The Great Bag Debate

Five years later and I find myself with the same problem.

I'm looking for the perfect day bag and I can't find one.

It was five years ago the same problem prompted me to start Tiger Tem in the first place. Looking back, I appreciate what an ambitious venture it was, but what's life without some huge challenges?

My criteria this time round...remains spookily the same.
1. I'm not a fan of the status bag. The whole notion of a status bag, says too much about too little and is just a little too chav-tastic for me. Snob? Moi...you betcha.

2. I'm a leather lover

3. I'm open to colour.

4. I'm looking for an east-west bag (i.e. wide as opposed to tall), one that's roomy enough to fit my laptop

5. And I want something that has enough pockets to help keep my life in order.

6. Under $500. Credit crunch ain't no joke.




I am in love with this Alexis Hudson bag! I love the deep, dark, sexy bordeaux leather, I love the vintage inspired shape and I love the twist lock on the front. Dayum, I think I might have lucked out from the start. And the best bit?
Its reduced from $625 to $375 www.bluefly.com





Hmmm, another very understated bag that appeals to me a lot. This is by Brazilian designer Elisa Atheniense. I love the fusion of the snakeskin straps, the contrast overstitching and the buttery soft leather.
$443 www.tobi.com





This bag toes the line between a nice touch of glam and trying a little too hard so the jury's still out. But I like the soft grey leather and the stud details which toughen up the butterfly design on the front. The added touch of snakeskin looks great in the picture but I suspect there might just be a little bit too much going on for my liking.
Betsey Johnson Butterfly Bling (and they just had to kill it with the name).
$395 now $222 www.bloomingdales.com





This shade of orange is usually best left to Hermes but you know what, it works. I love the shape, size and colour of this bag. Its an absolutely fabulous $56 from www.baghaus.com but the only rub...its not real leather.




Who knew Badgley Mischka had launched a line of handbags? And all very moderately priced too. I'm liking the 'Sofia' a lot. Not crazy about the colour though. But its a great shape and size for everyday use. $455 www.saksfifthavenue.com







I love the star patchwork detail and embroidered handle on this Tracy Reese bag. I love the deep denim blue and the contrast the handle offers. Very, very cute.
$365 down to $179...just made it a whole lot cuter! www.smartbargains.com





Ohhh, I fell in love with Liberty all over again last year. Its always been of my favourite underdogs and the genius behind their new own brand accessory line has worked their magic with this Ianthe print leather bag. Love it, need it, want it.
395 for the mini, 450GBP for the small and 550GBP for the medium
www.liberty.co.uk




Another lesser known brand JJ Winters offers up this piece of fabulousity. Ok, the blue is a tad bright to get much play but I love it anyway. More of a posh beach bag truth be told than an every day bag, but we all need posh beach bags too. $460 www.shopharmony.com





Furla certainly seem to have a new design team in place since the last time I gave them so much as a glance. I hated that hard, stiff leather they used for their bags. It works great for the little leather make up bags and jewellery cases but otherwise...nah. But this, supersoft, chocolate brown bowling bag...I am loving. 335GBP.





But I have to say I'm still madly in love with this Tiger Tem baby from 2005.


And still even more in love with the Goldfinger. Which has hands down been the best selling bag we've launched. New plans in store for this year with the bags. The new Ikoyi spot should FINALLY be ready by easter...ok, lets just say by summer right?!

Bag Lady

New Year and back to the grind.

I'll have lots of exciting new things to share with you this year.

To start with, I found the most unusual bag by a relatively unknown designer.

Katherine Kwei.

I hadn't heard much about her but her career began in PR in Hong JKong fior Louis Vuitton, spanninbg 14 countries in the Asia Pacific region. In 2002, she left Louis Vuitton to pursue an MA in Accessories at the well respected Cordwainers in London. She then went on to work with Susannah Hunter (who taught me at St Martins), then the Billy Bag company then she moved to Nerw York and after a six month work placement with Zac Posen....she launched her own line.

Her bags are available at small boutiques and stores across the world such as Henri Bendel, Scoop and Takashimaya in New York, Holt Renfew in Canada and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong.

"Katherine Kwei handbags blends everything from luxury brands to vintage pieces to the latest street wear to create a polished yet chic and playful, figure-flattering silhouette. I hope that my refined sensibility reflects in my pieces and appeals to a woman who is confident and secure in her own sense of style."


Its a bit like Marmite, either you love it or you hate it.....


This is the Safira which makes a great day bag. Love the colour, love the detail.


This silver python fabulosity is the Teresa Hobo.

As fabulous as I think both bags are, and as much as they indicate a strong sense of style from the designer...I can't help but feel I'd rip the bag to shreds the first time I used it as those tassle are bound to catch on EVERYTHING. And I'm a pretty careful person who really looks after my stuff.


Your thoughts?

Anya Hindmarch for Target

Anya Hindmarch is quite possibly one of the best know bag designers. The London based designer saw great success with the launch of her Be A Bag line which involves printing one of your personal photos onto a canvas bag. Genius. People were lapping that stuff up and many a Hugo/Charlie/Ben/Will/Alex/Poppy/Lottie/Apple/Liberty found their baby pics immortalised on their Yummy Mummy's arm.

She started her first boutique on Walton Street at the tender age of 19, and now has a bag empire consisting of over 60 stand alone stores worldwide. And she's been designing those wash bags for BA First class for over 7 years. Now I know I haven't had that privilege since I became a full fare paying member of society and I know a lot of other people don't have that privilege anymore or just yet, but somehow EVERYBODY seems to have so many of those washbags kicking around at home. Interesting.

If you really want one for yourself, I'm sure you can find one for pennies on ebay otherwise, hop over the the BA retail site
www.highlifeshop.com where they are currently reduced from 65GBP to 19.80GBP.


In 2007 Hindmarch, in collaboration with the global social change movement We Are What We Do, designed the global sell out tote bag I’m Not A Plastic Bag, using her influence in a positive way to make it fashionable not to use plastic bags. The limited edition canvas totes sold for £5, launching in four limited edition colours around the world, and were selected by Vanity Fair to be included in their "Oscars" goodie bags.100,000 customers registered online to try to buy I’m Not A Plastic Bag, while 30 people in Beijing, China were treated in hospital after being caught in what was described as a scrum. AND the bags are still being traded on ebay for around $60+. Not bad.




And now she's set to become even more of a household name with her new collection for Target, the budget chain across America. www.target.com

Their sales pitch tell us...

"Timeless designs add the perfect polish. Anya's internationally acclaimed collections are worn by the world's top celebs.

Her trademark is her craftsmanship, sense of humour and knowing exactly what women want.

Her new designs for target give every woman the chance to see that for herself."

So let's have a look then shall we.....

Anya Hindmarch for Target Large Shoulder Bag $49.99


Anya Hindmarch for Target Large Python Shoulder Bag $49.99



Anya Hindmarch for Target Clutch $19.99



Anya Hindmarch for Target Tote in Black, Chocolate and Gold $49.99




Anya Hindmarch for Target Medium Python Satchel $44.99




Anya Hindmarch for Target Small Python Hobo $34.99



Anya Hindmarch for Target Small Flap Bag $29.99

Let me know your thoughts.


UPDATE:

For those in the UK that are interested. Ebay. Found some good options with fair prices, if you like them, just email the sellers and confirm shipping costs.

Enjoy

If for some reason, they're not working as links so just copy and paste.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220299887595


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370104383282


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= 120329470471


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= 350115234918


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= 350115251848


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= 120329470471

The Audra - Do We Love It?

While I'm back to my full time bag obsession, I found one I'd like to share with you.

My regular readers know I'm a big time GoldenBleu fan, so much so, I've made Tiger Tem their first African stockist. Bold move to stock another brand of handbags but the proof was in the pudding as we sold over 85% of our GoldenBleu stock the day we launched it.

So new collection, new dilemmas on what to choose.

Ladies and Gentlemen I present, The Audra.






Its cute and perfectly formed with quilting reminiscent of Chanel (and Marc Jacobs), the signature gold finishings add a touch of bling and this raspberry colour patent leather and fuchsia suede lining looks good enough to eat.

The chainlink shoulder strap is detachable so it has the versatility to be used as a shoulder bag or a clutch depending on your preference. And the little coin purse bit at the front is detachable which is fabulous (and yes it attaches very securely, I've checked) as if you decide to separate them you've got a cute little coin purse too.



Your opinions please.

Its in The Bag

Over the weekend I had a conversation with a friend and we were talking shop....bags, clutch bags to be precise.

I have a long standing love affair with clutch bags. They're what I started with for Tiger Tem, I own too many to count and I love a good clutch bag.

So when my friend said she didn't own one or particularly like them...I had to slowly pick my jaw off the floor. Don't like clutch bags? That's like saying don't like heels? Non?

She went on to explain after losing every clutch bag she'd owned as they either go stolen when she put them down or she kept forgetting them in clubs/bars/restaurants, she discovered the clutch bag underdog, the shoulder bag.

Never been a fan of the shoulder bag, I'm a day bag by day and a clutch bag by night kinda girl, but I felt inspired to do some major research into relatively unchartered territory. AND I haven't done a big fat bag post for ages.

So ladies, here's my selection of the best evening shoulder bags around, I've separated them into three price categories to make the looking, lusting, and choosing a little easier. As always half the fun of shopping is the aspiration and uberstylish ideas to emulate.

(I've done a straight swap with currencies which is what most retailers do i.e. $500 = £500 so if you're earning pounds, take advantage of the weak currency and promote yourself to a higher spending category by ordering online from the US!)

Enjoy.

Big Pimpin $500/£500 and above
I'll start with the biggest pimpin of all shoulder bags. The Chanel 2.55. Gotta love it. And this is the original chainlink strap, made even more popular by Marc Jacobs but if you're looking for a cheaper option choose carefully. Nothing like crappy hardware to kill a bag.


In second position to the Big Pimpin throne is the Fendi Baguette. One of the things I love about Fendi bags is they take their time honing one fabulous shape then offer it in a multitude of colours, prints, fabrics which keeps it all quite interesting and all the more covetable.



I'm in all types of love with the Jimmy Choo troy. Its a rather sizeable evening shoulder bag and in gold its a little more blingtastic than I'd like but its just so damn fabulous. £890.www.net-a-porter.com


I like this Jimmy Choo Discorama, partly because of the name but partly because its so unusual looking. Again no love lost for me with gold leather, but I'm loving that arabic style hardware detail at the bottom. A little tip, great hardware makes a bag look superexpensive and its always the little details like these that set the Big Pimpers apart from the Not Quite Pimpin Yet.


Hmm. I love the combination of chocolate and jade green and the peacock print on this,the double strap. I LOVE this bag. And you know it would look fabulous for all occasions, a black tie event to a night out rocking your baddest jeans. Valentino £680.www.net-a-porter.com


Mr McQueen had me at hello with the fabulous Novak bag but I think I actually prefer the mini Novak. See that hardware in the middle? And the detail on the straps....that the good stuff. The very good stuff. £770
.www.net-a-porter.com


The Chloe 'Gina' is a more understated choice. The supersoft buttery nappa leather is not for kids or to be used near kids as its the stuff that gets grubby really easily. All the more reason why a superclean one looks divinely luxurious. £597.
.www.brownsfashion.com


I'm a little undecided about the new Prada Campaign bag. Its called the Champagne and Caviar...great name. But I think all those ruffles would really irritate me. Anyway, its looks fabulous in this picture! $2000.www.neimanmarcus.com


I love me some GoldenBleu and this Audra fuses the classic Chanel quilting and chain strap with very modern red patent and I just love that double clasp thing, so useful!
$650.www.neimanmarcus.com


For someone that doesn't like gold bags that much I seem to have a lot on this page. (they photograph well, that's my excuse). This python skin bag from Pauric Sweeney is a little tougher and less pretty pretty thanks to the chocolate brown braided strap. Me likey.

Medium Pimpin $150/£150- $500/£500

Corto Moltedo is a relatively new name in the bag business...and you know being son of the Bottega Veneta founders must have been one serious leg up...but I'm not sipping from the cup of hatorade...I'm just stating the facts! I love this bag, the colour, the fact that it folds over, the braid detail, the gold studs (see? good hardware again). £499.www.brownsfashion.com



I'm loving the Gryson Elissa bag. Its tiny so supercute but the muted colours and the braid strap, chunky zip and clipped up sides give it a more rock edge. Me likey. $525.www.tobi.com



I love Hollywould! Their designs are always fabulous feminine and fun and flirty. Love this wicker clutch with the delicate marine life detail. (very very good hardware). $525.www.ilovehollywould.com (p.s. check out their site, they got a ker-razy summer sale going on)



Love the strap detail on this Armani bag. Sign up for fabulous sample sales at www.hautelook.com for more of the same. $195 down from $450.



Some fabulousity from one of the biggest names in the business Anya Hindmarch. Love the pleats and that strap. £410 www.anyahindmarch.com



Botkier is a force to be reckoned with and their edgy, tough looking bags are a new favourite on my radar. Who knew one so small could look so tough? The Cairo was $407 now $285. www.tobi.com



This is from fabulous Italian site www.forzieri.com. Love the colour combo and the dragon crest makes it look uberexpensive...that and the chainlink and leather strap. Yes its a total rip off the Valentino, but at $269 I won't tell if you won't tell.



Matthew Williamson seems a little quiet these days but I love this honeycomb inspired bag. The beaded patches over the white leather make this a perfect summery party bag. £305. www.net-a-porter.com.


Nothing quite beats the sexiness of a slick red bag and I'm loving this one from Julie K. The bow detail is just the cuteness. $160. www.lunaboston.com.


Its the unusual shape of this Furla bag that caught my attention. And the unusual shade of blue works a treat too. £155. www.furla.com.


Again the combination of unusual shape and colour is always going to catch my eye. And this is a perfect night out bag. Just enough room for your phone, cash, make up, keys and camera. The Jalda 'Doris' is $430 and available from www.neimanmarcus.com.


Not Quite Pimpin Yet $150/£150 and below

I wouldn't be Tiger if I didn't engage in some shameless plugging. This fabulous purple suede and gold croc bag with the antiqye gold strap (FYI antique gold straps look MUCH better than the 24k type). This is the fabulous little Sao Tome from Tiger Tem $150.


Absolutely fabulous winged detail on this handy edgy little bag from Blush B-lush. £175. www.asos.com.



Melie Bianco hails from LA and is making a name for themselves with their affordable 'interpretations' of runway style. I love the bold green of this foldover bag, and the raw edges and at $58...what's not to love? www.silviasshop.net.



Baghaus is another californian company that's doing brisk trade with their 'catwalk inspired' creations. Love this red bag, careful with the hardware though, it would have to look really good up close to pass the test! $25...www.baghaus.com.


Betsey Johnson is one of those smart designers who does a budget line. Hers is called Betseyville and I love this oversized vintage inspired bag. $110 www.nordstrom.com.



How cute is this accordion shaped bag? $150 from Bliss Lau at www.armcandy.com.



This adorable sunny yellow clutch is from a company better known for their gloves, Dents. Love the contrast of colour and the beaded strap. £28.


Forzieri are an Italian company that produce their own brand in fabulous little ancient manufacturers in Tuscany. If that hasn't sold this shimmery bronze leather bag to you, maybe the $94 price tag will. www.forzieri.com.



Calfhair bags have been a long standing favourite of mine and this print on the calf hair makes this Kate Landry bag look infinitely more expensive than its $65 price tag.


And last but not least on what must be my longest blog post ever, this canvas Marc Jacobs printed hobo. At £125 you know its Marc by Marc Jacobs and not Marc Jacobs, but its all good, its supercute. www.net-a-porter.com.