Handbag Experience

The DKNY Saffiano Work Shopper just oozes elegance and sophistication and is the ideal office accessory.  With two short, fixed carry handles the bag can be carried at your side or on your shoulder. There is also an adjustable and detachable long shoulder strap that allows you to wear the bag long, hanging from your shoulder or across the body – perfect for the weekend.

The bag also offers poppers at either end of the bag which allows it to be expanded if carrying heavier loads. Swinging from the strap is a cute and detachable ‘D’ logo charm which adds a bit of glam to the bag.

When and where is it perfect for?

This bag is ideal for the office and the Boardroom Perfectionist. It’s sharp and smart and will add elegance to any suit. But don’t be fooled, this bag needs to see more than just the inside of an office! A true Confident Classique will carry this bag to dinner parties, cocktail bars and when travelling. Let’s face it this bag will look good anywhere!

Interior

Do you carry everything but the kitchen sink in your bag? Then great news – this bag has two zipper storage compartments and one large main compartment. The main compartment fastens with a secure magnet and additionally there are two mobile-sized slip pockets and two more inner zip pockets. The bag also has logo-lining and comes with a protective dust bag. If you like to be organised, this really is the bag for you!

Material

Yes – not only does it LOOK like a Prada bag, it’s made from the same exquisite leather, Saffiano leather. The leather is tanned by one of Italy’s most famous and prestigious tanneries. The mottled Saffiano grained leather is tanned with plant extracts, then deep-dyed. The two tones give the pattern special depth and modernity. Saffiano is water repellent, holds it’s shape better than normal leather and will resist scratches. So many designers are bringing out collections using this heavenly material – it’s a new trend in itself!

Best Colour to Pick 

As mentioned this bag comes in either black, camel or burgundy. We LOVE the black version. It goes with everything, looks sleek and smart. However, the burgundy adds a spark of colour to an all black outfit and the camel would great matched to shoes and a belt.

BagServant’s thoughts

If you haven’t already guessed, we are head-over-heels, passionately in love with this handbag! Anyone who ever admired the Prada bag will understand. It is everything we could want from a bag – made from gorgeous Saffiano leather, the perfect size, comprises lots of compartments and can be hand held or carried from the shoulder. We think it’s the best take on the Prada bag we have ever seen and at such a modest price of £254 you really can’t go wrong. Go on girls, treat yourself!

Ratings : Stars 1-5 (5 being the best) 

Value for money 5
Practicality 5
Wow Factor 4
BagServant love 5

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There are now many other alternative versions the the large double zip tote bag from Prada. The latest in this handbag trend is the British handbag designer, Mulberry. Mulberry have redesigned their classic and iconic Bayswater tote and have joined other designers such as DKNY, Tory Burch and Anya Hindmarch in their bid to all re-create a double zip bag but with their own twist on it. Mulberry’s take on the bag is the Mulberry Bayswater Double Zip Tote. Unlike the Prada zip tote, the Mulberry edition only comes in one size but it comes in 5 different colours and is made in 2 different materials. It also shares a similarity with the DKNY Saffiano Large Leather Work Shopper, which you can see in our earlier bag review, as both of these have a detachable shoulder strap meaning that is no longer Boardroom Perfectionists alone who can carry this leather tote bag. With the added strap it means that the double zip tote design is not exclusively for the office but can now be seen on shopping streets, at cocktail bars and is now the perfect travel companion.

With this handbag trend being bigger than ever check out all the double-zip totes that are available as there is now a huge range of colours, sizes and prices. Check out our favourites:

W.E. Art Director and co-founder Laura McKinnon, said: “We want to create a place from which to promote this talent at a realistic price. We believe everybody deserves a little piece of luxury and it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to have it.”

Wear Eponymous have joined forces with Scottish Designer Laura Sherriffs to launch the brands first designer collaboration which shall be going live very soon. Wear Eponymous clothing has a soft romantic feel to it, very on trend, flirting with monochrome and prints as well as structural blazers and tailoring, covering all bases at an affordable price.  We came across this interesting post from Lady Loves Fashion about the Wear Eponymous launch.

Below is a selection of dresses from the fabulous range, I love the versitility from the clothing, each of these dresses could be worn to various events, go from work to an evening out with the simple adjustment of make up and hair.

We have the beautiful Floral Printed Dress which is only £40 followed by the Classic Black Dress also £40 then the gorgeous Monochromatic Shift Dress for £49.99 all three of these dresses are transitional from Spring through to Autumn, what a great addition to your wardrobe.  Made from gorgeous fabrics which aim to flatter every figure, these dresses are a must have for this season.

Above we have a great styling idea from Wear Eponymous, team these three items together to create a striking look.  We love the Quilted Top, this is a very on trend piece which can be worn with jeans for a casual look or with heels and a Classic Pencil Skirt as pictured for a more relaxed glam evening look.  I really like the Classic Clutch Bag, this too is very versatille and has a real power statement to it with its structured edges and front buckles. The perfect daytime to evening chic clutch bag.Above is my favourite of all of the bags, the Classic Black Bag, just look at it.  Beautiful in every way, this is the perfect bag for Trendsetters and Boardroom Perfectionists. This is the bag you want to be seen in, Wear Eponymous have caught my attention with this handbag as well as their clothing collections. This Classic Black Bag is so simplistic in terms of design but it has a real designer look to it with the gorgeous gold finishings, buckles and straps.  This gorgeous handbag would compliment any outfit.  Due to high demand this bag is sold out but you can register your interest to be notified when it comes back into stock.  They wont be aroud for long, the fashion world has spoken and they love the Wear Eponymous Classic Black Bag.  We at Bagservant do too.

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Here are our top picks of tartan bags!

This bag comes in different sizes and colours. Although this black may be the biggest seller, the bag in white cream is amazing! The great thing about this bag is that the side leather is different compared to the main frame. The front and the back (the main frame of the bag) is the same leather that Prada uses on their bags, now also introduced by Michael Kors for their Hamilton Tote.  This leather does not require much for you to take care of it.

My only concern was the opening. Although it has a little clip, the bag is still heaven for pocket thieves. If you are taking public transport, I would rethink it twice or you just need to be more careful. There is an inside pocket in the bag where you can store your wallet and other essentials like your phone, ipod etc. Or you can be like me when I bought a similar bag, I bought a nice scarf to cover the top.

The most amazing surprise I’ve saved for the end. Fendi decided to customise the design to their shoppers and allowed customers to engrave their initials on the little leaf. You can get this done at Selfridges while you are having a cup of coffee.

On the Fendi website you can see all the amazing colours and combinations. Selfridges only has 3 at the moment, however they are planning to stock more.  If you are a Confident Classique  like me, then you will love this bag. Not just that, all others will find their favourite. Big Bag Lovers will love the larger size,  a true Glamourpuss will go for the gold one and Miss Practical woud love the longer shoulder strap to carry on it on her shoulder.

In my opinion – the Fendi 2 Jours can be summarised in in 3 words, stylish, simple and sexy.

Shop 2JOURS MIXED-MEDIA LEATHER TOTE

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Read more about Fendi 2Jours Totes

Everyone may know that Fendi’s Baguette bags are the celebrating icons for Fendi, however, although I own one of the Baguette’s, my second favourite (after 2Jours) is the Fendi Leather Tote which also comes in a variety of colours. A great bag for Big Bag Lovers, Confident Classique, Boadroom Perfectionist and Glamourpusses. I also love the bag inside which has lovely Fendi’s logo all over the lining and it has a middle pocket inside. You can be very organised (Michelle Mone would love this one). Also, the little clip on the handle is amazing with the Fendi logo engraving.

Fendi Silvana Bag is the Elizabeth Taylor’s icon bag. I have not decided if I like or dislike this bag. I would not invest over £1000 in this bag, at least I know this.  Not that I don’t like it and it is actually a great style for Confident Classique,  simple design and it comes in a variety of colours.  It can be because for me, I am not sure if the bag would be an evening bag or my daily bag or I may not have the right wardrobe clothes choices to match this style. However, the lining inside is so precised and nicely done with a big logo stick at the bag. The bag has a long strap, therefore you can carry the bag across your shoulder.

Overall, I love Fendi. I would recommend that every woman owns at least one piece in her lifetime. It is a such an icon brand which will stay with us forever. Fendi reminds me of Hermes; the great news is that it is much more affordable.

Shop Fendi Handbags at BagServant.

Keeping with the trusty classics of the brand, the new twist on the famous Bayswater bag certainly stole the show with its new double sided look. The Bayswater has always been a staple look of Mulberry and it would have been extremely hard to make any improvements to this beautiful Confident Classique, however once again Emma Hill has wowed us all with this new take on what only can be described as the new “it” bag! This unusual double sided feature has also been cast upon Mulberry’s Willow clutch which looked fabulous, great for practicality and is sure to be a hit with all of our Big Bag Lovers. The Willow Tote which is one of our favorites here at BagServant has also had a makeover with added striped paneling which we love.

Our top picks from Mulberry are

The trends are…

• Black and White – That is right, monochrome is back!
• Crop Tops – Time to show off those abs!
• Lemon – With Kate Spade and DKNY both showcasing this glorious colour it is sure to brighten any day!
• Oversized – Victoria Beckham has been showing off her famous oversize Cake dress this week!
• Pastel and Psychedelic Swirls – DKNY and Elle are both leading the way for the pastel shades!
• Pink – We are delighted to see this colour back in trend!
• Tailored – The classic smart fitted look is here to stay!

The trends that we are loving here at BagServant are Black and White for our Confident Classiques, Oversize for our Big Bag Lovers and Pink for our Sugar Delights.

We are very much looking forward to London Fashion Week SS 2014 and seeing what bags are up for offer.

Check out our top picks for on trend bags

The trend:

On a recent visit to John Lewis and Selfridges, the BagServant team couldn’t help but notice this gorgeous material almost everywhere we looked. DKNY, Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Paul Smith are just a few of the designers crafting handbags using the exquisite Saffiano leather this season.

 What is Saffiano leather?

Saffiano leather is a high resistant, durable and very elegant type of leather. The distinctive markings on this leather is a series of diagonal lines and was originally used to make Prada handbags. In fact, indications are that the Saffiano leather was actually invented by Mario Prada himself! In any case, this design creates a highly scratch resistant surface making this type of leather ideal for office and everyday use handbags that you want to last the test of time.

How is it made?

The leather is tanned by one of Italy’s most famous and prestigious tanneries. The mottled Saffiano grained leather is tanned with plant extracts then deep-dyed. The two tones give the pattern special depth and modernity.

Why do we love it?

Well, of course the fact that it lasts longer and resists scratches and marks is great news for us. But, this isn’t the only reason we love it. We think it looks sleeker and more elegant than average leather and on top of that it’s super soft! There’s no denying that every girl wanted a Prada handbag at some point in their lives, but now they can get the Prada look without the Prada price tag! This is one of favourite bag trends of this season and we are certain you’ll love it too!

Our favourite Saffiano leather bags:

When choosing your mini bag for the season there are 3 important factors that you must bear in mind. Firstly it is all about proportions. The mini bag needs to be a properly tiny version of its larger self. Secondly, if you have trouble carrying light then don’t over pack your mini bag but instead opt for an outfit with plenty of pockets to carry any essentials. Lastly mini bags can be used for any occasion so do not limit your options. Perfect for festivals, shopping trips and evening wear, the only thing that you will be wanting this summer is a mini bag.

From Saint Laurent to Dune and from Mulberry to Sophie Hulme, check out all these that we have to choose from:

Shop grey handbags for every occasion.