Luella may have stopped putting new styles out there (for now), and there's eye-wateringly little left on her sale pages that hasn't sold out. But there's a thriving market for Luella on Ebay, and it's well worth bookmarking the search term if you're hoping to bag a Luella in the near future.
This fabulously hippie-chic looking 'Joni' bag from a previous collection is absolutely ideal for spring/summer '10, with its bohemian looking shape and studded embellishments. At time of writing, it's not had a single bid, which really surprises me and I'm tempted to be the first to name a price! That figure is currently set at £160.
Advert here at Ebay
When someone asked me if I'd 'heard about Luella' yesterday I was initially stumped. The question almost always precedes bad news, and what could possibly be going wrong for Designer of the Year Luella Bartley and her and fashion empire that's currently enjoying huge success among a fiercely loyal army of well-dressed women? It only seems like yesterday that every fashion editor and her intern was fighting her way into the designer's long-awaited sample sale.
But all that is mere nostalgia now that we've heard the Luella label has had to cease trading, and is being called the 'latest fashion casualty of the recession'. The sad news comes as Luella's main investor, VSQ, (which also distributes for Armani) made the decision to cut its backing of the label, simply stating that it can no longer "invest in the relationship". Details of the split will no doubt start to emerge soon, but Bartley has been quick to state that she is considering a number of options to take the label forward. Fingers crossed everybody - this is one designer label that we at the Bag Lady would be devastated to lose.
It seems that feelings are running high elsewhere on web as well, particularly on Twitter where you can now affix a 'save Luella' banner to your avatar. Details on how to do it are here if you want to show your support!
I'm still gutted that I missed the near-legendary Luella sample sale last month, but that doesn't stop me keeping my eyes peeled for a bargain from the wonderful, whimsical designer.
Bags still seem to be at a premium just now (boo hoo!) but if you still haven't found a pair of shades to see you to the end of summer, there's a great deal on Luella sunglasses at the Outnet. These yummy cream retro-style shades are 60% off, bringing their price down to just £58. Bag some here before the sun comes out again!
Related: What we bought in the Luella sample sale | Luella Peony patent leather clutch
I told you last week about the Luella sample sale happening in London - and that CQ ed Isabelle had come back to office with quite a haul, prompting my own (successful) visit the following day. It seems only right to share our goodies with other bag loving peeps, so here is our stash!
The cream slouchy bag (top left) and cute mandarin grab bag (bottom) are Iso's finds (so jealous she spotted that cream bag before I did!) and the peachy pink chain bag (top right) drew me to it instantly. What do you think? If you managed to get yourself a bargain at the same sample sale, then please share with the class! Send me your pics so we can all appreciate some fab bags together.
You might think that I'm mean for only just bringing you the news of a London Luella sample sale at 4pm on the day of the sale... But don't worry, you haven't missed your chance as it isn't just going until 8pm tonight - they've also extended it by a day and will be open tomorrow from 12pm-7pm!
With most bags priced around £50/£75/£100 and new accessories being brought out all the time, all it took was Catwalk Queen ed Isabelle to come back from the press preview last night with two bags and some crazy-but-cool-sounding jodhpurs, and I just had to check it out for myself today. Word has got out they have a new delivery happening tomorrow morning, so make sure you get there early to stake a good place in the queue - and bring a bottle of water too, as it's hot thirsty work waiting around in the sun. The things we do for bags, eh?!
I've made no secret of the fact that I am a 20-something grown woman who absolutely adores pink. Pink bags, pink nails and pink pashminas - I have it all (though, not all at once, I'll have you know!) I also love watermelon, use a pink polka dot mug for my tea every morning and have a bit of a soft spot for flamingos...
They're so weird-looking, yet beautiful, and I have managed to get just an eency bit excited about them ever since I saw them roaming the grounds of the Hilton Waikiki hotel a number of years ago.
Which is why this cute bag charm by Luella would sit nicely amongst my pink collection - as a reminder of one of my favourite animals and of a fantastic holiday. It's £55 from Urban Outfitters.
Related: Pink Poodle bag charm | Make your own phone or bag charm
Yes, thanks to my total adoration of all things Gavin & Stacey, I've added James Corden - or rather his character, Smithy - to my list of guilty crushes (which is, frankly, longer than my list of guilt-free crushes: Hugh Jackman).
And here we have Luella's 'Smithy' bag to keep up occupied until the third series of Gavin & Stracey, which won't be along for ages yet. Of course, if it was a real tribute to Smithy then it would be filled with chips. And then I'd love it even more. It costs £1,195 from Net-a-Porter.
Related: Luella doctor bags | Cracked leather Luella bag | Luella 'Agnes' patent bag from Net-a-Porter
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