I had to pinch myself and count my lucky stars a few weeks ago when I was invited to have breakfast at Tiffany & Co. The jeweler held an intimate event at their Fifth Avenue New York City flagship for about a dozen bloggers and online editors to nosh and chat before checking out the Tiffany holiday windows, the in-store displays, and new and classic pieces from various Tiffany collections.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the new handbags, which Tiffany & Co. launched for the first time ever this past September under the collection name Tiffany Leather Goods. The design of the handbags is being overseen by the talented Richard Lambertson and John Truex of the now shuttered Lambertson Truex, so it’s little surprise that the handbags are living up to the Tiffany name. What I was surprised by, however, was that there were some alluring handbag options under $500 – something that’s becoming increasingly hard to find, even at mega department stores. Unfortunately, it was the exotic skin bags, like the Tiffany Avenue Shopper Tote, that I left the event coveting the most. Priced at $4,500, the bag comes in Tiffany’s signature blue (along with other select colors), and is fashioned out of glazed crocodile with palladium-plated solid brass hardware.
Not luxe enough? The Laurelton Top Handle Bag is a framed glazed crocodile beauty with 24k gold-plated solid brass hardware and a not-too-shabby $16,500 price tag. Seems like Tiffany is certainly giving Devi Kroell, Carlos Falchi, and Nancy Gonzalez some reasons to worry.
Aside from the daytime exotics, there are a handful of evening bags in the collection that draw inspiration from – fittingly enough – jewelry. The Camille Clutch, for example, comes topped with a crystal bow brooch, and many of the styles feature a twist-lock clasp inspired by Tiffany’s six-prong engagement ring setting.
Speaking of engagement rings, a $600,000-plus stunner was on display. I wouldn’t try it on for fear of jinxing myself, but trust that it was blindingly gorgeous. While you can shop for pretty much everything and anything on Tiffany’s comprehensive e-commerce site, you can only browse their engagement rings (listed with prices and the design and stone information. There is also a helpful “ring finder”). I was told by one of the Tiffany reps that this is because they feel that with something as personal as an engagement ring, it’s important to actually see the ring, even if it’s only for a second, before buying it. I couldn’t agree more.
