Just like the rest of Hedi Slimane’s runway collections, Saint Laurent’s runway bags tend to inspire both irritation and buying frenzies in fashion watchers. The man has a unique talent for creating strong opinions and for moving product, and the Saint Laurent Studded Minaudiere is the latest bag from the brand that is likely to do both. It’s straight off the catwalk, after all, and that always makes a product particularly intoxicating to a brand’s most ardent fans. Is this little clutch’s magic working on you?
As has been the case with many of Saint Laurent’s bags, my answer is, “not really.” Slimane has gotten close to potential bag magic several times in his short tenure with the brand, and although he’s hit paydirt with shoes several times, the bags aren’t quite there yet. There’s nothing wrong with this little clutch; it’s a perfectly adorable, slightly grunge-y take on an old-school luxury shape, which has become something of a calling card for the brand under Slimane. I simply wish the bag found a way to go a bit further, to feel a little bit more special. If the top was capped with a smooth silver plate, perhaps. For me, it’s that one more detail that’s usually missing from Saint Laurent’s bags, and Hedi will likely make it over the edge in the near future.
What about you? Would you consider this bag a viable alternative to your favorite night-out clutch? If so, pick it up through Neiman Marcus for $2,890. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the price…)