Handbags are definitely my favorite thing to spend money on. Unlike clothes or shoes, handbags don’t have to “fit,” they don’t have to match, you can wear the same one every day without people becoming concerned for your sanity, and if you buy the right ones, they can last for many, many years. I’m looking for a grey bag for myself for Fall, but red is also a great color to invest in right now; it goes wonderfully with black, grey, and brown. Here are my favorite designers and styles for Fall – some are brand new to the scene, others have been around a while, but all of them have produced some of the hottest bags of the season.
Happy Shopping!
 | 3.1 by Philip Lim He’s all the rage now for his Fall line of clothing, but I think his new handbag line is equally to be applauded. I’m not usually a fan of ‘basic’ black bags, but the textured leather on this one makes it so far from basic, and definitely not boring black. It’s also available in brilliant red… Where to buy 3.1 by Philip Lim online > |
| Abaco Paris You may have seen some of Abaco’s bags featured in September’s Lucky Magazine (which means they’ll be too hot to handle soon…), but they’re not exactly new to the scene. I love this “Princesse Glovy” in black glazed leather; it looks so soft and yummy! 20% off Abaco Paris and more at The Purse Store with code ‘grechen’ |
 | Antoinette Lee Relatively new to the scene, Antoinette Lee broke out with her ‘chain clutches’ attached by a chain to a cuff you wear on your wrist. Now, even if I was into bondage, I don’t do teeny tiny bags, so I can’t say those appealed to me much, but I love this new style. And the color is so gorgeous… |
 | Belen Echandia This is the “Take me Anywhere” bag and wow, would I! It is HUGE, which means it’s the perfect everyday bag in my opinion. The leather is luxurious, the detailing exquisite. And in case you didn’t know already, grey is the new black. |
 | Carrie Valentine Another gorgeous grey bag for Fall. I’ve only just recently become familiar with Carrie Valentine, but she’s already caught the attention of some young Hollywood starlets. This is the Relaxed Chic bag, but also check out her clutches, especially this red Confidence Clutch (on sale for $225 at iThreads). I’ve had my eye on that one for quite some time. |
 | Deere Colhoun Quite a simple bag, really, but gorgeous anyway. I love that the shoulder strap is adjustable so you can wear it cross-body or just on your shoulder. The leather looks nice and worn-in, and it will only get better with age. Where to buy Deere Colhoun online > (not available online at the moment, but stores will be restocking for Fall – check back!) |
 | Elspeth Available to buy online now at new Emerging Designers boutique Style Prodigy, Elspeth is one of my new favorite handbag designers. The bags are utilitarian, for sure, but in gorgeous colors and details that make all the difference. |
 | Elysian Park Unfortunately there aren’t many styles of Elysian Park’s handbags available to buy online now, but they’ll be restocked for Fall. The designer is a rocker chic at heart, and her bags are definitely edgy, but super-easy to wear. |
 | Erva East West shoulder bag Erva also does fabulous evening clutches and small day bags, but this bigger east/west style is my favorite. It’s actually larger than it looks in this picture, and looks like it might be able to fit over a shoulder in addition to being handheld. The kiss-locks on the sides are just too cute, and of course, the color is to die for. |
 | Knoxx I can’t get enough of these bags, only available now online at Chocosho. The hardware is what gets me (the designer actually works with her father, who does the hardware), but I also love the unique styles and colors. |
 | Martine Sitbon I have drooled over Martine Sitbon’s bags in the past – especially the velvet “Heart” bag I featured several years ago from Aloha Rag (alas, no longer available), but I’m so happy to see something a little more mature now. The range is available in Shopbop and is really quite interesting. Each bag is totally different from the other (not just a variation on a theme), with interesting color combinations, and very unique styling. |
 | Mayle Over the Spring/Summer Mayle’s cutest bag was a small shoulder/messenger bag available in white, orange and black (you may have seen it on Kirsten Dunst). They’re all sold out, but this one is brand new for fall at Steven Alan. It’s apparently a very popular style; but I would like to see it modeled to help me decide if I like it or not. The color combination is very cool and different, and the shape looks very comfortable to carry, but I’m not quite sold yet… |
 | Michelle Vale Michelle Vale is another designer that was recently featured in Lucky Magazine. So far, her bags are only available through her website, but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing them pop-up at some of the more avant-garde sites in the near future. All of the bags are fabulous, I especially like the variations in texture and that each bag comes with both gold and silver hardware that you can change out whenever you’d like. |
 | Onna Ehrlich My favorite bags are ones with some interest, and Onna’s bags are certainly interesting! I love the leather folding and ruching she does with her bags, as well as the FABULOUS colors, like this navy. |
 | Pauric Sweeney Metallic leather bag There aren’t many Pauric Sweeney styles online to choose from at the moment (there were more earlier in the Summer), but I think we’ll be seeing more from this designer. You could totally get away with this as an everyday bag – metallics are really neutrals, and this one isn’t too over the top. |
 | Retrodelic Oh, how gorgeous! Fall always makes me want to carry a satchel; this Fall especially. With the 40’s aesthetic in full swing in the Fall/Winter collections, this limited edition Nurse satchel fits right in. I imagine it equally at home paired with a tweed pencil skirt and short trench as with a pair of wide-leg trousers and slouchy sweater. |
 | SHIH By Stephanie Lin Stephanie Lin has been designing bags for a while now, but this season more than any other, she’s caught my eye. I specifically love this style in grey, but I’ve also been really impressed by some of her clutches. The price point is excellent for a designer of her status also: between $300 and $600. |
 | Tracey Reese Seems like lots of designers previously exclusive to clothing, have decided to branch out and try their hand at handbags. Tracey Reese has always been great at designing pieces to fit every woman, and I think she easily acheives that with her bags as well. They are mostly practical, but beautiful too. |
