Here's Prada's New ‘It’ Bag, the Inside

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Prada is prepping for its biggest bag launch in eight years, the Wall Street Journal's Christina Binkley reports. The Prada Inside bag has a boxy, almost demure exterior, and inside there's a sewn-in pouch in a contrasting color that's supposed to resemble a dopp kit. The Inside bag's appearance is meant to evoke "feminine clichés," according to a Prada spokesperson. It will be available in small, medium, and large sizes in materials like nappa leather, crocodile, and ostrich. Preorders began June 3 for the bag, which starts at $2,415 for a small calf version and goes up to $39,760 for a medium-size crocodile style.

There's a lot riding on the Inside. Prada hopes that it will revive shoppers' interest in the brand and help turn around slumping sales. Binkley breaks down what goes into the marketing of a would-be It bag, including ads photographed by Steven Meisel set to appear in the August issue of magazines and strategic store displays to debut the first week of July. There's also the race to get the bag on the arms of celebrities. Bloggers, however, do not figure into Prada's plans. "We are not obsessed by bloggers," Prada Group's Stefano Cantino told WSJ.