RIONI Blog

Two special holidays are coming up on February 14th this year. One being Valentine’s Day, while the other being Chinese New Year. This post will be primarily focused on the latter. Well just one aspect of Chinese New Year that relates to a handbag of course. As for Valentine’s Day, I’ll just let my other fellow bloggers write on the topic of Valentine’s Day. Let’s go!

This handbag is definitely one of a kind and it fits perfectly with the 2010 Chinese New Year’s (The Year of the Tiger) theme. This handbag was handcrafted using stingray skin. Sound a bit disgusting right? Well, as long as you can get past the fact that it’s made out of a sea creature, it actually is quite stunning; no pun intended. This handbag was crafted using 4 ivory backbone stingray skins which was then dyed to create a tiger pattern. The handbag measures 14.5” long x 11.5” tall x 5.5” deep. Also the nice thing about this handbag is that it is inexpensive—somewhere along the lines of $200. What is my take on this bag exactly?

Overall, I like the look of the handbag. Will I ever carry one? The chances are pretty slim. Do I recommend it to others? Sure, why not? Anyhow, let me know what you guys think about this handbag.

So I’ve heard about Angry Little Girls, by Lela Lee, but I never really took too much time to stop and read them. I simply thought they were cute comics…kind of like anime. Recently I came across some of their cotton canvas bags and actually ready what’s on them…let me just say, they’re hilarious! I think might have to go out and buy one or more now. They are light and affordable. Most of their totes range from $19.99-25.99. They have wallets and other accessories as well. You can purchase and browse through their comics at algshop.com. Trust me, you won’t be able to keep from laughing out loud.

I am a big fan of clutches. I realize you can only choose what you really need, but you don’t need a million things when you’re going out to at night. All you really need is some cash, credit cards, phone, and lip gloss. This brings me to this Jimmy Choo clutch. Jimmy Choo makes a metallic patent leather tube clutch with satin lining which will jazz up any outfit you have. I’m not sure if it’s really worth its price, but I’m drawn to this piece. You can purchase this on Net-a-Porter for $1,150.

I just recently heard about this new bracelet craze! What defines Pandora’s bracelets from other bracelets is that the bracelets are created by the customer themselves. How does this work?

First off, you have to invest in a bracelet which ranges from $30 – $2000. You can choose from a leather bracelet, a silver bracelet, or a gold bracelet. Most of the bracelets are around $30. Only the gold bracelet will cost you a hefty $2000. Now what?

Second, you add decorations to your bracelet. This is where it can get expensive. Every charm, bead, or decoration you want to slide on to the bracelet costs about $200. Most women don’t have thousands of dollars to spend in one shopping trip; so over time, they purchase the bracelet ornaments in increments. So what?

What do I think about this concept? Rather than just purchasing an expensive fancy decorative bracelet, Pandora gives customers a different type of satisfaction. The average female consumer will not fill their Pandora bracelets on the day of purchase; but, rather she will return to a Pandora store to add more ornaments to her bracelet when she has the chance to do so. Well, I think this idea is pure genius… from a marketing perspective of course! This tactic instills an incentive for Pandora bracelet owners to continually return to Pandora stores and spend more money!

If you have some vintage Gucci lying around, then read on! Gucci has teamed up with Christine’s (at Christies.com) to provide the very first Gucci-certified online destination for appraising vintage Gucci items. This will give you the chance to see how much your vintage Gucci is worth.

A team of experts, including Christine’s Specialists and Gucci’s own in-house archivists will assess the item, and Christine’s will then provide an auction estimate for the submissions. Select owners will have the chance to sell their items back to Gucci or in a future Christie’s auction if they wish.

You can go to their website to check it out if you’re interested in getting your vintage Gucci appraised. Let me know how it goes! I can only wish I had some vintage Gucci lying around!

Whats the easiest way to get a great Valentine’s Day Tote? Well buy it of course! Just kidding, Macy’s & Clinique partnered to offer a Gift Tote worth $62 for free! Here’s the catch you have to purchase $30 of Clinique products.

Get free shipping by using coupon code “PRETTY” if you spend over $65 (on Clinique or on any fragrance products, Lancome, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, Dior, Shiseido, or Urban Decay)

Travelling is always an annoying and stressful process. Having to worry about whether you’ve packed enough, to whether your luggage can actually fit everything, luggage is probably one of the main stressful factors of travelling. Besides the packing aspect of it, I always hate tugging my luggage around even if it has wheels because when I pack heavily, I always tend to feel like a little girl pulling on a heavy wagon. Then when it comes time to pick up my luggage from baggage claim, I have to prepare myself, huffing and puffing to pull my luggage off the conveyor belt.

Solution? Samsonite has teamed up with Micro Mobility to create the new Trolley Scooter. This hands free luggage is a scooter with a suitcase in front. I just have so many criticisms for this scooter. It might be fun for kids to glide around the airport, but most adults I know would never ride scooters. Secondly, is the scooter constructed well enough to balance out the weight of the suitcase in front? I tend to pack heavily that my luggage even topples over. And, does it even fit as a carry-on to bring along in the airplane? If not, is it strong enough to withstand being tossed around and crushed with other check-ins? Interesting idea, but it’s just not for me.

I have always enjoyed the simplicity of Ferragamo designs. Now, when designers search for ways to stand out by adding beads, crystals, stones, chains, and more, the team at Ferragamo looks to the basics.

Salvatore Ferragamo Miss Vara Calfskin Hobo is a great day and night piece. It adds a chic look without overdoing it. It has the basic points needed for a great bag look – shape, style, and versatility.

The body is made from calfskin. The simple drawn bow in the front is clasped by a bronze hardware. There are two designs that you can choose from to better suit your needs. The Hobo design also comes into black and tan. The Hobo has dimensions of 18.9”W x 17.3”H x 3.9”D and a 10” drop length. The cross body measures 15.7”W x 11.4”H x 3.1”D with an 8” drop length.

Both can be purchased through Bloomingdales. The Hobo can be purchased for $1,450 and the Crossbody can be purchased for $1,390.

Valentine’s Day is nearly approaching. So, tell your man to skip the chocolates and flowers and instead surprise you with a handbag; a $1600 Valentino Italian Napa Rose Handbag to be more exact.

This bag from Valentino truly looks like a humungous rose bud glued onto the front of an ordinary handbag. It comes in either shiny red or white napa leather. The interior is lined with a black satin and contains one zip pocket and two pouch pockets. Also, one nice thing about this handbag is that is comes with adjustable shoulder straps. Last but not least, this handbag comes with feet on the bottom (used to protect the bottom of the bag).

The name, “Valentino” and the “Valentine” share an extremely close resemblance to one another. I’m curious if Valentino wanted to market this handbag for Valentine’s Da. What do you guys think?

None of Ferragamo’s bags have really caught my eye until I laid my eyes on this beauty. I just think it’s a gorgeous yet elegant bag. It’s called the Gancio Intrec Vitell Tote.

You can either choose it in mercurio silver or black leather (I personally like the silver better than the black). It has braided top handles, and a woven Gancini detail on the front. It measures about 11.5”Hx18.5”Wx5.5”D. It is originally priced at $1,750, but Neiman Marcus has it on sale for $787- that’s almost $1000 off! I’m very tempted to get it!

Should I or shouldn’t I?? That is the question.