The Material Boy #388

Below: Functional chic... these Céline Leather Cabas are statement making in the purest sense... love the gorgeous dark Navy colour in the softest lambskin...

Below: Comes in brown...

Below: or a striking green (Kwannam Chu from 'We could Grow Up Together' owns this!)...

Below: How about some bi-colour if you can't settle for just a single hue?

Below: Khaki and orange makes for a striking combination...

Below: These simple leather totes have recurred in the upcoming Fall Winter 2010 collection in new hues and materials...

Below: I need this red one!

Below: Or perhaps this huggable furry version...

Below: As modelled...

Below: Of course, I could not resist...One more for Team Philo!

Céline Leather Cabas

I never expect in a million years that I would be attracted to a bag that is as basic and pared down as Céline's Leather Cabas. At once glance, these 'glorified paper shopping bag' lookalike feels under designed and does not spark out an immediate purchase impulse. But upon closer inspection, all perceptions can surprisingly changed!

I have fondled with these simple leather totes quite a few times, and with each encounter, the more I appreciate the functional, simple chic of these bags. Luxury comes in different forms to different individuals. If excessive decadence is your game, then these totes will not bear your name. Phoebe Philo's minimal design aesthetics means strong, powerful, reduced (as she brilliantly quotes on style.com for her fall 2010 collection).

"Obviously, it depends what you need," Philo told WWD of the attributes of a good handbag. "In the evening, it is less important, but for day it drives me crazy if a bag is not functional. The quality of the leather, the quality of the construction, the detailing, the craftsmanship. In the end, it is all of these elements."

Well said and I couldn't agree more. To succeed with minimal designs, it can sometimes prove more of a challenge since when you have less to work on. Focusing on what's important and editing out the unnecessary requires a keen sense of taste. I believe Phoebe Philo has succeeded. Her very recent reign on Céline has already brought a revolution in the way many fashionable women dress. Minimalism is the word on the lips of editors and fashion insiders these days and it's fashion blasphemy if you are not attired anywhere in camel colour:-)

These Céline Leather Cabas certainly fits the bill on functional luxury. Made from the softest lambskin with immaculate craftsmanship while devoid of frivolous hardwares, they are a breath of fresh air in a world of decadent bag designs. The only detailing you can find on these totes are the small but confident branding on the top, the array of colours availbale or the gorgeous bi-colour or material designs. Not forgetting the functional aspect of Phoebe Philo's design philosophy, research has also been conducted on threshold of how much the bags can carry (apparently, the Sales staff explained to me the bag holds up to a hefty 5 kg!)

I am definitely in love. It certainly takes more miles of personality to work a simple bag than with other more complex counterparts. Shine with less has more class than crass of screaming for attention with more! No wonder lots of stylist are in favour of this arm candy.

At an affordable SGD$1450 or Euros 650... you too can own a piece of minimal luxury... especially if it is from Phoebe Philo's Céline, the name that every true fashionista now rave about.

Source: Cèline