If Marc Jacobs’ spring collection was all about camp meets boredom infused with Parisian-cum-Orientalism excess, the bags were surprisingly tame. The focus was clearly on evening, what with the handheld shapes and long-strapped mini bags–mostly in bright colors with tassels and nary a monogram in sight. Vuitton’s handbag business is LVMH’s cash cow; here’s hoping the entire range will include more proper day bags that will continue to draw the devoted clientele. But back to the bags. They’re certainly campy, as Marc no doubt wanted to complement his hard-to-digest line (Armani lite? Cavalli refined?). The bags are very specific and very targeted toward one niche group: rich ladies, or in this case, the wealthy Asian tai tai, that welcome the excess associated with sequins and bold colors and that much-loved color of fortune: gold. That said, I will confess that I am much loving the spherical evening bag on a knotted silk handle with silk tassels that flutter as the body moves. It’ll be perfect for the Chinese New Year in February.
