Spring Handbags with "Purse-onality"

The accessory designer, Kara Ross’s social media campaign called #myPURSEonalitynyc is a grouping of character driven luxury handbags, each having a distinct personality. If a clutch with eyes, nose and mouth seem more in tune with your five-year-old’s taste than yours, think again. Woman are buying into the whimsical bag trend and paying top dollar for them.

Kara Ross is beefing-up her social media presence with this campaign to capture a younger demographic. “I am inspired by the things I see around me everyday. I am a collector of contemporary art and this collection was inspired by the whimsical pop art of artists like Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol. The basis of the characters in the #MyPURSEonality collection come from people I see on the streets of New York everyday, says Kara. ”

But Kara is not the first to jump on the novelty bagwagon. Many designers are vying for those all important social media likes have made items with that in mind. Insta-buzz equates to more sales and more attention for the brand. Fiona Kotur, the Hong Kong based minaudier bag designer, famous for bringing back the box clutch to prominence, is well known for her themed bags many with provocative or fun phrases. For spring there are several bags with phrases like ” why not?” and “May be..” For fall she’s taken on a Lady Luck theme with roulette wheels, playing cards, and billiard balls, emblazoned on the bags. Instagood!

“Our bags are not wallflowers- They like to go out and be seen, and they always have a point of view. We often say they are small bags with large personalities, usually inspired by our “Muses”, friends and women of character,” says Fiona.

Roger Vivier the French accessories known for the sedate silver buckle flat from the 60’s has also got into the act. Their ” love ” clutch with the word written in script and a juicy red-patent heart smacked on a white leather bag. Luscious lips in red also show up on on Mark Cross’s famous box-bag.

The fashion designer Jeremy Scott loves to play with irony and infuses his designs with elements of everyday life. His appointment at Moschino has been a home run for the brand. The boombox-shaped bag he designed for Moschino brings us back to the breakdancing’80s.

Jimmy Choo has a collaboration in the works with Brazilian illustrator, Rafael Moneteso, whose pet terrier is named after the shoe company. Montesso’s bullterrier is doing his canine thing; relaxing with a martini by his side or spinning tunes as a doggie DJ. The illustrations are humorous and fun and available at the end of May with prices ranging from $75 for a small leather case to $1050 for the tote.