House of Fraser S/S 16 Campaign Part II

Home to over 600 unique bag designers House of Fraser carefully treads the line between a homage to ‘traditional luxury’ and ‘high street brights’. Infusing its know how approach to curating designer collections and its surprise cult high street buys why shop bags anywhere else? With prices starting from as little as £9.50 and reaching a premium price of £950 on handbags, totes and pouchettes  House of Fraser has a bag for any occasion or budget. Whether you are looking for bold arm candy that creates splashes of colour to brighten up rainy days or are after a minimalist clutch to offset your evening gown let Faded Spring and House of Fraser take you into the magical universe of Spring/Summer 2016 bags. Last week I chose an Ice Blue Accessorize Tote  which is suitable for housing your laptop, storing junk and a general all rounder handbag that can accommodate to your every needs. While it is important to choose a handbag for everyday use no one wants to lug a huge handbag to the club so what better than Dorothy Perkins Suedette Clutch in Duck Egg Blue?

Made from plush faux suede the imitation clutch is ideal for animal lovers who desire the texture of suede without the implications of animal cruelty. Awashed in a spring appropriate hue of duck egg blue, the clutch screams summers lounging by the pool whilst absentmindedly sipping on refreshing cocktails. The connotations of using pastel blue hues to front a Spring/ Summer campaign is synonymous with the image of ‘Serenity’ and has been a popular shade this season with the likes of Pantone, Louis Vuitton and Oscar  Da La Renta being drenched in the shade. So it is little wonder that handbag connoisseur House of Fraser has showcased ‘blue’ to be its Spring/Summer 16’s frontrunner. Despite its cheap price the clutch’s imitation suede is surprisingly high quality with deep lined zip pockets and the right amount of thickness to disguise its inexpensive price tag. Although the clutch is inexpensive like the Accessorize tote it stains easily and is a lot harder to wash or scrub stains than the tote. Having been on a shoot with my ( HUGE) four wheeler travel bag the tote was marked by one of the shoes on the clutch and to this day I am finding it difficult to get rid of the stain. When attempting to remove stains on suede or suedette you have to be extremely gentle because the material can get ruined very easily. Instead of making the clutch worse I left the stain as it was so I can figure out an effective way of removing the stain without ruining the clutch. 

Although the clutch is easily stained its inexpensive price tag makes it obvious that the material will not be of the same standard as a high-end bag but I still love the clutch regardless. From making a pastel statement by contrasting ‘Serenity’ and ‘Rose Quartz’ shades in one look to using blue as a complimentary accent, the clutch makes up for its ability to stain through its versatility. Turn any outfit from drab to fab with the clutch and pair haute couture gowns with the suedette clutch for a fun twist on formal wear. While the ‘velvet’ clutch was the bag of choice for many Hollywood icons, swapping your much used velvet for a suedette clutch will make any outfit look fresh and brand new. Suedette has its origins in 70’s Hippy Culture, where animal activists created ethical and animal friendly imitations of their favourite materials including leather, suede and fur. With House of Fraser’s clutch animal activists can both stay on trend and remain conscious of their responsibility to promote ethical, cruelty free fashion. More and more retailers are campaigning against the unethical use of animals to make our fashion and House of Fraser’s suedette offering is leading the pack. Unfortunately the clutch is now sold out but for similar options check out out my recommendations below.

Pros – Affordable – High Quality Material – On Trend Colour Cons – Easily Stained – Sold Out 

What are your thoughts on suedette clutches?