Every fall there is a new “it” bag that every starlet will be sporting around Los Angeles and purses accented with fringe are being spotted throughout Tinselttown. This season, the bag du jour that trendsetters and fashionistas will have slung over their Pilates-toned shoulders is none other than the Tiva Bag by hot up-and-coming purse designer Lesa Wallace. Lesa’s sleek new design is a little bit boho and a whole lot of fabulous.
The supple leather that is the signature element of each of Lesa’s gorgeous bags, especially the Teva, is the perfect accent to your favorite new fall fashions. I am the proud owner of the Tiva in black, but it also comes in a light brown that makes a fantastic day bag.
But, the real story here is not the Teva bag itself (though, I am majorly obsessed with its subtle stitch work and long edgy fringe), but the designer herself. Since 2003, she has been producing bags that are teeter on the side of rockstar-chic, but still are functional, beautiful and feminine. A rare fete. Every bag, from clutch, to messenger, shoulder strap to tote, synergistically blends classic trends with a funky edge that is unique to her customer; a cosmopolitan woman who wants a sexy bag without paying outrageous prices to get the season’s must-have trend.
I will admit, I love me some Italian leather, but Lesa gets it right in a way that many new purse designers don’t. She chooses leather that is soft, but still firm and doesn’t loose its shape as some bags around the size of the Tiva can. Additionally, she creates purses in a beautiful array of hues that accentuate the beautiful leather that she uses. As Lesa says, each bag can be a “new classic” for today’s woman. She is right, they are classically elegant, without being stogy.
One of the many things that I love about Lesa Wallace is that she only produces limited runs of her bags, ensuring that none of them are ever over-played, but still high in demand. Now in its ninth season, I am thrilled that the line is available in more and more stores.
I may not know where this season will take me, but I do know that wherever this purse lover may go this fall, her Tiva will be with her.
