Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The other double C brand, Part III




O.k. just one more and apologies for the delay for those of you waiting breathlessly for more on Cornell!

Yet another interesting thing about these bags is where they've been produced. Some in Canada, many in China, and a rare few in Hungary. The most luxurious of my Cornell bags was made in Hungary. I wonder if there existed at the time ('70s, 80s?) a vestige of craftsmanship left from its glory days as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

This beige bag was made in Hungary - the quality of the leather is extraordinary and it's hard to see here but the sleeves and pockets are beautifully crafted, and there are so many of them. I suspect this was some kind of work bag - I imagine a high-falutin secretary or bureaucrat of some sort. It is beautiful.



This green handbag is just the most beautiful shade of green. The mesh treatment of the leather makes it one of the absolute primo examples of this fine brand.



I was just at Sears today and the Cornell brand is on the rack there. A sad reminder of it's glorious past, and for $72 you are buying pure vinyl, unpleasant lining, cheap hardware and a total lack of the fine design details that distinguished the brand in the first place. The only detail from its past is the zipper tag snap in the outside fold of the bag. A sad end to a glorious brand.

2 comments:

  1. so perfect, so lovely, for too many reasons!! I will keep an eye out for these wonders and hope for the best! Thank you for posting! What's next, L'age? I'm dying to know :)

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  2. I have found two of these bags at the same value village at different times between the last three months. I love this brand, it is so well made and the leather is good quality.Always so excited to find them there for $7!

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