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Bow Wow Wow!

GCDS Autumn/Winter 2022

The Bow.

Bows are as old as the hills, used in fashion to embellish and accessorise for centuries. Understandably so, they’re elegant, decadent and currently more prominent than ever with many designers featuring them in their collections.

The dress pictured from GCDS is a perfect example, the bow being an integral part of the dress.

Valentino Autumn/Winter 2022

Valentino, above used smaller bows to embellish, whilst at Jil Sander, below the bows were flatter using a more modern square shape.

Jil Sander Autumn/Winter 2022

Accessories

The great thing about accessories is that they are perfect for exaggerated details and embellishments, allowing you to add drama to an outfit when you want it and take it away when you don’t. These dramatic bow sandals from Loewe being a great example.

Loewe Sandals from netaporter.com

The perfect bow below, in the form of a clutch bag, made to order from novkovicdavies.com

Available from novkovicdavies.com

Adding Drama

Handbags are a wonderful vehicle for trends, for this collection at novkovicdavies.com a lot of care was taken to make sure that the bows were of a generous size, to create the right look. It was also really important for the bows to be functional where they needed to be, resulting in bags that are quite unique.

Shoulder detail from Bow Hobo bag from novkovicdavies.com

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At novkovicdavies.com all of our handbags are made to order. We don’t sell to retailers, eliminating their mark-up and keeping our prices low.

We sell during specific sales weeks during the year when our customers place orders, which are then made and delivered to them roughly six weeks later.

We champion slow fashion, we champion our makers and aim to keep their skills alive through creating beautiful fashion accessories in a sustainable and ethical way.

Vintage Cool at This Year's Cannes

A Backward Glance That's so Fashion Forward!

Fashion addicts love a red carpet do and this years’ Cannes Film Festival is certainly delivering a daily dose of film star glamour and amazing fashion at its absolute finest.

An annual event showcasing not only film but world class fashion. Celebrated actors photographed incredible settings, the energy and atmosphere of glittering parties captured in images that delight film and fashion lovers all over the world.

At least that’s how it normally goes but this season is different. This year the most talked about dresses are vintage which is amazing news for lovers of vintage fashion – to see 80’s and 90’s fashion worn in a way that is totally modern and relevant is a joy to behold. It’s definitely not a case of resurrecting tired old frocks, these pieces look new, exciting and as if they were made to be worn right now. Needless to say, all of this applies to accessories & handbags.

Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid has smashed the red carpet this week with two vintage Versace looks that have generated so much excitement. Both of these incredible dresses have hit the mark in a really interesting way, presenting exquisite fashion that is current and simultaneously, a departure from throwaway culture. When you look at the images you can’t help but think that dresses like that should be worn more than once.

These are undoubtedly museum pieces and there is an argument to say that they should be preserved in the same way that other historical artefacts are. Kim Kardashian came under fire this month after wearing Marylin Monroe’s famous ‘Happy Birthday’ dress for that very reason. That being said, it’s so important for fashion to be highlighting vintage fashion at a time when fashion needs to be finding sustainable solutions. We are now seeing vintage dresses used to full effect, making major statements, not just about sustainability but also about individuality.

In an age of Instagram it’s so easy for trends to look repetitive, vintage fashion really gives the wearer an individual slant on whatever look they’re going for with bags of added personality. It’s a backward look at fashion that shows us the way forward, what’s not to love!

Vintage Handbags

It's often much easier to communicate a look though accessories, using them to evoke an era or create a mood. Vintage Versace is currently on trend so a vintage Versace bag is an instant update. The perfect accessory is often a concentration of all the design elements that go into a brand's view of the season which means they are often very impactful, this is very true of Versace.

In keeping with the red carpet theme, beautiful silk Versace evening clutch, currently available at ebay.co.uk

Vintage Versace handbag below certainly packs a punch, currently available ebay.co.uk

Vintage Versace Clutch Wallet below, currently available at ebay.co.uk

With an almost matching vintage Versace suit, available at ebay.co.uk

Vintage really does provide limitless possibilities and and opportunity to enjoy fashion in a sustainable way, whilst looking totally unique, what's not to love?!

Clutching at Fabulous Straws

The sun is shining and nothing says summer like a straw bag. Whether you’re into designer or vintage, it’s a great time to get your clutches into one of the season’s fabulous straw and raffia bags!

Sensi Studio from matchesfashion.com

Straw and raffia have always been popular alternatives to leather for summer accessories. As materials they work well with linen & cotton for smart summer looks as well as they do for casual beach attire. They are versatile and are able to take colour in a way that other materials can’t, they're pliable which means they can be woven and crafted to make bags that are lightweight, durable and lots of fun.

From a sustainability point of view raffia and straw are great as both are natural products, although they are very different in both their origin & attributes. Straw is the dry stalk of cereal plants such as rice, rye, corn, oats & barley. Since it is a by-product of grain harvests, it is inexpensive & plentiful. Raffia grows around the world and can also be sustainably harvested which means that the plant isn’t harmed during harvesting and can continue to grow and produce.

Sensi Studio from matchesfashion.com

The bags pictured to the left and above are by Sensi Studio in beautiful bright colours available at matchesfashion.com. The collection features tote bags that are dramatic as well as practical and pouch clutches that are just amazing.

Raffia and straw as materials are so versatile that its possible to ceate some amazing handbags for example Loewe Paula’s Ibiza showstopping fringed raffia tote below and Innes Bressand’s sculptural shapes both available at matchesfshion.com

Bag from zara.com

The brown checked paperstraw tote on the right is from zara.com for a high st alternative however, for a really sustainable way to shop summer straw looks, shop vintage. The bags in the images below are from ebay.co.uk, a great 70’s clutch that is very reminiscent of Bottega Veneta and a woven raffia hobo shape that is so of the moment.

The great thing about vintage shopping is that more often than not you can pick up items that are truly unique, well made and sustainable. Amazing bags that are planet friendly and wallet friendly. So, whether you choose to grab a Sensi Studio clutch or whether you buy vintage, there's a super straw out there for everyone!