Jenna Lyons, President and Creative Director of J.Crew, the brand adored by khaki-clad, sweater-rocking, peacoat-hoarding preppies everywhere, has been striving to expand the company's reach without compromising its traditionalist, collegiate, bourgeois-centric DNA. To accomplish this feat, J.Crew has spent most of 2011 rolling out one collaborative collection after the next — from a capsule collection with vintage-influenced jewelry line Lulu Frost to a series of sneakers designed alongside athletic footwear brand New Balance, an apparel collection masterminded by runway designer Prabal Gurung (whose ombre fur coats are among the Fall 2011 season's highlights) and, most recently, a handbag selection designed by Fiona Kotur of New York-based luxury handbag company Kotur.
The Kotur for J. Crew collection captures the Old World glamour and exotic elegance of Kotur's minaudieres and clutches, which marry retro box and envelope shapes with rich animal skins, Swarovski crystals, mirrored metallic details, and dainty chain straps.
Take, for example, the Kotur for J.Crew Colony Clutch ($425 at JCrew.com), pictured third and fourth from top, a boxy, envelope-shaped clutch with ivory leather panels and tonal stitching strategically placed to create the illusion of three same-sized sections. Measuring 3 2/5" in height, 7" in width, and 1 1/2" in depth, the hinged Colony Clutch features a mirrored yellow gold frame, a dainty tuck-away gold chain strap, a nostalgic pillbox closure at the top and center, and a white silk lining.
The Kotur for J.Crew Union Clutch ($425 for JCrew.com), pictured first and second above, has a slightly longer, sleeker, slimmer silhouette, measuring 3 4/5" in height, 7 3/10" in width, and 1" in depth.Made of a purplish brown rum raisin snakeskin material, the Union Clutch also features a mirrored gold-toned frame but, in this design, the sides aren't as rounded and Art Deco-influenced but, rather, exhibit clean and minimalist lines. As with the Colony Clutch, the Union's rectangular pillbox closure is adorned with an Imperial topaz-like stone featuring pyramid-style faceting.
Yes, ladies, J.Crew has gone into hot Kotur territory!
