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Style Chat Fridays

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Belen Echandia is introducing a new concept: Style Chat Fridays.  We love chatting about the latest trends and comparing notes in the office and we also get lots of questions about the latest fashion trends, how to wear particular styles of bag and how to incorporate different looks.  So we decided to make a Style Chat part of our regular Facebook line-up.

Each week we will be discussing a different style topic – something that has caught our eye or a question raised by one of our customers.  We’ll be asking questions as well as answering them, showcasing different looks and ideas and also showing how bags can be incorporated into different trends.

Please send your questions to janelle (@) belenechandia.com. The more the merrier! And please join us every Friday on Facebook – the chatter will be going on throughout the day.

Have a great week!

The BE Team XOXOX

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Style, Things We Love

The making of a collection: Belen Echandia Rio Bag

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

RIO is our casual, slouchy bag of this season.  Simple yet detailed, comfortable to wear and also practical, Rio is just like its namesake city: stylish, carefree, vibrant and happy.  This bag can be worn crossbody or on the shoulder. The easy access and secure front pocket is great for storing your phone, keys or wallet or your bus pass – anything you need to access quickly.

Leather bucket bag | leather satchel | Belen Echandia

The drawing was so perfect that we didn’t change much when making the final design.  Our chosen clasp was out of production so we included the newest version in our final sample.  The biggest change we made was to lengthen the strap, so that it is longer at each side, which gives a more balanced look and allows it to be worn crossbody most comfortably.

We do hope that you love it as much as we do.  Please let us know what you think.

Leather bucket bag | leather satchel bag | Belen EchandiaSee more pictures and read more about our RIO bag on the Belen Echandia website.

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion Tagged With:

SS12 Preview: Belen Echandia’s spring collection – The Paris bag

December 20, 2011 By 6 Comments

The final brand new bag from Belen Echandia’s spring collection (see the full line sheet here) is the Paris Tote.  The Paris is a sturdy yet comfortable lightweight shoulder bag with a top zipper and messenger strap. It looks and feels wonderful on the shoulder, the elbow and when worn as a cross body bag.  We’ve had a few questions about whether this bag is extra heavy because of the decorative buckles on the sides – the answer is no.  

The weight of this bag is just 950 grams, which is similar to or lighter than a lot of our bags. This bag has very little hardware and what it does have is lightweight, making it a very comfortable bag to wear.  Here is a close-up shot of the Vermillion leather and the details on the Paris.

Here is an inside shot. *Please note* this is the first sample we produced, before we decided to add a top zipper. All Paris Totes produced after this one have a top zipper as well as the magnets, for added security. The buckles on the sides are merely decorative and not used to close the bag in any way.

We’ve called this bag a tote for want of a better word, but it is not really a tote in the “jute tote” sense, rather it’s a sturdy shoulder bag which has slightly more structure than other BE bags, whilst remaining soft against the body.

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags, Things We Love

Belen Echandia’s SS12 collection: The Florence

December 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

The Florence is a gorgeous little cross body satchel. It has a slightly more structured look than our bags usually do, but it remains comfortable and soft against the body. Since the first question we are asked with small to medium bags is how much can be carried inside them, we thought an interior shot of this bag would be useful. Here you can see that despite its compact size Belen Echandia’s Florence bag has 3 separate compartments to help you stay organized. Here’s what we put into the large compartment:

1. Python wallet;
2. Small 7″ (18cm) tablet computer;
3. Business card holder full of cards; and
4. Phone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was still a little space to fit a few more things in the inside zip and/or front pocket, and as you can see from the picture below, it doesn’t look at all packed out from the side, either. The Florence was another fashion editor’s favourite at our press day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of our professional pictures to show you how it looks inside and close-up. There is also a spin shot on our website and we’re hoping to snap a quick picture of one of us wearing it shortly so you can get an idea how it looks ahead of our campaign shots.

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags

SS12 Line Sheet Preview – Cannes Satchel

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Our spring summer 2012 line sheets are now available for preview.  We will add all the new styles to our website over the coming ays so you can order your favourite colour in advance and have it delivered early next year.  The Cannes shoulder bag is the first to go up, here.

Disclaimer: this is not the BE official model shoot, it is just me on my blog showing how the bags hang on a real person.

Here is the link to the full SS12 line sheet: http://www.youblisher.com/p/209746-BELEN-ECHANDIA-SS2012/

Every day for the next 6 days we will upload informal pictures of each new style, discuss each one in detail and show how it hangs and can be worn.   I took some pictures whilst previewing the new collection, so you can see how each one looks on a person of average height (5ft 5″ to be precise).  Today’s first entry is the Cannes Shoulder Bag (full size) in whiskey chevre.

My first thought when I tried on the first prototype of this bag empty was that the rolled handles , which I designed for comfort, might fall off my shoulder.  But as soon as I put in my wallet and cell-phone, they stayed put very comfortably.  My second thought was – This bag is amazing!  The Cannes is a lightweight bag.  We made the handle drop long enough to fit very comfortably on the shoulder.  You can open and close the side pockets whilst the bag is still on your shoulder, which is useful if you need your phone or something else close to hand.  The front pockets are more for decoration, but they are also useful and deep enough to fit a phone or a couple of small items.

You can cinch in the sides of this bag with the drawstring, but this time from the inside of the bag instead of the outside.  The bag also has two magnets, making it a very secure style.   The Cannes is also really comfortable when worn crossbody.  The handles fold down very easily and they don’t look at all awkward.  As you can see, the bag is quite deep but moulds softly against the body.

The Cannes is available for SS12 pre-order in chocolate matte and whiskey matte calfskin as well as sand and whiskey chevre. If you would like to pre-order it in a different colour, please ask about the specific colour you want and we may be able to help.

Pre-order HERE

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags

Belen Echandia selected to be part of Vogue’s Online Fashion Week

December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’ve been visiting England with Theo for the past few weeks, but I haven’t stopped working on exciting projects for even a minute.

I am so excited to be working with Dolly Jones, editor of Vogue Online during Vogue’s Online Fashion Week, in aid of the Neuroblastoma Society. Vogue’s Online Fashion Week runs from Monday 5 December to Friday 9 December.  The week will be packed full of interviews, fashion articles, exclusive products, advice from Industry insiders and much, much more.  You can read more about it on the Vogue website, here: http://www.vogue.co.uk/online-fashion-week/2011/monday-5th-december.

Vogue asked Belen Echandia to create some exclusive handbags especially for Vogue’s Online Fashion Week as well as come up with some fun ideas and incentives to give to charity. To get into the festive spirit, we are giving every customer who spends more than £400 a complimentary opportunity to experience our bespoke service, with a Christmas gift of a complimentary bespoke small leather item made with leather, lining and hardware colour of your choice (choose from our business card holder, pouch, phone holder, or metro card holder).

We will also have a competition for all those who visit our BEspoke section, create their favourite bespoke item and click on Buy at the end (without entering credit card details). We can trace these “orders” on our ordering system and one of the creations will be selected and its owner will win a small leather item free.

To enter you must also like the Belen Echandia Facebook page www.facebook.com/belenechandia

Finally, Belen Echandia is very happy to be donating 10% of the proceeds from every handbag sold during Vogue’s Online Fashion Week to the Neuroblastoma Society. Neuroblastoma is a rare form of childhood cancer. The Society raises funds for research, information and support for those affected.

Happy Christmas!

Jackie and the BE Team

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Press, Promotions Tagged With: ,

BE’s Christmas Gift to loyal customers: Individual bespokes on small leather goods

November 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

We’re so excited to announce that as a Christmas gift to our loyal customers, our atelier has agreed to produce bespoke small leather goods for the first time ever.  They are able to do this – for a limited time only – because we have lots of small pieces of various leathers that are not big enough to produce a bag.  We know that lots of you will be excited to get your favourite accessory made up in your favourite leather, lining & hardware combination at last.  Please note that this applies to *new* orders only placed from today’s date until Friday, December 23rd.

This means that Angel Purses, Kiss Me Clutches (our make-up bag), Iphone holders, Ipad holders, Business Card Holders, Coin Purses, “Protect Me” Card Holders, Pen Pouches and Wristlets will all be available to order in your favourite leather – perfect as a Christmas gift for yourself or for someone else.  See below for pictures and the ordering links.

This is a very limited-time offer, which means that all orders must be placed before our Christmas ordering deadlines.

Bearing in mind early shipping dates and the fact that your order must be produced especially for you, to ensure that your order is delivered before Christmas the last ordering date if you are outside of the UK is Friday 25 November.  Within the UK the last ordering date is Wednesday 7 December.

This could change at any time depending on how busy our schedule gets, so we will keep this post updated.

For delivery after Christmas, the final deadline to take advantage of this opportunity is Friday 23rd December.

For any queries you may have, please contact Janelle at janelle(@)belenechandia.com

Happy Holidays from the Belen Echandia team.

XXXXX

Angel Purse (with wrist strap)

ORDER NOW IN YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR, HARDWARE AND LINING COMBINATION

Wristlet (with wrist strap)

ORDER NOW IN YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR, HARDWARE AND LINING COMBINATION

Kiss Me clutch (with wrist strap) – We call this our make-up bag as that’s what it was originally designed for and it’s SO useful. I couldn’t live without mine.  But many people use it as a clutch.


ORDER NOW IN YOUR FAVOURITE LEATHER, LINING AND HARDWARE COMBINATION

Business Card Holder – note that picture shows an extra small, square business card. The holder is a standard size.

Will be added to our website shortly! Meanwhile EMAIL US to set your leather aside

IPAD holder

Will be added to our website shortly! Meanwhile EMAIL US to set your leather aside

Iphone holder (with handy leather neck string so you can wear it around your neck)

Will be added to our website shortly! Meanwhile EMAIL US to set your leather aside

Protect Me tube pass holder (with wristlet)

ORDER NOW IN YOUR FAVOURITE LEATHER, LINING AND HARDWARE COMBINATION

 Pouch/Pen Holder – perfect for holding small items like pens, a comb, even wet wipes. Fits at least 4 pens.

Will be added to our website shortly! Meanwhile EMAIL US to set your leather aside


COIN PURSE

 

Will be added to our website shortly! Meanwhile EMAIL US to set your leather aside

*Please note – almost all leathers showing on our leathers page are part of this Christmas Gift, but we will be monitoring it closely and removing leathers once they are no longer available.  Some leathers like pewter crash are now available only in VERY limited quantities, so we apologize in advance if we don’t catch the order fast enough.  If your chosen  leather proves not to be available, you will have the option of a full refund.  Below is a list of leathers that are definitely not available but are still showing up as we have outstanding orders for them in the system*:

Red sheen
Red Glossy
Navy Glossy

Some chevre leathers are available to make small leather goods, but most are not. Please email us to check chevre availability.

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Promotions

Belen Echandia goes to China

October 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Belen Echandia is off to Beijing!

Picture of Beijing

The last few weeks have been busy, busy, busy preparing for my trip to China to show our collection to Chinese buyers.  We started our Spring 2012 handbag collection really early this year and what a collection it is – probably our best ever – but it seems that no matter how early we start, we never complete things as early as we would like.

Just before the summer I left Theo for the first time ever since he was born – mainly because his father travels a lot and we don’t have grandparents to help us in Stockholm – and went to London to work on the new collection with the pattern maker.  It was a fun and whirlwind day, since I combined it with a bit of shopping (new shoes!) and a lunch meeting with one of Grazia’s fashion editors to discuss her dream bag. What a treat that was – after 15 months of breastfeeding and taking care of a small baby I was climbing the walls and seriously ready to shop until I dropped!

After the Grazia meeting we went through all the ideas and the patterns and I signed a lot of things off and then we packed up a box with our ideas and sent it off to Marco so that he could begin the next stage of making the samples when he returned from his summer break. Usually Marco goes away during the entire month of August – it’s a tradition in Italy because of the seemingly never-ending summer heat.  They don’t have air-conditioning in all parts of the workshop, making it even more difficult than usual to work.  But this summer there wasn’t any time to take the whole month off, even though all tanneries and hardware producers close, so they spent a part of it working on our new samples.

Our samples take a long time to produce, sometimes even one whole week per bag because of all the back and forth and new details that need to be tested and confirmed. I know that you’re all going to email and ask me to show you the new collection immediately, but I really can’t – I do promise though that it will be worth the wait when you see the final collection.  But just to give you a teaser/a glimpse into the way we work, here is a part of one of our SS12 bags (a flap) being produced

Handbag flap drawingHow to make a handbag flap

I love seeing sketches go from pencil on paper to final leather piece, so I thought you might find it interesting as well.  I guess lots of you would love to be a fly on the wall in the workshop watching those talented Italian hands cut and stitch the leather.  It’s really a treat to see.

The China trip has proved a little more stressful than I initially anticipated.  First of all, we had to send all the samples to the photographer so that we could put them on the line sheet, but of course, they were not ready in time given that they had to be shipped to Bejing 3 weeks before the show.  So we managed to photograph just 7 of them, which was thankfully enough to get the line sheets ready. Phew!

There was a lot of back and forth and worrying about whether everything would go smoothly and then, just before we sent out the bags we were told by the Chamber of Commerce that to ensure we didn’t pay taxes in China (as the bags are coming back), we needed a carnet to travel with our bags.  So Julia and Karon filled out what felt like 100 pages of very detailed information and we  paid over £400 to get the carnet.  It took days and Julia and Karon worked late two nights in a row, bless them, but they managed to get it all done in time.  Unfortunately UPS then had other ideas and refused to let our boxes leave with the carnet unless we used a very expensive freight service, so we had to abandon that route and send the boxes with an ordinary courier and without carnet.

Please cross your fingers for us that the boxes arrive in time!  We’re leaving next Thursday on the 20th, arriving back in Stockholm on Wednesday 26th.  I’m really not looking forward to being away from Theo for all that time, but on the other hand I can’t wait to visit Beijing.  Will post another update here soon.  Have a great week! Jackie XX

Filed Under: Behind the scenes, Belen Echandia, Travel

Bright winter coats

September 17, 2011 By 2 Comments

This weekend winter suddenly and harshly arrived to Sweden.  One minute I was walking down the street in a short-sleeved sweater, or heading out for a run in just leggings and tank, the next I was freezing.  This happens to me every year – winter begins and I’m always surprised.

This year, thankfully, I’ll be heading to Greece in the middle of September for a lovely week of sunshine with the very good excuse of having to attend a close friend’s wedding.  But there will still be plenty of winter in Sweden to wear warm coats – and this year I intend to wear bolder colours than I normally would.

Here’s a rundown of the coats I’m considering this season. Leave me a comment at the end and give me links to any winter coats you’re currently lusting after.

Vermillion

Those of you who read my blog often know that I am currently obsessed with vermillion orange. It suits my skin tone perfectly, is a wearable bright (unlike harsher or darker shades that can wash me out), will match with so many different things  and best of all, I just love the colour. It makes me feel happy just to look at it.

Here’s one of my favourite vermillion coats for this season. Do you have a favourite?

Vermillion winter coat

Here’s our Madrid crossbody in vermillion orange, which would look so great with this coat!

Belen Echandia orange crossbody bag

Purple

Purple is a wearable colour for some, but tricky for others. It suits fair or dark skin tones set against dark hair best.  Think Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada.  The darker/milder the shade, the easier it is to wear.  Overly bright colours can look harsh in certain lights, so choose your colour wisely if you want this to be an investment piece.  I love dark purples and aubergine colours like this one:

Purple winter coat

Red

Red is another wearable bright, although some people are quite scared of wearing it, or see it as an aggressive colour. I like warm reds the best, those with a slight pink undertone.  Scarlet is too harsh for my skin tone and really needs to be made in an expensive fabric to avoid looking cheap.  This season’s reds are mainly expensive looking colours, so it’s the perfect time to invest in a bright red coat.  Our red chevre is an expensive-looking matte leather.  Nicole Richie looks beautiful in this light red coat:

Red winter coat

Belen Echandia’s red chevre Milan Satchel would look amazing with the right red coat:

 

 Belen Echandia Milan satchel Red

 

Pink

I believe that a coat is really an investment piece and personally I would not spend a lot of money on a pink coat.  But I am looking to be persuaded. Do you have a pink coat? Would you buy one?  Please send me your tips!

Until next time.

Jackie XXX

 

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Colours and inspirations, Fashion, Handbags

BE’s Customer Loyalty Programme Launches

September 2, 2011 By 1 Comment

Belen Echandia is launching a customer loyalty programme.  Here are the basic tiers.  Please email us if you have any questions.  We are working on a way to let all customers know their applicable level.  Meanwhile, if you would like to know, please email us individually and we can verify this for you.  Please bear with us, thank you.

Silver (Basic):  Customer must have purchased at least $1000/700GBP worth of items from our online boutique in the last calendar year.  Rewards currently associated with Silver customers are – stellar customer service, birthday stamp, free standard (Royal Mail) shipping on full price stock items, gift certificate worth $50/£35 at the end of the year with a handwritten thank you note, preview of next season’s collections.

Gold: Customer must have purchased at least $2500/1500GBP worth of items from our online boutique in the last calendar year.  Rewards currently associated with Gold customers are – stellar customer service, birthday stamp, free standard (Royal Mail) shipping on stock regular priced items or free Courier shipping if purchasing two or more regular priced stock items at a time, free standard shipping for BE Couture items, gift certificate at the end of the year worth $75/£50 with a handwritten thank you note, preview of next season’s collections.

Platinum: Customer must have purchased at least $5000/2500GBP worth of items from our online boutique in the last calendar year.  Rewards associated with Platinum customers are – stellar customer service, birthday stamp, free shipping (Royal Mail or courier) – your choice) on regular priced stock items, free standard shipping for sale items, free standard shipping for BE Couture items, preview of next season’s collections, option of gift voucher worth $75/£50 or complimentary small item at the end of the year with a handwritten thank you card. Option to ask us to source the leather for one bag per year (subject to leather type and availability) without further charge.

Diamond: Customer must have purchased at least $10,000/6,000GBP worth of items from our online boutique in the last calendar year.  Rewards associated with Diamond customers are – stellar customer service, birthday stamp, right to free courier shipping on all orders (regular stock, sale stock, BE Couture), free return shipping, preview of next season’s collections, book of new season’s leather swatches*** (where available), gift certificate worth $75/£50 and complimentary small item at the end of the year with a handwritten thank you card, option of ordering a maximum of two small leather goods from pen holder, angel purse (fabric lining only), business card holder and having them made as a custom order.** Option to ask us to source the leather for two bags per year (subject to leather type and availability) without further charge.

*As of February 2011, all Belen Echandia members who have purchased during 2011 will be started at the Silver level.  Customer’s status will be reviewed on a yearly basis, in January of the present year.

** This does not include wallets. This list may change at any time, depending on our atelier.

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia

Winter 2011 trends in pictures

September 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Row 1, left to right

1. Kara Ross Cuff, now on sale via Matches Fashion:

2. Amazing Burberry Coat in bright orange

3. Belen Echandia Warm Red Milan medium satchel in chevre (goat skin)

Row 2, left to right

1. Leopard Print heels

2. Shoe boots (Prada, what were you thinking?)

Row 3, left to right

1. MIH Jeans

2. Gold

3. Fur

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Colours and inspirations, Fashion, Style

Fashion Trends AW11

August 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We have only just started wearing our summer whites and already everyone’s talking about autumn – but as we’ve learned to our peril in previous seasons, the early bird catches the worm, or rather, the best clothes. I am always surprised when I do my last-minute seasonal shopping to discover that the best pieces sold out several months previously. But not this year, I won’t make that mistake again.

If you’re a last minute shopper like me, don’t worry because I have rounded up some of the hottest pieces for this coming autumn/winter 2011 that you can still get your hands on.

Androgyny

I love this season’s androgyny trend, because rather than being all about women looking like men in suits and men’s shoes, there is a big focus on details: I call it girly androgyny. An oximoron, perhaps, but the fur, the lace, the scarves and red shoes:  it is undeniably feminine if not girly.

Block colour

Finally, my favourite way of dressing is flying high at the top of the fashion charts.  Good news if you’re partial to a colour pop.  The autumn runways started off where spring ended and sent a riot of bright colours to extend summer well into December and possibly even make it last until next spring. Red/blood orange was the clear favourite, from cardinal to vermillion, whilst greens, blues and pinks sat alongside the usual blacks and warm October shades.  I think this Burberry trenchcoat from the AW11 collection is amazing.

Texture

Texture is everywhere this season, from fur to sequins to knits and suede.  Of course, my favourite trend is textured leather.

Textured leather has been around for a while, but I still just cannot get enough of it.  This season, textures and prints are hot news alongside block colours.  Autumn/Winter is always my favourite fashion season, but this one is going to be my favourite for a long time.

I love texture on bags because it adds detail and distinctiveness without the need for big logos, which I don’t like at all.  I love all kinds of texture, from subtle to strong, from irregular to regular, from soft to hard.    My favourite combination is an irregular, soft texture, which is why I love our new super soft, black textured goatskin LA Tote.  I love this style because it works just as well as a hand-carry (one of the coming season’s big trends) as a shoulder bag and it is just so comfortable and stylish as an elbow-carry, which is my favourite way to wear a bag.  I also love the strength of this leather, its boldness.  It also fits nicely into the androgyny trend and could be worn by both men and women.


Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Colours and inspirations, Fashion, Handbags, Inspirations

COLOUR OF THE SEASON: VERMILION ORANGE (Burnt orange)

August 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Visit to Roma

Many brands call this colour “burnt orange” but I much prefer the sophisticated, French “Vermilion”. Whatever you call it, burnt orange/vermilion is a hot colour this coming autumn 2011 season and I, for one am very happy because this colour is amazing.  For a colour, it is so wearable that it is almost a neutral.  It pairs well with so many colours and outfits.  It works with every hardware from gunmetal to gold and suits most skin tones.  Best of all, it is just sooo pretty and makes a nice change from the even more ubiquitous cardinal and scarlet reds (not to mention a great change from my usual favourites, black and pewter).

As is often the case for me with colours, I prefer my accessories to do the talking.  This coming season, a bag, cuff or perhaps a coat in this gorgeous burnt orange/vermilion will see you through to next spring.  On that note, I actually don’t see this colour going anywhere for quite a while.


See by Chloe elbow patch sweater
$295 - net-a-porter.com

 

Diesel distressed jeans
$94 - coggles.com

 

Jimmy Choo platform high heels
$895 - net-a-porter.com

 

Monica Vinader ring
$355 - net-a-porter.com

 

Annina Vogel diamond earrings
£1,250 - net-a-porter.com

 

 

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Colours and inspirations, Fashion, Inspirations, Travel

Animal prints and pony skin – AW11

August 15, 2011 By 1 Comment

Animal prints and fur are hot news again for the AW11 season, but this time we’re seeing subtler prints like milky-white snow leopard alongside their flashier cousins.  We’ve used pony skin for the Belen Echandia handbag collection before, but this is the first time we’ve ever incorporated leopard and zebra into our larger handbag range. Only a small number of pieces are available and we’re very excited with the results.

It has taken me a while to get here. I have never been keen on animal prints.  But a couple of months ago, I was at a museum with my son when I spotted a woman wearing a velvet leopard-print crossbody bag which was a very similar shape to our Covet Me Mini.

The bag was quite simple, so I don’t know if it was the otherwise chic Scandinavian style that did it, or the fact that I could suddenly visualise a BE leopard print Covet Me Mini, but this woman rocked her animal print bag.  Animal prints suddenly seemed very wearable.

And now for a few pieces from the up coming animal print collection:

1. Clutch Me in leopard with black super soft matte trim

2. Milan Satchel in snow leopard with black super soft matte trim

3. Covet Me Mini in snow leopard with black super soft matte trim

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags, Style, Things We Love Tagged With: , ,

Autumn Winter 2011 handbag and leather trends in pictures

August 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

Row 1,  left to right:

1. The clutch – The Duchess of Cambridge, AKA Katherine Middleton, made the clutch the handbag of the moment.  From weddings, to evenings out with the girls, to dinners and formal events, as well as just a date at the movies, we all need a clutch. Stuffing things in pockets is so last season.

2. The mini crossbody – If you think this bag looks too small, think again.  If you like any of the following, you need a mini cross body bag: Travelling (this style is perfect for looking chic and keeping cool whilst strolling through markets/cities/tourist attractions, running through airports when you need to quickly access passports and tickets), strolling around your own city, going to concerts or cycling (are you seriously going to carry a shoulder bag?), doing anything with small children (hands-free? It’s essential).   My stepfather once asked me why I had brought my “suitcase” to dinner – don’t make the same mistake.

3. Cuffs -  What more to say? Leather cuffs are now. They are hot. I usually have trouble wearing them because my wrists are so small, but these are lovely and so comfortable.

Row 2,  left to right:

4. Hand-carry/elbow-carry – If you like to hand-carry your bags you’re in luck this coming season. Luckily for those who don’t, our L.A. Tote has an adjustable handle that can be worn either way.

5. Red – Some people are scared of red. They think it is aggressive or difficult to wear. I think red is amazing. It can provide a drop of glamour in an otherwise monochrome colour palette in the shape of red nails, red shoes or a red bag. There is a shade of red to suit everyone, from cardinal to vermillion and back to scarlet.  Our red bags with chains are made from chevre (goatskin) and they are amazing. You will feel like a million dollars.

6. Prints/black and white/pony skin – Three trends in one, would you expect anything less? Our snow leopard pony skin bags are of the moment but don’t worry about them being trendy, have you noticed that animal print are “in” roughly every 2-3 years, maybe even more often? This is a trend that never really goes out of fashion. If you’ve been hesitating like me, don’t hesitate any longer. Buy now!

Row 3,  left to right:

7. Coin purses - Little coin purses are so cute and so useful: we all need them.  They are great for loose change, for tickets, for receipts, for taking as a mini mini clutch bag on an evening out.  An essential item in a woman’s wardrobe.  I’m going for the anthracite or the zebra pony skin.

8. Texture – Textured leather is amazing, particularly if it’s soft and smooshy.  I love the uber luxurious feel of Belen Echandia’s textured chevre leather (goatskin).

9. Colour – Ah, wearable colour… where have you been all my life?  In the deep dark trenches of Scandinavian winter (my husband is Swedish) I survive on colour therapy.  But thankfully, this season brings a lot of wearable colours and particularly colourful accessories, so I can wear my dark jeans and boots with this darling little colourful crossbody.

I hope you enjoyed my breakdown of upcoming handbag and leather trends.  If you did and/or you have any comments, please drop me a line!

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags, Things We Love

Brightly coloured chevres

August 9, 2011 By 1 Comment

Ever since I wrote that post (this one) we’ve been inundated with emails asking us about available colours of chevre.  So we’ve started taking pictures of the chevre colours that are available now.  Today, we’re posting the bright colours. If you’re looking for a brightly coloured goatskin bag, here’s a run down of what we have (please not that these colours are fully-stocked and available now, but leathers frequently go out of stock so if there is a particular leather that you know you want, the best thing is to put down a deposit on it):

PARIS

We’re calling this colour chart “Paris”.   The colours look (on my screen at least) exactly as they do on the colour chart. This is an extremely soft, beautifully uniform leather. It does not show marks easily.  The colours are saturated and deep.

 

DIXAN

This is a washed chevre, meaning that it is a little more matte and has a little more texture – and the colours are a bit less saturated than Paris and Guanto.  These colours are my favourites, just because I like that “washed” look.  Here is a close-up of the texture of that leather in red, with all our linings:

Here are the bright colours from the Dixan colour chart:

GUANTO

This is a glove-like leather, the most classic of the three and as saturated and uniform as Paris, just with a little more gloss. This colour chart is a little harder to shoot, but we’ve had a go!

Please email Janelle (@) belenechandia.com – removing brackets – if you have any questions or would like to know more about these amazing leathers.

Jackie XX

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Colours and inspirations, Fashion, Handbags, Style, Things We Love

Rock Chic Style for AW11

August 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Rock chic style

 

 

Otis Maclain short sleeve shirt
$128 - new.amrag.com

 

Oasis cropped denim jacket
£45 - oasis-stores.com

 

Balmain black leather pants
$3,020 - stylebop.com

 

Supertrash gladiator sandals
£94 - theoutnet.com

 

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags, Style, Things We Love

Inspirational women design their dream bags

August 6, 2011 By 2 Comments

I recently read an article in the Sunday Times about girl power.  Although female emancipation occured a long time ago and gender equality has been a hot topic since the 60s, it is only really now that companies are actively seeking a high proportion of women as directors and non-executive directors.  “Girls, your time is now”  the headline said.

I went to London to meet one of the fashion editors of Grazia recently for a new project we’re working on, which ties in nicely with the topic of girl power.  With our all-girl team and our focus on customer interaction, participation and feedback, girl-power has always been a big theme for us.  I remember how excited we all were when we first started offering custom orders, at the prospect of handing back some power to our customers to decide many aspects of their bags for themselves.

This ongoing project will involve championing girl power by working with inspirational women from various fields to design their dream bags, inside and out.  We have always placed as much importance on the inside features of our bags as we do on the outside, with the aim of making them luxurious and as practical as a busy woman needs them to be.  But of course, what you need from a bag will depend on your lifestyle, your job and what you need to carry around with you all day as well as what you would like it to look like.  So instead of asking these women to simply design their dream bag, we are asking them to design their dream bag as a fashion editor, or singer, or lawyer… the bag that will fulfil their daily needs both in terms of aesthetics and practicality.

The meeting in London was fantastic and we can’t wait to show you the results later on this year.

Stay tuned!

Jackie XXXX

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags, Inspirations, Style

Belen Echandia latest press: OK Magazine & Grazia

May 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags, Press, Things We Love

Belen Echandia chevre leathers: Review of the week

May 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This week we’re mostly going to let the pictures do the talking.  When Frederique received her bag, she emailed us to say:

“I received my parcel on Friday morning and the bag is just gorgeous! I love it, and so does my boyfriend :)

The size and color are perfect, the leather is matte and yet, shiny in the sunlight. It´s amazing.”

Thank you Frederique.  Enjoy the pictures and have a great weekend. xxx

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Handbags Tagged With: , , , ,

Belen Echandia AW11 Trend report: Denim and leather

May 15, 2011 By 1 Comment

I’ve spent most of the last few years in a pair of jeans.   They are easy to dress up or dress down and there are so many ways to wear them.  Every time I find a favourite pair of jeans I buy multiples, convinced that I will never again find a pair that fits me so well.   Currently my favourites are these True Religion’s Misty Super Skinnies, which I bought from Shopbop and own in several colours.  I’m slightly nervously awaiting a pair in white.  Nervously because I’ve always looked ridiculous in white jeans.  Let’s hope these are the exception.

I’m not a slave to fashion. Skinny jeans in particular can go out of fashion and come back in again and I wouldn’t notice because I can’t imagine life without them, but it’s still fun to look at current trends.  In fact I’ve found some of my favourite pieces trying styles which “will never suit me” just for fun.  So here’s a round-up of what’s next in the world of denim:

Coated Denim

Denim that is coated to look like leather is this coming season’s hottest trend.   Not being a fan of leather trousers, I’m undecided about whether to try it.  The full-on ‘leather look’ of these infinity metallic gold jeans may not be for me, but I quite like this Ellie Tahari pair so perhaps I could pull off a subtle version of this trend.

 

Photo courtesy of Fidelity Denim www.fidelitydenim.com

Photo courtesy of www.elietahari.com

Trouser-style jeans

Touted as “the next step in jeans after the flare” this style looks suspiciously like a “reinvented flare” and my first impression is that they could be quite unflattering unless you’re very tall and/or super skinny.  I think I would look frumpy in some and clown-like in others.  They are quite cute but this one is not for me.

Photo courtesy of Lucky Brand Jeans

Denim shirts

Denim shirts are not usually my thing, but they are big news for AW11 and much to my surprise, I actually did find a few cute ways to wear them. I love Ashley Olsen’s look with her low-cut black jeans.

Photo courtesy of www.injeanous.com

And the season’s colourful jean fashions mean that men can get away with them too. I’m not saying every guy could rock this look but I think Kanye pulls it off quite well.

Photo courtesy of www.livedrjays.com

Button up

Embellished jeans are all the rage again for fall 2011, particularly button embellishments. Look out for ankle buttons, more-crotch-buttons-than-necessary and buttons all the way down your thighs.  This photo by George Chinese shows a pair of beautiful Sinclair cotton jeans with button detailing.  Mind you, it could be the amazing sweater, bracelets and boots which draws me to this look.

 

Photo Courtesy of womensweardaily.com

Satchels

All this denim calls for a cute satchel and for this of course I’ll be selecting a Belen Echandia, the only problem will be deciding which one.  For a relaxed day look I’ll be choosing our Belen Echandia New York satchel in Oak leather or Chestnut chevre leather.  For a darker, more glamorous look I’ll be going for our new bubble goat skin satchel, probably the mini version which transitions beautifully from day to evening.

Photo courtesy of www.belenechandia.com

Which just leaves me to ask you: how will you wear your denim this autumn?

 

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Style Tagged With: ,

Belen Echandia: 5 reasons ‘Made in Italy’ is important

May 3, 2011 By 2 Comments

I used to write a lot about why Belen Echandia bags are Made in Italy and what “Made in Italy” really means for handbags today.   Some of you may remember an article about big brands exploiting illegal Chinese immigrants in order to get their “Made in Italy” badge, or sending bags back to Italy to have a clasp attached.  I don’t know when or why I stopped writing about it, but yesterday I visited a children’s shoe shop and got a sharp reminder to write about it again.

Most of us remember visiting shoe stores with our parents as little children.  In my particular shoe store there was a cool machine that measured our feet shape/size and gait, but the memory that stands out in my mind is the smell of the leather.  Oh, what a smell! I was obsessed with leather even then.  So yesterday I visited a couple of stores to find Theo a pair of shoes.   Both were leading children’s shoe stores.  But as we walked in, I was confronted not with the waft of lovely leather but the smell of plastic and chemicals. I walked straight out again.

Now I’m not saying that all shoes and bags produced in the Far East are full of plastic and chemicals (although I happen to know that this store’s shoes are all Made in China and other cheap-labour countries) and that all shoes and handbags produced in Italy are made from Top Grain leather: to imagine so would be naive.  But it certainly is true that there are Italian tanneries who dedicate themselves to the art of natural leather production and that in general Italian (and probably most local European) handbag production is smaller in scale and more detail-oriented than it is in the Far East.  Most importantly, there are decades if not centuries of experience inside European ateliers that it really would be a terrible shame to lose. It is also great to be able to order custom bags and to know that the handbag production is so small scale that you are unlikely to find the same bag elsewhere.

I’ve been writing about this subject for many years and the tide does seem to be turning somewhat, with people demanding to know more about the true origin and nature of their bags and other products.  But as I said a few years back, and it is still just as relevant, unless more people start asking these questions, the Italian craftspeople that do remain will eventually succumb to the pressure and close their doors forever, as many have before them.  If this happens the real losers will be those of us who love well-made leather goods and niche labels, for it is only the big brands – with their over-reliance on advertising and mass-production – who can get away with the bad quality and high quantities demanded by Chinese factories whether in Italy or in the Far East.

So go on – the next time you are considering purchasing a handbag, ask where and how it was really made.  If you have any doubts at all – don’t buy it.  If you have 30 seconds to leave a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Social Responsibility Tagged With: , , , ,

Belen Echandia Sales: Spring Sample Sale 2011

April 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Belen Echandia’s online spring sample sale will run from Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th April inclusive, with up to 40% off many sample bags. For more information visit the Belen Echandia handbag website.

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion, Sales Tagged With: , , , , ,

Spring Summer 2011 Photoshoot

March 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’ve never been one for checking the weather. In fact, I’m well-known for turning up under-dressed for the cold weather, having tumbled out of the house without so much as thinking about a sub zero temperature until it’s far too late to do anything about it.  Like the time I went out in the North of England in late October for my 21st birthday party without a warm coat and had to beg one from a friend (who only had one) or (worse) the time I took the baby out in his sling  and got stuck in  snowstorm.  Not fun. Poor thing, his legs felt like popsicles by the time we reached a warm cafe.

But when we’re doing a BE photo shoot, I probably check the weather 354,687 times.  I don’t know why: it’s not as though we’ll cancel the shoot in the case of bad weather. Two of our shoots have been in rainstorms, not that you’d realise because the photographers were so professional.  I just find myself doing it.  And discussing the weather with everyone I talk to on the telephone.  My grandmother has a lot to answer for.

Anyway, here are a few shots from our latest campaign.  The weather was a little glum, but at least it wasn’t Sweden, which is currently enjoying a February full of minus twenties.  I asked the photographer to take some “behind the scenes” shots so that you could get a little glimpse of what goes on at a photoshoot, good weather or bad, so those are first.  The theme was, as always, street style & inspiration. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion

Spring 2012 Trends: Neon/Miami Poolside

February 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Shows in both Milan and Paris showed a distinct move towards neon, either in bold neon accessories, or neon touches. Prada’s techni-coloured golfers wore shocking neon in liberty-style floral prints. Block-neons are being seen mainly in accessories: leather fringing and laces are being strewn over the catwalks and socks and hand painted sneakers are everywhere.  Christopher Kane showed glimpses of neon rainbow under black laser-cut lace and neon pleats, along with acid-green shoes. We saw everything from neon trousers to neon nail polish.

Spring 2012 trends

Now admittedly, neon is often a no-no for me, being either too loud or too futuristic, but I love brights -  I really loved the bright-red pants trend last summer (yes even, or maybe especially, on men) and I really love vibrant block-colour trousers or accessories, so long as it’s styled well and is not over the top.  What could say modern summer more than a bright pair of trousers and white shirt or t-shirt?  I especially like the blue and coral pants in this picture, especially juxtaposed with a white t-shirt and non-clashing bag and neutral shoes.  A word of warning if you want to embrace this trend – unless you’re Agness Deyn, don’t wear too many clashing prints or neon shades. You don’t want to look like a clown!

A second aspect of the neon trend is the “Miami Poolside” look.  Lots of brightly monocolour bikinis, floaty sundresses  as well as cool African-inspired prints, textures and unusually for summer, headgear. Not just hats, but headscarves, bandanas and headbands.  I can’t wait for summer 2012 to arrive!

Spring 2012 trendsMara Hoffman showPhotos from top courtesy of D Squared, www.bellasugar.com and www.ladyluxe.com

Admittedly it might be best to keep your handbag neutral if wearing lots of bright shades about your person, but if you prefer your colour to be in your handbag, then pink, red, green and vermillion shades can be neutral enough to make them classic as well as bright-coloured.  Either way, we’ve got plenty of things for you to try this spring season:

Bright-coloured bags

RIO SATCHEL IN SORBET – sold out, now custom-order only or see alternative colours available

RIO SATCHEL IN VERMLLION – bespoke design, custom-order only

MILAN SATCHEL IN RED – Buy Now

Belen Echandia Milan satchel Red

MILAN SATCHEL IN LEMON YELLOW – bespoke design, custom-order now

Neutrals: 

RIO Satchel in sand chevre – Custom-order now

NEUTRALS: RIO Satchel in Oak- Coming soon to www.belenechandia.com

Email Janelle at janelle(@)belenechandia.com with any questions or queries or to place your order.

Filed Under: Belen Echandia, Fashion