Bag Whore: Derek Lam ‘Charley’ Shoulder Bag

I’ve always harbored a crush on Derek Lam; his eponymous brand and position at Tod’s in re-vamping the brand image may have something to do with it. He’s hardly my type (I prefer them tall, dark, and handsome), but his handbags are. And undeniably so.

A page in ELLE magazine years ago featured Lam when he was just up-and-coming, naming him the next great American designer. He knew what women wanted—iwhen they wanted a silhouette to be feminine, and when then needed it to be masculine—iand delivered exactly that. But it was his foray into handbags which caught my eye. A double headed ram was his signature, he said; it was a personal symbol (amongst other things, of course) representing his horoscope: Aries.

Perhaps it was that personal tidbit that made me fall in love. Or maybe I truly am a bag whore; who knows. But what I do know is that I believe in pieces that inspire you always. And above that, there should be always be a connection; what you wear should be a representation of who you are.

The Charley does exactly that for me. Small, ladylike, compact. It’s a handbag that holds it’s own, in that it exemplifies a personal style philosophy whereby the handbag is what makes the outfit. And the gorgeous, glazed snakeskin in a pale turquoise blue—iI want to fly away to Ibiza for the entirety of summer. Derek Lam calls it “peppermint blue;” there’s no better description for the color. Lately anything within the blues and teals family makes me smile; they’ve become a favorite color this year. It’s holistic, soothing, summery. (As I write this I’m admiring my pastel blue nails; I’ll have you know I’ve never been one for color, especially blue, on the nails, until this year.)

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Derek Lam Small Charley Shoulder Bag, available at Barneys

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