Rando Report: Eckhaus Latta Has the Sexiest Bag, Polly Mellen’s Bag Was Also Genius, and More
A clip resurfaces of Björk in Batsheva flipping off the camera.
The Rando Report is a weekly roundup of observations…some longer than others.
Eckhaus Latta’s First Bag Is Sexy
A hot new bag has entered the universe: Eckhaus Latta’s The Snap. The bag, a real schlepper, is shaped like a massive kidney bean. There are little metal snaps that line the strap and inner curve, all engraved with “Eckhaus Latta.” The bag, which retails for $650, comes in verdant army green, burnt sienna, chocolate, and black. Even in the photo, the leather appears succulent and juicy, complete with a fresh sheen. You want to take a bite out of the bag. Maybe shove your face into it and take the deepest breath, like you’re a pervert inhaling someone’s worn panties. The bag is that good.
Or is the bag good because I love the campaign so much? The visuals are strong. The bulk of the campaign is shot on a white seamless that features a hand in a brutal black leather glove that holds the bag three different ways. First, the hand models the burnt sienna bag like a lady; the hand is raised in an old-school Dorian Leigh pose with the fingers lightly holding the strap. Light as air! The brown bag is held upside down, a smart reminder that a zipper is on the inside. Finally, there’s a brutal grasp where the hand grips the green and black bag’s strap. The hand squeezes it. Strangles the bag shut. It’s almost like the bag is gasping for its last breath.
The campaign is reminiscent of accessory ads when visuals were product-first. Bottega Veneta used to have ads like this that began in the late ‘70s, but their accessory ads in the mid-’90s and early ‘00s were the most sultry of the bunch. Think: sexy shots of croc-embossed bags, reptile bags, and their famous Intrecciato bags. (In the mid-’90s releases, a black glove makes a cameo, too!) Each shot soaks up the flash like it is starving for light. The best visual was the undone Intrecciato leather straps arranged in a styled pile.
The bag-forward visual is a signifier that spells the brand message out simply and succinctly: Our product is strong, quality, and can stand on its own. There’s no need for a celebrity or any other frills. This is what you get, and it’s good.
Polly Mellen Passed Away–and I Love What Was In Her Bag
Polly Mellen, longtime editor, passed away yesterday at 100. What a life! Harper’s Bazaar. Vogue. She was also in Unzipped and Catwalk. I’ll leave the obituary to my former colleague Laird Borrelli-Persson, the Senior Archive Editor at Vogue.
Mellen’s bag was featured in the Kate Spade book Contents from 2000, which I wrote about a few months back. Mellen’s bag innards were a delightful mix of luxe and personal. Some of the items included: y.s.l. nail polish (color not listed; a gift from her parisian driver, who is also the driver for metallica), dark yellow alain mikli drawstring pouch (cellular phone holder), white crumpled tissue (has had allergies since she was a child), louis vuitton agenda, black leather address book with taped binding (her most important possession), black leather t. anthony ltd. photo holder with “pam” monogram on the front cover: photos of her four children, grandson, and three grandaughters, and ornado pills (for hay fever)1. Full list here.
I had lunch with a designer today who said Mellen had an infectious positivity. I believe it! Her bag is a tender and touching illustration of a woman who lives and loves life in style. That’s evident by the natural high-low, designer-personal items of what’s inside of her bag. And I especially love the white crumpled tissue. Keep in mind, this project was before the hyper-curation era of social media. I doubt anyone would have a crumpled tissue in their bag these days. And even if they did, I’d think of it as some twisted ploy to mimic intimacy. Anyway, long live Mellen and her bag’s conents.
Taylor McNeill Is the Stylist Behind Timothée Chalamet
Taylor McNeill has long been styling Kendrick Lamar. Now, she’s added Timothée Chalamet to her roster. I love the personal touches and small designers McNeill styles her clients in. Recently, Chalamet made Instagram rounds in a hot pink Martine Rose coat, along with a black hoodie, which he wore to go on air and predict college football wins. (I know nothing about this world). That’s great—and makes a nice internet oomph and is a nod to an independent designer, but McNeill also knows how to tell a story when she styles. This past week, she placed Timmy in a custom-made Chloé jacket in blueberry suede for the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown screening a MOMA. In the next slide, McNeil posted a photo of a rail-thin Dylan in a similar jacket. That’s a nice reference!
There is also McNeill’s longtime work with Lamar. On his new GNX album cover from late November, Lamar wore a hulking belt buckle by Eli Russell Linnetz of ERL. Linnetz made the championship-style belt from vintage pins that he sourced from Lamar’s hometown of Los Angeles. (There’s a little puppy holding a heart in there, too!) You can read Eileen Carter’s article on the belt for GQ.
I like a bit of sentimentality with celebrity dressing, whether by way of a stylist or self-styled. The personal wink removes a little bit of that untouchability that is both megawatt and sterile. More of it!
Björk Once Flipped Off the Camera In Batsheva
I recently launched NEVERWORNS Live! Shopping (NLS) with an inaugural episode with Batsheva Hay of Batsheva. It’s a series where you can buy what you see in real-time. You can also call in and ask questions. We had a caller buzz in with a styling question about her jersey dress! Another fun addition? We had a sax player. He’s cute.
There are some gems in the video. On the live, Batsheva revealed that she personally dropped off a PVC black dress from spring 2020 at Björk’s apartment. Hot! Later, at a subway stop, Björk was filmed viciously flipping off a camera in that same dress. (Was it West 4th?) Why even ask for press?! This is what the people want.
More Batsheva things:
Batsheva’s famous HAG sweater, which debuted in her fall 2024 show, in which she cast only women 40 and older, was made by a Ukrainian woman, Sabina, who lives in Paris. Batsheva received the sweater right before the show started. “I just like the word,” she told me. Bold!
As for those Batsheva Law hoodies? Those puppies are collectibles! I remember the show in a New York Law School auditorium in 2019. I was seated in one of the last rows, so there were no hoodies for moi. Now, they are going for a nice $80. Warning: Your IQ will jump upon wearing it!
Fun fact: Batsheva was originally a litigator who went to Georgetown University. There’s a past here! Her designs aren’t simply willy-nilly. They tell a story!
NEVERWORNS: Marketplace
As mentioned, I’m introducing a new listing component to the once-a-week Rando Report for paying subscribers who want to list one GREAT item they want to part with. Here’s a copy of the Kate Spade Contents (2000) book for $450. Edition #014!
Watch NEVERWORNS here
As I relook at the captions of Kate Spade’s Contents, I see that all the words are not capitalized. This move plays into how the book's creators wanted to drive home the democratic message that “every woman” has contents in her bag.
Love this eckhaus bag 🥵
ugh that bag is SO GOOD! but yes, agreed, the images help tell the sexy story! The images also remind me of the Giallo genre of 70s Italian films where the killers often wear leather gloves and leather trenches....I watched the movie Deep Red this year and went to a Giallo themed Halloween party dressed as the killer. I could have used this bag that night!
Thank you for sharing the Polly Mellon Contents pages! Fussy, Finished! Forever <3
I was on the design team at KSNY and their brand identity is no capitalized letters- ever. :) which I loved.