Joy Gryson has released her new line of evening purses just in time for holiday parties. The Capsule by Joy Gryson range combines classic silhouettes with exotic materials and semi-precious stones.

Gryson's taken the path less traveled and passed over familiar exotic skins for shark, stingray, and wooly astrakhan and karakul pelts. The unusual materials are married with frames crafted from ebony wood, rhodoid, and metal. Semi-precious stone clasps made of opal and mother-of-pearl complete the elegant purses. The Capsule line features two distinctive evening bag silhouettes and an earthy, on trend color palette.

I really like the traditional clutch purses at the bottom of the image, but I also find myself drawn to the evening purses above. Clutches are everywhere, so it's exciting to find an after-five  accessory with a different shape and style.

Gryson said she created the collection as an alternative to the "pristine stuffy stuff" so prevalent in the luxury sector. The range features the kind of purses you'd probably carry on a dinner date or a night at the theater, although I imagine they'd work just as well on the red carpet.

They are expensive though, although I wouldn't call them exorbitant for bags made with such opulent materials. You'll find the Capsule by Joy Gryson collection priced from $850 to $2,700 at selected boutiques.

[Source: The Bag Snob]

Joy Gryson Clutch Bags on eBay

Authentic Olivia Harris by Joy Gryson Corset Clutch US $129.99   Auction Ends: 17d 18h 15m Make it yours...

OLIVIA HARRIS Joy Gryson QUILTED SUMMER II CLUTCH Purse CREAM NWT Sold Out US $203.99   Auction Ends: 14d 13h 56m Make it yours...

In 2006 Joy Gryson gave us her signature line, Gryson. In 2008 she served up more affordable, youthful accessories with Olivia Harris, a collection named for her daughter. And now, as we're emerging from the global financial crisis, Joy Gryson is offering opulence with her 2011 collection, Capsule by Joy Gryson.

These purses are seriously luxurious, made with exotic skins including shark, stingray, and python, and furs such as Mongolian lamb, astrakham, and Karakul wool. Something tells me Joy Gryson won't please PETA with the line, but if you can put aside the animal cruelty aspect it's easy to appreciate the range's rich good looks.

There are eight different evening bags in all in two different shapes. Choose from the structured box clutches with removable chain straps, or more traditional teardrop shapes. The purses are embellished with polished pyrite, distressed metallic foil, iron's eye stones, and ebony trim.

There are so many affordable diffusion lines flooding the market at the moment, so I'm thrilled to see Joy Gryson going in a completely different direction. I may not be able to afford the prices she's commanding, but I'll have a lot of fun drooling over those purses! Look for Joy Gryson's Capsule collection in stores this fall.

[Source: Bag Bliss]

Joy Gryson Bags on eBay

$575 OLIVIA HARRIS Collar Stud Messenger Bag NWT by Joy Gryson Anthropologie US $319.99   Auction Ends: 27d 11h 9m Make it yours...

OLIVIA HARRIS JOY GRYSON BLACK WASHED LEATHER HARNESS TOTE BACKPACK BAG NWT $625 US $311.84   Auction Ends: 24d 15h 22m Make it yours...

Little Olivia seems like the perfect namesake for the brand given her own keen fashion sense.

"She's really, really funny. Whenever we see someone walking in the street with one of the bags, she gets too excited," explained the New York designer. "She loves the little charm and the tag."

Showing you're never too young to carry a designer purse, Olivia enjoys carrying a one-of-a-kind creation made lovingly by her mother. Her pink leopard cross-body hobo covered in hammered rivets doesn't sound like the most tasteful creation around, but that just makes it perfect for a mini fashionista. While Olivia would love to take it to her first-grade class, her mother insists it's for weekend use only.

While fashion fans can't get Olivia's beloved bag, others like it are available in the Olivia Harris collection.

"We're all about downtown," explained Joy Gryson. "If the Gryson girl is TriBeCa, the Olivia Harris girl is her younger, cooler, rock ’n’ roll baby sister from Brooklyn or the LES."

The Olivia Harris handbags start from $155, and range up to $495. You can find them at Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue.

[Source: NY Post]
[Image Source: Bergdorf Goodman]

Olivia Harris Bags on eBay

Olivia Harris Crocodile Embossed Satchel US $399.00   Auction Ends: 29d 11h 34m Make it yours...

Olivia Harris by Joy Gryson Tan Handbag US $99.00   Auction Ends: 14h 7m Make it yours...

World Class Level 4 Activity Book Date Olivia Harris Michael Mower David US $25.17   Auction Ends: 29d 12h 31m Make it yours...

This one-time director of design for Marc Jacobs Handbag and Accessories started her own collection of leather handbags and shoes back in the fall of 2006. With her own unique urban styling of high-quality Italian leather, Gryson is one brand I'll be keeping in mind from now on.

Well, now this Korean-born, New York-raised designer is teaming up with established European luxury brand MCM, a company that has recently been working to make a comeback in the fashion world. The collaboration brings together Gryson's edgy, downtown style with MCM's longstanding reputation.

The advertising campaign stars new favorite in the industry, Coco Rocha. Sporting her recent hair color change from red to "almost black", the Rocha models the contemporary handbags with perfect panache in a photo shoot styled by Kathryn Neale Shaffer.

The Joy Gryson for MCM collection of bags will hit Saks and MCM boutiques at the end of the month.

[Source: Fashionista]

MCM Handbags on eBay

MCM Germany Mini Handbag Camel Authentic7590 US $99.98   Auction Ends: 3h 12m Make it yours...

MUNCHEN MCM PURSE HANDBAG BLACK SMALL FREE SHIPPING 23924 MONOGRAM US $125.95   Auction Ends: 9h 34m Make it yours...

VINTAGE MCM MUNCHEN MUNICH AUTHENTIC COGNAC SIGNATURE DRAWSTRING HANDBAG CLEAN US $108.40   5 Bids Auction Ends: 9h 46m Make it yours...