August 8, 2007

Varian Degrees of Cool

Michele Varian Bags

Suspenders and cutoffs, fedoras and dreds, PVC leggings and cocaine. Some trends are as out of control as the girls who ignite them.

For an alternative that won’t leave you looking like a toxaholic-cross-dressing trucker, follow the lead of Michele Varian, the downtown designer known for decorative throw pillows and hand-stitched bedding, who just launched a collection of shoulder bags and clutches.

Each purse is a work of art, handcrafted in the back of Varian’s SoHo shop with her signature, hand-cut leather appliques (styled using the same technique as her famed pillows), made of oh-so-smooth leather with silk charmeuse linings.

Varian’s bags nod to contemporary trends without feeling dated. The yellow Winged Clutch takes the avian craze (and Varian’s penchant for birds) to a new level with cream- and pearl-colored feather cutouts, while the metallic Gift Bag (with silver bow) is a clever wink at the excesses of celebrity culture.

But in tasteful fashion.

Available at Michele Varian, 35 Crosby Street, between Broome and Grand Streets (212-343-0033); online at michelevarian.com.