[infobox subtitle=”Statements in the Form of a Bag” bg=”teal” color=”black” opacity=”on” space=”30″ link=”no link”]Keep It Quirky[/infobox]
When I think of “quirky,” I immediately think of Saturday Night Live’s “Being’ Quirky with Zooey Deschanel” skit. It’s both clever and funny– two adjectives that aren’t necessarily tied together in the fashion world. Clothes can be clever (extremely clever à la Alexander McQueen or Hussein Chalayan), but funny? Well, more often than not, fashion tends to take itself seriously.
Betsey Johnson, for one, has always been a true believer in creating a party with her collections, but recently, we’ve seen even more designers take on this philosophy. Moschino’s Jeremy Scott created Barbie’s dream collection and sent Charlotte Free down the runway in roller skates last month for the spring and summer 2015 presentation (a season after sending purses resembling McDonalds’ happy meals down the catwalk). What could be more fun than that?
As we watch the fashion world lighten up and throw the party philosophy into the runways and the street style scene, we can’t help but think of unique ways to inject some personality into our own outfits. Thankfully, quirk is suddenly everywhere. With help from Olympia Le-Tan, Moschino, Chanel, Anya Hindmarch and Charlotte Olympia, we can all pick up a few tips to make the everyday extraordinary.
Take a cue from these leading figures and add that je ne sais quois to your ensembles with just one simple accessory– your purse.
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Olympia Le-Tan
In the couple of years that she has been designing, Le-Tan has established herself as the queen of quirk (and rightly so). With collections that take inspiration from magic (“I Put A Spell On You” for F/W 2014), sailors (“A Girl in Every Port” for S/S 2014) and the Sound of Music (“Schnitzel with Noodles” for F/W 2013), accessories are Olympia Le-Tan’s forte. She is especially known for her embroidered clutches that resemble best selling novels like The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye and Lolita.
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Chanel
Perhaps the best-known house around the world, Chanel continues to make strong statements and social commentary in fun and innovative ways. Take the fall and winter 2014 collection, for example. Complete with clutches, shoulder bags and purses resembling shopping baskets, milk cartons, candy bags and meat trays, Karl Lagerfeld recreated an entire grocery market inside the Grand Palais in Paris to present the collection. So ladies, this season, don’t forget– shopping baskets are also fashionable outside of the grocery market.
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Charlotte Olympia
Charlotte Olympia’s designs are everywhere and most notably on people’s feet (you haven’t forgotten about her brilliant velvet kitty flats have you?). Olympia is not a one-trick pony though. Her bags are just as clever, playful and chic as her shoes. This season, her main inspiration comes from the Far East with beautifully designed clutches resembling Chinese takeaway boxes, lanterns, and even Panda bears. Whatever your mood, just remember that outfit inspiration can come from every possible source, you just have to keep an eye out.
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Moschino
The new Moschino is everything. Even Miley Cyrus approved Jeremy Scott’s redesign of the brand with her collaboration this September. As a lover of all things pop culture, Scott gave a nod to the fast food industry (Happy Meal, anyone?) and the ultimate fashion doll (Hey, Barbie!) with his ultra-chic bags. So, whether you want to splurge on McD’s or throw it back to the doll days, your bag is the ultimate statement. We just have one question: Are you lovin’ it?
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Anya Hindmarch
Seems like both Karl Lagerfeld and Anya Hindmarch were on the same brainwave when designing their fall and winter collection for 2014. Or maybe they were just hungry at the time? In any case, quirk comes in the form of clutches and handbags reminiscent of McVities biscuit packages and Kellogg’s cereal boxes. When I look at them, I can’t help but be nostalgic as I think about eating Frosted Flakes for breakfast as a kid. Surely, these bags are part of your complete (fashion) breakfast. As Tony the Tiger would say, “They’re Gr-r-reat!“
Now, tell me… Are you feeling inspired? When can we expect to see you donning a quirky bag of your own? Tell us in the comments below!
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Valentino Rockstud Frame Bag Python, $1420 (Retail $4,550)
