When Lindsay Lohan carried her woven leather saddlebag in
the pages of US Weekly, Toronto’s Andrea Brueckner earned designer du
jour status among fashion editors and celebs alike. Since then her luxe
bags—think glazed goatskin, crackle patent, and metallic python—have been snapped up by the likes of Beyoncé, Jessica Alba and Ashlee
Simpson (who clearly have their pick of purses). The New York-based
designer launched her collection of totes, clutches and pochettes in
2004 after perfecting her patternmaking skills while studying fashion
at FIT, followed by stints at Jill Sander and Carolina Herrera. Her use
of understated, trend-defiant details, like twisted handles and
metallic buckles, embody both timelessness and function and—in a
climate of here today, gone tomorrow it-baggery—are perfectly
designed for the long haul.
–Jessalynn Keller