Defenceless: Net-A-Porter Final Reductions

Oh how I wish I was a foot taller (and several pounds lighter) and endowed with the guts to don this gorgeous Thakoon column gown as a contemporary wedding choice. I imagine a Anna Vyalitsyna rocking it or this Theksen's Theory slip down the aisle one day.  As I type this, Guy M squints dismissively at the dresses... clearly even with the mention of Anna V or the prospect of a £125 wedding gown fail to convince him.

After taking an eternity to hit final reductions, it seems like items are going in a flash. If only there wasn't a wedding to plan & renovations to save for, I would be all over this evergreen black Chloe (now £650.91 after 50% off).  Especially since it does bear some resemblance to the unattainable LV.

Here are some other gentle suggestions (grin):

 3.1 Phillip Lim dress (now £80 after a whopping 80% discount)

 Croc embossed Mulberry iPad sleeve anyone? (at £87.50 - it's a steal)

Not Just For The Boys: Mr Porter Sale Preview

Nothing like warming your credit card like a caramel waffle over a skinny latte.  Mr Porter, Net-A-Porter's male cousin, clearly operates the way men shop: None of these teaser discounts, followed by further reductions... they go straight for the good stuff.  Founding members enjoy a sale preview of 50% off all items (excluding 'wardrobe staples' and 'new arrivals') until 10PM (GMT) tomorrow, 15 June!

What's rather brilliant about the sale is the fact that Mr Porter's merchandise aesthetic is as classic as Net-A-Porter is trendy.  You'll find nothing particularly heinous - instead, Mulberry billfold wallets in classic Chocolate and Black, slate grey Marc by Marc Jacobs messenger or this blue accented Paul Smith belt are available for The Guy (usual £133.33 to Singapore), and taupe Marni iPad case or smartphone sleeve for you... Just use this link!

Other unisex options:

Aubin & Wills merino wool breton scarf (usual £45.83)

Balenciaga Studded Laptop Case (usual £334)

Coming Soon: Mulberry's Taylor Satchel

Remember this gorgeous but mysterious grey ostrich femme fatale?  Wait no more, the Taylor Satchel has just been released for pre-order.  Naturally, comparisons will be made to Mulberry's bestselling satchel, Alexa, but they are fairly irrelevant as this is a different creation entirely.

Drawing inspiration from Betty Draper's wardrobe, Emma Hill's team DeLaurens the vintage handbag to the future by imbuing the tradition shape with a modern sensibility through hardware panels and (once again) the de jour shoulder strap.  Available in a mini, regular and oversized variation and in a mishmash of colours ranging from cabbage to deer brown, it's a tough call for my favourite in the range.  

Rebecca Hall's classic-sized and spectacularly indulgent mole grey ostrich (£3750) bears the same socialite hallmarks as the Louis Vuitton Popincourt: a dinky top handle which is large enough for the essentials (including the sunshielding mini-brolly) but not roomy/deep enough to get your mobile lost in.  The shoulder sling however lends some youth to the style, though on the classic size, it's seems somewhat misplaced as the triangulated base may add unnecessary bulk to your silhouette when slung. 

Old habits die hard I guess - so I'm predictably drawn to the functionality of the Oversized Taylor (£950) instead. Lest anyone begin to utter 'YSL Muse Two', the design team has wisely foregoes the obvious top flap in favour of a straightforward double-zip.  Whether this will improve its durability or frustrate me when I attempt to store my laptop through its front facing zip will remain to be seen.  For now, I can only gaze and add the black / matte grey. 

{pc: mulberry}

Kate For A Day: Mulberry

{pc: mulberry}

Wish I was in London, if only to add one of these tongue-in-cheek royal ring giveways from Mulberry at their stores in the capital.  As a mild consolatory gift, they are offering 'Free Shipping' from their online store - this translates into a much better bargain for fans of Alexa who aren't Club21 cardmembers, or who members who aren't able to cobble together 2 or more pals to secure Club 21's May Madness 15% off discount. 

This weekend seems to be turning out pretty bad for my wallet with temptations abound!  Hope I survive...

Mulberry: So Alexa, So Me

As I continue to fade out of love with Mulberry - the bags/leather accessories (too many copies, too much branded hardware) - this divinely playful dress from their Fall/Winter 2011 ready-to-wear collection dances into my heart.  It's buttoned-up prim for the office mixed with swinging pleats for cocktails later.  Maybe even a twirl on the dancefloor... Oh Alexa Chung, how you've cast your spell on me again.  Want. 

 {pc: tfs}

Lust/Caution: Mulberry Fall/Winter 2011

I do not need another bag but oh how you have heeded my cries and collated the perfect front row to entice me back into your arms!

{mulberry & imastylist}

Let Them Eat Cake

Hello World! Isn't it wonderful being able to sit upright and type?! I'm still recuperating from a bad BAD bout of stomach flu, but I'm flooding my laptop with images of all things retail and smile-inducing!

One thing that I can't quite believe slipped my Mulberry radar are the awesome 3D cakes and cupcake toppingss which graced Club 21's Mulberry Fall/Winter 2010 Alexa launch at Tanjong Beach Club back in August. You know how I feel about the bag, but let's turn the spotlight on these Alexa cakes for a moment... and more importantly, the amazing baking artist behind them Felicia Khoo.

If patience is a virtue, this 20 year old inspiration must be a saint! She spends at least 2 days making each cake (1 day for the fondant, and another for the cake presumably). I reckon she could also be an extremely rich one if she made 3D fashion cakes for a living. Felicia has even made her cake flavour match the colour of the "bag"! Oh to have a Happy birthday cake... with salted caramel methinks :)

{pc: feliciacupcakes; mulberry}

Alexa Fatigue?

I find it interesting that even Alexa Chung doesn't swing about her eponymous Mulberry bag at London Fashion Week. Instead, she's opted for the superior (at least in my humble opinion) Proenza Schouler PS1 in Smoke when attending the Charles Anastase show. Granted, she's also been seen with a Chanel quilted purse but that's CHANEL so it's a free pass on any product endorsement obligations. {pc: tfs}

For Your Consideration

Whatever you may feel about Mulberry's Spring/Summer 2011 line... you have to admit this looked a right rollicking launch (yay, Grace Coddington & Hilary Alexander). Check out all the snaps at their new blog - which format confuses me, but that might just be my pre morning coffee somnambulism.

{pc: mulberry}

Let's Discuss: Just One Bag

{pc: tfs}

Some pre-Europe bag scouting ensued over the weekend to narrow down the List which (in its feasible - "won't completely cripple the remainder of my holiday "- form) was looking a little bit like this: the Mulberry Bayswater, or Gerard Darel's 24-hour. After actually sighting the GD in Bangkok's Central department store, the French answer to Mulberry was struck off the list summarily. It just Did. Not. Work. on me.

Which leads me to a surprising, overwhelming feeling of ambivalence when I tried on the Bayswater with galpal M. It wasn't not a good bag; it just wasn't Ah-may-zing, you know? The oversized Alexa bore more immediate appeal than my one big love.

Since that day, my thoughts have been shrouded with doubt: Was it nostalgia that was keeping me in love with it? When did I fall out of love with this modern classic? Is it even possible not to love a classic bag anymore?

Troubling times indeed... Is there any hope for a trustworthy, all purpose bag anymore? *ponder*

The Two Alexas

Witness the extremities that follow IT-girl status! First, the heinous HEINOUS Mulberry Alexa knockoffs at Far East Plaza (yes, they were so gross an injustice, it had to said twice). Then, this random streetsnap of Alexa Chung looking her divine, casual-cool best in my favourite Kate Moss x Topshop piece.

Guess I'll be pulling my pansy dress out of hiatus this weekend whilst pondering a swearing off the actual Alexa - well, at least until the sweatshops move onto the next IT-bag...

{streetsnap via Wonderland}

Spotted: The Original Alexa?

Either this black mini-satchel is the stone-age prototype of Mulberry's nouveau-classic Alexa bag, or it might actually have been the original.  After all, Kate's been known to loan her collection of vintage to inspire Topshop's design team, so it surely isn't *too* far-fetched to imagine this was the satchel that launched a waiting list not seen since the likes of the Roxanne?  

I'm also somewhat intrigued by Chung's sartorial decision to tote her eponymous bag to the media-infested Phillip Lim's FW2010 show and pre-BAFTA party (below), but swing the vintage model whilst "slumming it" at the Topshop Unique and House of Holland shows.  

A shrewd marketing decision?  Perhaps.  But I'm taking this as a sign to permanently forego the Mulberry Alexa in favour of an authentically Alexa Chung vintage find... Off to Ebay I go!!  (pc: tfs)

Mulberry Alexa: SOLD OUT

UPDATE 10.09pm EST (+8):  It's ALREADY sold out... what the frig?!?!  At least I'd already decided to pass on this one.  Too IT-bag.  China copies are sure to flood the market now...

It Pays To Wait: Mulberry Denim Ticking

Ok, SGD550 is not exactly a packet of peanuts but MyManyBag's second-hand is far less daunting than the original price at Mulberry.  Though Death and Texas' range is still half the price of discounted Mulberry, you're unlikely to get that kind of resale value on the former. While I continue yearning for a denim ticking Mitzy, someone give this bag a good home!  (pc:mmb)

Mulberry Sale Preview

Merry Christmas!! Mulberry's year-end sale preview is now on!  

Maybe I'm just bagged out, but the sale merchandise doesn't excite me.  The only things I'm mildly considering are their offerings in Lipstick Ostrich: the Mitzy Hobo (GBP1995, now GBP997) and Bayswater (GBP2500, now 1250).  That's 50% off which is real decent but I can't even begin to fatham how much that busts my usual bag limit.  Oh well, maybe next year...