Those ‘70s Bags Are Back in LeStyle, With a New Range of Looks
Forget the Louis Vuitton graffiti bag. The LeSportsac is more apropos to the times. The thoroughly practical, 1970s-era fold-in-a-pouch nylon bags are having a second fashion moment. In the past month, new stores have opened in the Beverly Center and on Madison Avenue in New York City, offering updated shapes in a myriad of fresh prints including a “Moulin Rose” floral, a sequined leopard and a kiltie plaid.
Mary J. Blige, Kate Hudson, Drew Barrymore and Catherine Zeta-Jones are just a few of the famous converts to the lightweight bags which, at $55 for a tote, are recession-friendly.
The most coveted styles seem to be from the limited-edition “Le Cute” series created by potter-interior designer Jonathan Adler. His print features Frenglish phrases such as LeChic, LeFoxy and LeTasty repeated horizontally across the bags. A new guest designer print will be introduced each season.
LeSportsac has also hopped on the customization bandwagon, with a made-to-order travel collection. Customers can choose from 15 fabrications and eight trims for pullmans, garment bags, shave kits and other styles.
The company was started in 1974 by Sandra and Melvin Schifter, two avid travelers from New York City.
“Back then, Americans weren’t known for well-designed products, so everything chic was French. Le Car, le yogurt, le anything was popular,” said LeSportsac chief executive Timothy Schifter, son of the founders.
LeSportsac’s sales gained steadily over the years, but lately they have skyrocketed thanks to younger customers. Some are even collecting vintage LeSportsacs, he said. “LeSportsac is a very democratic brand. And in times like these, that’s a great position to be in.”
It just got a whole lot easier to shop downtown L.A.’s 82-block Fashion District. This week, the district’s Web site launched a new feature that allows visitors to search for specific items such as jeans, beads or handbags in more than 1,400 stores.
Each listing indicates whether the store sells retail, wholesale or both, and also gives a block number that corresponds to the Fashion District’s free maps. The directory and the maps are available at www.fashiondistrict.org.
After designer hand weights, designer condom cases and designer inner tubes, what’s next? Designer breakfast cereal.
Cynthia Rowley has created special boxes of Kellogg’s Special K. No, she hasn’t got a new gig; it’s a charity project.
All proceeds from the $10 boxes (flakes included), on sale at her self-titled Robertson Boulevard boutique only, will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Dominatrixes rejoice! Sarah Blakely, who got mucho press last fall for developing Spanx footless body-shaping pantyhose, has now come up with a forgiving fishnet.
Spanx control-top fishnet stockings ($26) have a body shaper on top so women can say bye-bye to grid thighs, grid tummy and, well, grid everything else. Available in nude and black at www.spanx.com or by calling (877) 99-SPANX.
Whoever said fashionistas don’t read?
Los Angeles handbag designer Sarah Shaw has introduced a “literary handbag” promotion. Customers who purchase a yellow striped handbag in any shape from Shaw’s resort collection will get an autographed hardback copy of Jonathan Harris’ new thriller “Seizing Amber” tucked inside.
“I like to think of the people who wear my bags as big readers,” said Shaw, who is planning new book ‘n’ bag combos every month or so. Info: www.shopsarahshaw.com.
