00 @ Saks.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs “Airliner Leather Bag”

This is what I call a true designer bag. From the shape and the beautiful leather to the perfectly chosen detailing, the flap top and the gold toned clasp closure, it is just perfect. I have to get back to what I’ve said so many times - the flap top is the way to go. It has so much potential that I am still surprised when I see it implemented in on a bag in a new fashion, regardles of the fact that it has been a trend for quite a while now. There are so many ways to play with the details, closures and ways of fliping and folding it to create absolutely stunning designs that it is simply impossible to not love it. It’s great, absolutely fabulous.

The way the flap top is implemented on this Marc Jacobs cutie is rather special and surprisingly catchy which, in addition to the sewed belt-like detail and a gold toned clasp, gives it that alluring feel which made me post about it. The taupe shade in which the leather is made is bound to make this bag a perfect fit to the outfits I will be wearing in the upcoming seasons. The Airliner bag comes with an additional detachable shoulder strap which I would honesty rather detach and not use. This bag looks great as a top handle and that’s the way it should be carried.

At this price it’s too hard to resist…

SIZE: 10.5″ x 9.5″ x 12.5″

PRICE: $368.00 @ Net-a-Porter.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs “Canvas Tote”

This is the kind of a bag which is nice to have laying around, just in case you need it at some point. Yes, the big white Marc Jacobs logo is so prominent you simply can’t miss it, but thanks to the catchy way it is implemented, it really doesn’t bother me one bit. This is not a bag you’ll see on the shoulder of a middle aged woman, however, at this price and looking like this, it’s both a perfect beach/picnic/shopping bag and a perfect gift for a young bagddict who will be pleased to add a MJ to her collection. I really like it, to the point I might actually buy it. I should/could have bought it before, but I have to admit I usually delay buying bags like these for longer than I should because I am too busy drooling over and buying more expensive and more appealing ones.

SIZE: 6.5″ x 11″ x 14″

PRICE: $98.00 @ Saks.com

Marc Jacobs Collection “Fergie Clutch”

This is spring trends screaming right at you! Made in vibrant yellow, this oversized patent clutch has been on my mind for some time now, but I didn’t get a chance to write about it till today. It kept slipping my mind I guess. This is obviously the day to cover all the bags I have noticed, liked, but somehow neglected when I was writing my daily posts.

I guess I was “avoiding” writing about this one because it is deffinitely out of the ordinary. It did like it, but it is not the kind of bag you will be able to carry everywhere with you, and I have been focused on versatile bags lately (remember how I was saying how I would carry the bag I was posting about everywhere over and over again in my recent posts?). However, I am in the mood for some edgy stuff today as well. From one extreme (the simple laid back look Bottega casual Drop bag) to the other (the vivid, edgy Fergie clutch).

I am overlooking the patent leather in this case because this clutch is too wild for me, so I am not even considering buying it, yet I still find it too much out of the ordinary to let it pass unnoticed. That is what I love about it, that wild touch it has to it. I can imagine it blending perfectly into the Japanese street fashion kind of outfits. Marc Jacobs should be shipping tons of these there, I’m sure they would sell like hot cakes.

Fergie is a fold over clutch, so the fold over trend is obviously here to stay (I have also seen it in the Bottega Veneta 2008 AW season fashion show, and in many other upcoming collections from various designer houses as well). The ornate acrylic studs on the bottom of the flap are what gives this clutch the wild look. It is also available in black, but I kind of do not feel like black patent leather anymore… If it was a winter clutch, sure, why not, but black patent is something I simply cannot stomach for SS. I would have to be crazy, head over heels in love with a black SS bag to overlook the patent leather (that being said, I am sure I will bump into one I’ll fall for in the next couple of days )

SIZE: 11.25″ x 6.75″ (folded) x 3.5″

PRICE: $895.00 @ eLuxury.com

Marc Jacobs “Bowler Pleat Detail Bag”

Doesn’t this one look like a Chloe bag at first sight? I knew it did. The way the pleats are folded, and the gusseted details look so Chloe to me. If I didn’t know it was a MJ, and if it didn’t say so under the picture, I’d never believe it. Then again, the chain on the shoulder strap has already become a kind of a signature on MJ’s bags of all types and sizes so I guess when you look at it with that in mind, it may not be so hard to tell it’s a Marc Jacobs afterall. It did really look like a Chloe on first sight though.

Anyhow, I like it. I’m usually more of a Marc by Marc Jacobs fan, the bags from the Marc Jacobs collection have a somewhat simple touch to them, but this one is really beautiful. It is easy on the shoulder due to the elongated shoulder strap and not too big, but it will be able to carry everything you might need throughout the day. The key details are the folded pleats and the chain details which are really visually rich so be careful with your outfit - keep it simple and both you and the bag will shine.

SIZE: 13.5″ x 9″ x 5.5″

PRICE: $1,295.00 @ Net-a-Porter.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs “Dr. Q Colorblock Hillier Hobo Bag”

Tina has already covered the Dr. Q Hilier hobo, and I am merely updating her post with the new, spring Hillier look. Marc Jacos decided to give more life (read more color) to the beautiful Hillier…

In comparison to the brown leather Hillier, the Colorblock does not stand a chance. First of all, Colorblock is made of patent leather, and frankly, I am slowly getting sick of it.. It feels too heavy for spring, and especially for summer. Also, it is not just patent leather, it is crinkled patent leather which is only contributing to the heavy feel.. Me no like.. The shoulder strap on the blue version is a big no no for me, but on the pink one, it does lift the whole appearance of the bag.

I was not impressed by the color scheme either.. Eventhough blue is my favorite color, I have to say the bright blue shade doesn’t do it for me, and I am not too impressed with the pink one either. Not impressed does not mean I hate them, it really just boils down to the fact that I’d chose the original brown Hillier over one of these any day.

SIZE: 15.5″ (at widest point)x 16″x 4.5″

PRICE:

Blue Colorblock Hillier $498.00 @ eLuxury.com
Wine Colorblock Hillier @ Piperlime.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs “Posh Turnlock Convertible Tote”

I came across this bag while I was searching for something perky, and even though this one doesn’t quite fit that criterion, I found it worth spending some time to post about it. Marc Jacobs is totally unpredictable, I mean, there’s no way you’ll ever be able to tell what he will come up with next. He has released so many products in various styles recently, but that’s still nothing in comparison to what’s yet to come from him, mark my words.

What I’m trying to say is that this is pretty much a very simple looking bag, too simple for something coming from the Marc Jacobs collection. Very simple would usually translate into Tina liking the bag very much, but this time Tina does not like it at all unfortunately. I’d rather go for a Quilted Colorblock Pochette, which I, by the way, dislike for many, many reasons. This one is so plain, I’d almost go so far as to label it a fug. It looks as if someone polished the life out of it trying to make the leather look decent and then half the way through the process they realized it leads nowhere and left it looking greasy. It’s a definite no-no, but that doesn’t neccesarily mean I don’t see anything good about it. I do like and the vintage feel that the gold twist lock closure and the way the flap top is implemented create. The point is, there is so much perfectly delicious arm candy created by Marc Jacobs out there that this one simply doesn’t stand a chance in my book. I would never try to convince you not to like it if you find it attractive, but I’d also never encourage you to buy it - if you like it, you like it, I just don’t.

SIZE: 13″ x 8″ x 3″

PRICE: $298.00 @ eLuxury.com

Marc Jacobs “Little Patchwork Stam Bag”

I have already covered this spring’s big Stam bag, and now I bumped into this very cute small Stam. I just love it when designers decide to play around with sizes for already established and popular bags. I always end up liking the new version better and even if I already have the original version, I crave the new one as well. It sometimes happens that I want the new version more than I wanted the original one. You know, something looks just fabulous but you get used to it over time, and seeing it in a different size brings back that original desire you experienced with the first version, and you simply MUST have it!

The main difference between this smaller Stam and the original Stam is the absence of handles. I am not sure if I really like that. The chain on the original Stam was a bit too much for my taste, and I’d carry on the crook of my elbow and not on my shoulder. I would have to see the little Stam irl to be able to form a deffinite opinion - in the photo it looks somewhat thiner and that definitely works better for this color, since every detail blends in, as opposed to other stams (the black one for example) which are dominated by a complete contrast, emphasizing the gold toned chain to the maximum (something I do not fully like). However, if the chain is making your shoulder sore, you can always detach it and carry it under your arm.

The color is really alluring, very bright and beautiful, and it looks much better than rapsberry and fluo pink, so I would definitely consider buying this one. Remember my remark about the rapsberry color, how I liked it but how I would never carry it.. Well, this color has nothing to do with that remark.

SIZE: 13″w x 9″h x 2″d

PRICE: $995.00 @ Saks.com