Nancy Gonzalez metallic Crocodile Tote, $4000 via Net-a-Porter
As you guys are typically quick to note, I’m usually the last person to say, “Hey, doesn’t this bag look like the design was lifted entirely from that bag?” Let’s face it, there are only so many shapes, sizes, leathers, handles and pocket configurations out there, and it’s boring to make de facto rules about who can and cannot use quilted leather and chain straps.
That being said, I took one look at the Nancy Gonzalez metallic Crocodile Tote, and all I could think was “Celine Luggage Tote.” I even set aside the product page for a few days so that I could think about it, and the must-have Celine bag is still all I see when I look at this tote. Nancy Gonzalez normally does a terrific job of doing her own thing with little regard for passing trends or ideas, but this bag seems like a rather egregious example of the exact opposite.
There are a couple key pieces of the Celine bag that make it so recognizable: The north-south proportion, the jutting gussets, the front pocket and the bordered front panel. Thankfully, this bag doesn’t reproduce the thick, curvy piping that you find on the most sought-after luggage totes, but some models lack that in favor of straight border panels, which is what you have here. You also have all of the other recognizable feature, even though the pocket has a flap instead of a zipper and the handles are flat instead of rolled. What this bag does lack, though, is Celine’s casual, new-modern French elegance. That’s much harder to reproduce, unfortunately. buy through Net-a-Porter for $4000.