Jonathan Saunders collaborates with Smythson on accessories collection

Smythson Soho Diary, $515. Jonathan Saunders x Smythson Panama Diary, $245. Both via Net-a-Porter.

I am a huge Jonathan Saunders fangirl, and it has long been my fervent hope that Saunders would dip his extremely fashionable toe into the accessories pool. Although Jonathan Saunders x Smythson doesn’t include any handbags, the charming colorblocked notebooks and iPad situations give me hope that some day, maybe not as well far in the future, I’ll get to review a bonafide Jonathan Saunders purse. Or just a wallet. I’d clear up for a wallet!

In the meantime, the Jonathan Saunders x Smythson Soho and Panama Diaries will have to do. What stylish notebooks to carry in your handbag or work bag! I know that most of us probably utilize our smartphones for short notes now, but doesn’t a leather-bound diary seem positively civilized in comparison?

At first blush, the Saunders/Smythson partnership might seem counterintuitive. Although both brands are British (and the Brits do like to work together with each other), Jonathan Saunders is know for sharp modernism. He mixes colors and prints like a master, and his digitized patterns have been a few of my favorites over the past several season. Smythson, on the other hand, is a extremely traditional leather products company that’s been around for well over a century.

These pieces marry the two aesthetics well, though. modern concepts in familiar shapes are something of a Saunders signature, and when toned down to his colorblocked essence, Saunders does in shape within the Smythson brand image. I would have rather seen two patterned panels instead of two solid colors, but this partnership is a good start to give Saunders the push he needs toward a full accessories line. get with Net-a-Porter for $515 and $245, respectively.