Currently Coveting: Liebeskind Berlin’s low-key, luxe handbags

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Decadent handbags, like decadent houses, have become a tad more accessible since the recession began.

More and more, designer brands are debuting bags priced under $1,000, and upstart accessories companies are no longer coming out of the gate with huge markups on simple leather totes (like they did in the mid-2000s).

And now, with all the relatively reasonably priced, high-end satchels on the market, we see little reason to crest the $500 mark when shopping for a new handbag (unless you’re splurging on some fabulous bejeweled clutch, of course).

Case in point: Germany’s Liebeskind Berlin‘s collection of sporty leather bags looks and feels as high-quality as anything hanging at Neiman’s. But priced from $250 to $370, the bags are miles more wallet friendly than almost anything resembling them on the market.

The collection of suede and washed canvas bags are simple enough for everyday wear but boast the kind of details that make a bag look expensive, including patches of perforation (in the suede), beautifully covered zipper pulls, chunky handles and metallic weaving.

The slouchy, knock-around bags were inspired by Berlin’s laid-back, artsy girls — who, apparently, aren’t so very different from L.A.’s chilled-out PYTs.

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-- Emili Vesilind