Bag besotted

The bag is a woman’s most basic, most necessary fashion accessory. You rarely see a woman without a bag slung on her shoulder or not toting a carryall. It acts as a woman’s added appendage, the extra limb that holds all personal belongings her two hands can’t. It is the companion that escorts her to every single meeting, to cocktail events and formal dinners, to all her shopping expeditions, in all her travels. A bag, literally, never leaves a woman’s side, kept close in all occasions, closer when there are none.

If a bag is meant to be the companion every woman instinctively relies on, then it’s a must that a woman chooses one that will be by her side for life. It should be able to withstand, not only the wear and tear exacted by the weight of her belongings, but the devious passing of trend over time. Quality becomes a standard often considered when a woman buys a bag. Style is a close seconder. Status, however, is not far off – a woman will always wonder if her constant companion will merit second glances from other women.

The combination of all three put together is the formula the luxury bag relies on. The luxury bag, usually subtle, mobile exhibits of the coveted "made in Italy" tag is an indulgent necessity. A woman admitting to being a bag aficionado should invest in at least one luxury case that will last her all her bag-toting days. A woman admitting to being a bag connoisseur should invest in at least three.

When it’s time to do wise money-spending on leather goods, women recognize the best go-to. Heading the list of brokers is the Gucci group, an internationally-renowned fashion conglomerate that has been keeping our leather-spoiled olfactories in fetish heaven. Under the Gucci umbrella are three brands that have successfully combined tradition with style and superiority: Gucci, Yves St. Laurent, and Bottega Veneta.

Recently, this leather triumvirate opened free-standing boutiques in the Makati commercial business district, dizzying the prospects of the entire style cognoscenti, upsetting the travel plans of every bag hound used to flying to Hong Kong to purchase their luxe leather goods, and enticing women to, once again, continue their hunt for the perfect lifetime companion.

Gucci

It’s disheartening to think that the handbags now being displayed for Fall-Winter ‘03/’04 in all Gucci boutiques are part of Tom Ford’s swansong set (along with the Cruise ’04 collection). Ford, along with Gucci president and CEO Domenico de Sole, is abdicating his position as the Gucci Group’s creative director come April of 2004, when their contract expires.

Ford has been designing for Gucci since 1990, starting out as chief designer for Women’s Ready-to-Wear and later moving up to become the brand’s creative director in ’94. He is credited for giving the brand its much-needed overhaul, adding an edgy contemporary look to the Gucci merchandise without compromising the brand’s traditional trademark elements.

For this last collection, Ford pays close attention to a lot of the brand’s classic designs. He revives the metal horsebit detail Gucci first came out with in the 1950’s, putting it on stud-riveted, rock-star style mini shoulder bags. The brand’s bamboo-detailed flap bag is done available in the classic signature GG leather and in outrageous fur finishes. The hobo bag is also dominant in this collection, appearing in different sizes and in various leather finishes.

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta has enjoyed tremendous success and popularity since it was acquired by the Gucci group in February of 2001. Part of this success is due to the instatement of Tomas Maier as the brand’s creative director and chief designer. Known for its signature Intrecciato leather, the woven leather used by the brand in most of its bag designs, Bottega Veneta through Maier has injected a dark, romantically brooding cast to the brand’s rather traditional, uptight reputation. His designs for the brand’s fall-winter ‘03/04 collection combines the classic Intrecciato leather with shades inspired by the medieval times such as dusky greens, pewters and metallic-tinged neutrals. To add texture to the collection, Maier also experiments with soft hide such as calfskin and pony.

YSL

There is a certain rockstar appeal to Tom Ford’s offering for Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche F/W ‘03/’04 handbag collection. Most of it is exuded by the brand’s new logo design displayed on their bags and other leather goods: the YSL letters in rounded, carelessly-scrawled font and entwined closer together.

The rockstar vibe, however, is more Kelly Osbourne than Brandon Boyd. Muted pinks dot the otherwise neutral landscape of the YSL palette. The pink is seen in leather and in canvas making up hobo bags, doctor’s bags, and mini shoulder bags and is often paired with texturized black accents.

Another point of interest in this collection is how Ford uses unconventional materials for the bag handles. Antique brass is wrapped around hard materials such as raw deerhorn, ebony, and glass.