Celebrity Style: Celebs ♥ Nina Ricci 'Ondine' Bags

Did you know Nina Ricci is going full steam ahead with a luxury designer handbag collection? Probably not. If you're a celebrity, however, you're more than acquainted with the once-again fashionable label and its latest accessories endeavor. In the past few weeks, celebs like Rihanna and Uma Thurman have been spotted carrying bags from the Nina Ricci Fall 2009 collection. The 'Ondine' line wasn't even available on-line until a couple of bags popped up on the BarneysNY website today. How quinccidental... (yeah, right!)


Rihanna is sporting the more dressy of the two selections on BarneysNY.com. The Ondine Pony Hair Bag ($2800) is a Chanel-esque shoulder bag with a braided leather/chain strap and pony hair exterior. The twisted leather trim and crown-like logo are interesting and well executed, but I have to say I'm not exactly feeling these Nina Ricci bags. Maybe its the ribbon detailing emanating from the logo or the entire logo itself. I can't quite place my finger on what irks me about them, but they do irk me. Their price tags are getting on my nerves too. Charging close to $3K for bags that are untested in terms of relevance and durability in the designer handbag market seems incredibly steep to me as I'm certain it will to most of you.

Uma Thurman went for the more relaxed messenger-style Ondine Besace Bag ($2750). This style has a more rounded shape than Rihanna's formal design and is crafted from calfskin leather. It has a 19" flat, leather shoulder strap with chain ends as well as added detailing in the form of raised seams on the front flap that mimic the logo itself. It's a better design than the pony hair bag, but will appeal less to Nina Ricci's core clientèle. I can see how Uma became a fan, but Rihanna? That's still confusing to me. I think she's confused as well. She can't decide between her Nina Ricci bag and her Alexander Wang Donna Hobo (yep, she's carrying that one in the pic as well). Now there's a fashion contradiction if I ever saw one.


I'm certain more bags from Nina Ricci's 'Ondine' collection will continue to make their way onto the web including sleeker evening bags and a rather posh looking hobo. Until then, ladies, you'll just have to make due with these two celeb favorites.

Rihanna photo: RihannaDaily.com
Uma Thurman photo: People.com