ALVITRE handbags

[jun3machina]

i would really love to know what you ladies think of these bags

 

[jun3machina]

ALVITRE medim satchel. distressed goatskin and lambskin. brass hardware, floral cotton print lining.

 

[jun3machina]

ALVITRE "marielle" clutch. lamskin with python trim and alcantra lining.

 

[jun3machina]

ALVITRE shopper satchel. python with lambskin trim, brass hardware, lambsuede lining.

 

[spiralsnowman]

LOVE!!! They look so well made, and the flap front is very unique. And this is coming from someone w/ a serious snake-phobia

 

[leyla m.]

they are okay but to be perfectly honest the buyer instinct in me is coming out and i have to say the label and the name is not appealing imo..
this along with the thin leather straps are putting me off a little

 

[jun3machina]

would you prefer thicker straps leyla m.? and what about the name is off-putting, is it just the way it is placed on the tag (i.e. font, color choice, word itself) or something else entirely?

 

[kisa]

Jun, I want to give you objective opinions as a buyer of handbags, so I am going to try to be very honest! Please don't take anything personally!
NAME: I like the name, I like the all caps on the label, and the extended I, I don't know how you would print that inside the bags though. (If you're doing that) and I think in like typing (on the forum, or maybe if these bags were listed by designer on a online store or something) I would drop the all caps and just call it Alvitre. Seeing allcaps in regular typing makes me angry from years of internet use!
Medium satchel:
PROS:
I think this is your best bag, it's the only bag I have ever seen in this kind of leather.
The braided handle looks really nice!
The leather laces coming off add something to the look of this bag. (imo)
CHANGES I WOULD MAKE:
As I buyer I notice that the hardware doesn't seem to match, the rivets seem to be a cool sort of brassy colour, and the little feet on the bottom of the bag seem to be a warm brassy colour.
The ends of the little leather laces look unfinished to me, I would probably knot them at the end or something, but that could obviously be left to the discretion of the buyer.
I'm not a fan of the overlay on the flap, I would prefer it to be inlaid, or maybe have a stitch going around the outside of it. It looks like it might be glued on or something this way, and that would put me off if I was thinking of buying it.
Clutch:
PROS:
Although this bag isn't really my style, I like the design of this bag, and I like the slouchiness.
CHANGES I WOULD MAKE:
I would prefer that the leather be a darker brown to tie in better with the dark brown in the python
I might like this better in a more pebbly leather since it's so slouchy.
Shopper:
PROS:
I like the shape of this bag, the contrast braided handle, I really like this bag!
The stitching and hardware on the straps going up the bag look really good.
CHANGES I WOULD MAKE:
Again the feet don't look like they match the hardware on the rest of the bag.
Again would prefer the overlay on the flap to be inlaid. (Can't actually tell if it's overlaid or inlaid on this bag so sorry if I'm wrong here )

Ok so! Those are just my opinions please feel free to disregard them! I am really impressed with your bags, and amazed that you actually made them because they look really professional to me! The "changes I would make" are really just personal preferences, so please feel free to disregard them!

 

[evae]

maybe it sounds odd, but they look too aggressive for me

 

[jun3machina]

kisa~ i have to say that's the BEST feedback i've gotten yet. i prefer harsh criticism, and dont worry as i take none of it personally. i put this up in the handbag thread after i had finished up everything, to see what everyone thought. i didn't want to mention i made them, just to see what people who hadn't seen the other thread thought. you brought up some very good points!

the flap part is laid on top and stitched down, with the exception of the clutch. i haven't yet figured out how to print onto the leather, as i wanted to have an interior tag and was debating whether or not to put a someewhat discreet one on the outside. i had also thought about putting gold filigree beads at the ends of the leather straps but haven't been able to find the right size yet.

as far as the hardware goes, i had to order from different sources, and one places "brass" looks like another companies "gold" so that was a bit of an issue that was out of my hands. although i did wonder about chloe bags as i know she uses gold and silver hardware together on the same bag.

good to know your opinions on the font/caps thing too. i questioned the font but not the fact they were all in caps and that might bother someone. but thats a good point!!

i've never done any of this before, so i sorta put myself into a crash course to get all of this done, with practically no experience. but i cant stress how much i appreciate honest opinions, and well thought out ones at that, from members on here. so thank you SO SO SO MUCH!!!

karma for you and a big ole' hug!

 

[nextnewface]

You made those? I think you're my new hero!!!!!

I love love LOVE the bags!!!! The shopper is my absolute favourite It's SO me Honestly I really like them a lot (and I'm not huge on snake usually ), except maybe the clutch I like a little less because I'm SO NOT a clutch person lol! But they're uber fantastic!!!

Where did Alvitre come from? does it mean anything?
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[leyla m.]

would you prefer thicker straps leyla m.? and what about the name is off-putting, is it just the way it is placed on the tag (i.e. font, color choice, word itself) or something else entirely?

sorry about my very short criticism, kisa has said it so nicely and i wish i had more time to elaborate.. i sort of agree with her.
what i would change (if the name has to stay the same) then it would be the font and make it all in small caps. also would i change the colour of the label to a very neat, chic, all black on black label... sort of emboss the name on glossy on matte background.maybe also find a different way to attch the label? leather threads??
depending on the price range and your product placement, the label is everything. maybe kisa can relate that a buyer who already buys a mix of brands will always look out for brands that will fit in nicely with their existing mix.. i personally have to find the label very unique

as for the straps, i would put thicker straps simply because they will make the bag look richer and when python is used amongst other materials it will give it that little extra to complement the bag.

i like the first one in shape best: great work though. would love to make my own bags too

 

[cloud9]

I really like the braided handles and the W shaped front flap.

I dont like-

Thin leather straps on the sides. i'd get rid of it.

I also think the front flap should be sewen together. It does look like the leathers are glued together.

The shape of the clutch.
It's too square for my taste.
A rectangular shape with wider/shorter W flap would be nice, imo. Also include a detachable shoulder strap..

The label.
Same color embossed label sounds good, doesnt have to be black, but would prefer something dark. brown, dark green, burgundy maybe?
Use small caps change the font to something wider than the one you used..


this is about it... i'm giving you criticism because you asked for it..
but seriously... you are so talented!!!!!

 

[jun3machina]

leyla~ very good points and thank you for coming back and elaborating. i did do the tag a bit last minute (as i had to present these this week, so i need everything together) but the point you make about the tag is very good, and i think i change it. i thought personally, that because it was a bit bold, that it slightly took attention away from the bag, since they are done in rich earthtones and the tag is like BAM black and white....

as far as the straps go, they are rather large bags, the goatskin and python are roughly 18" x 16" and the strap on the python are about 2" wide. i think any bigger and they wouldn't stay on the shoulder, but i do agree they would be more impactful visually. the goat skin bag has the exact same pattern work for the handle, but it was done out of a very lightweight lambskin, and the python straps were done out of a thick lambskin, so you can see that alone made a huge difference...

i'd like to keep the name, it's my last name and i think is french and means "of the glass" or thereabouts.....and i find it interesting.....

cloud9~ thank you for the critique as well! those side straps actually do serve a purpose, as they are like drawstrings and create both the rouching and make the bag exspandable.....so they serve as a design function.

thank you for those critique girls! i really really appreciet them, and please keep them coming as they are INVALUABLE to me and this whole project!!!

 

[ibimus]

Lovely bags!

However, the thin leather strings do look unfinished at the ends. Maybe add little end caps in matching hardware, or knots, or something.
I do like that they are functional.

I do like the name, but printing on the bag would be easier done in all lowercase.

As said before, the hardware does not match, and it doesnt quite work. Too much of an extreme between warm and cool colours.

Maybe it's just because it's all slouched down, but the flap on the clutch looks off-centre.

 

[jun3machina]

ibimus~ good point about the hardware and adding end caps!! i never thought of the warm/cool color factor, but you're definately spot on! thank you for taking the time to give me your opinion

 

[Meg]

I was thinking about the tags last night because I agree with the other criticisms of it and I think what would look really nice is if you had a rich cocoa brown tag (printed on a sort of thick cardboard like paper. very matte - not glossy) with a sort of embossed punched gold (also matte) letters. Would really look good in my opinon.

 

[nextnewface]

^ Yes!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSS that sounds absolutely marvelous!!!
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[jun3machina]

thanks meg! that sounds more along my lines than the black on black (which i think would like nice as well, but doesn't seem to fit the mood of the bags quite as nicely.)

i actually had some cardstock that was a medium taupish brown color, kinda cardboardy, but not quite that i did other tags in to turn in with the project....i thought they looked much better, but i would have to see how to go about printing gold letters.....would look nice though

 

[cloud9]

oh the expandable bag sounds so cool... okay, then definitely keep the strings
i think Meg's idea of dark brown tag with gold sounds really good. it goes with your bags...