Boston - October 14, 2009

Buy a la Mode

Rennes-le-Château Bags

Single process. Tall black roasted. PB&J sans crust. These days, yours is a pared-down existence.

But seriously, you need to add at least a little fun to your functional. Exhibit A: Rennes-le-Château handbags.

Museum School grad Julia Okun crafts elegant, everyday (and night) choices that forgo of-the-moment curlicues in favor of clean lines and eye-catching shades (ruby red, canary yellow). Borrowing from Japanese and Scandinavian design, the shapes are simple with a slouchy timelessness — an over-the-shoulder bucket; oversize tote; and must-have, fold-over clutch.

Working out of a Beacon Hill co-op, Okan makes the bags with her own little hands from super-soft (and U.S.-sourced) leather. The linings are either linen or canvas. Her one-woman show means that prices stay reasonable. Which means the door is open for multiple purchases.

Sometimes more is more.

Available online at rlchateau.blogspot.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Julia Okun

  Artsy, Handcrafted