Patti Hansen’s Hung on U bag line debuts at Barneys New York

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Patti Hansen, the ‘70s supermodel and rock wife to Keith Richards, has a new gig as a bag designer. Her line, Hung on U, is a collection of slouchy, sack-shaped bags that sling around and across the body for hands-free wear and come in a variety of materials, from high-end exotics to super-soft, earthy suede.

The Hung on U shape is based on an original black suede version made for her by a good friend in the early ‘80s, which Hansen said she would wear dancing and hanging out during her modeling heyday.

‘I used to wear a bag like this back in the ‘80s, and we’d go out and dance all night’ said Hansen, who was dressed in a striking white Michael Kors suit and a white bag from her line to celebrate the debut of the brand at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills on Monday.

She said she started wearing the bag again a couple of years ago and was inspired to create a modern-day version that’s versatile and practical for city living.

The name Hung on U was her husband’s idea, taken from London store from the 60s. ‘That’s why he’s a songwriter and musician, he can think of these clever things quickly,’ she said.

Hansen’s daughters, Theodora and Alexandra, as well as celeb friends including Rebecca Romijn, Allison Janney, Simon Doonan and Patricia Arquette (on her way to see brother David perform on ‘Dancing with the Stars’) all stopped by to try on bags and fete Hansen’s debut.

They were also there to check out the display of Hung on U bags being auctioned off to raise funds for the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation. The 15 or so bags were customized by celebs and fashion stars such as Diane von Fursteburg, Donna Karan, Anthony Kiedis, Ronnie Wood and Doonan, and ranged from the lightly embellished to the outrageous -- a bag covered in long hair extensions courtesy of Doonan.

The versatility of the bags was apparent not just in the various ways celebs customized their pieces for charity, but in how everyone was wearing their bags so differently. Hansen kept it clean and sleek with an all-white look, Romijn punctuated her black-and-white ensemble with a leopard version, and several other guests jazzed up their simple outfits with a small bag done in a shimmery disco-ball-esque mesh.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

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Upper photo: Patti Hansen, right, and Rebecca Romijn. Credit: Barneys New York

Lower photo: Patti Hansen and daughters Theodora and Alexandra. Credit: Barneys New York