Kara Alloway
“It” bags have long been known for their super powers of launching a label in to the limelight. Rebecca Minkoff was sewing clothes long before her “Morning After Bag” brought her media attention. Think back to the Fendi Baguette of the 90s, and how a bag named for French bread breathed new life in to the Italian label’s ready-to-wear sector. It’s about to happen again. Two of this season’s coveted bags reside at the same design house: Simon Miller. So if history repeats itself, it’s a name that’s about to be a really big deal.
The label originally started as a men’s brand of jeans based in LA, some 10 years ago. Daniel Corrigan and Chelsea Hansford morphed Simon Miller to include women’s wear, handbags and even sunnies and sofas in some way cool collaborations. It’s the greatest east meets west collusion since sushi pizza; Japanese fabrications mixed with American craftsmanship serving up easy-to-love elegance.
The energetic colors work with the contradictory, laid back vibes, said to be inspired by everything from the landscapes of the American Southwest, artists like Slim Aarons and David Hockney to the Congolese rain forest. It’s simple, adaptable, modernity that’s as easy to wear as it is to love.
And then there’s those bags. The two standouts this season being the Bonsai and the Lunch Bag. Cheeky in their sophistication, waitlists are already forming. The Bonsai is petite and polished, and comes in every Lucky Charms cereal color in the box. The Lunch Bag clutch time travels you back to the days when the cafeteria was your boardroom and the gym meant hurdles and dodgeball, not ellipticals and cross-fit. Both are from luxe leathers/suedes and are made in Italy.
This is a label with legs because, like everything else we love right now, it’s effortless and chic and, wait for it…modestly priced. Yup, you read that right.