It's in the bag for summer

Being loaded down with handbags is, ironically, one way to stay cool this hot summer. And if it's cool you want, we've surveyed the chic de la chic for you.

Marc Jacobs, the always-in New York designer who serves as artistic director for Louis Vuitton and has his own popular label, has a little number to hang on your arm this season that's both avant-garde and vintage.

In stately shades of blue and grey, it's eye-catching with a golden key chain to boost the elegance quotient.

Also from New York, Coach Spring is touting the Ergo bag - trendy, lightweight, in a range of materials including leather and sporty canvas. Ergo is noted for its clean and simple lines, evoking a totally modern sensibility.

Loewe has introduced the made-to-order Napa.aire collection, which it says is all about air. With no buckles, rings or metal fasteners, it suggests weightlessness even as it evokes stylish beauty.

The purse comes in the same colour line as Napa-aire's eye shadows, brush-ons and foundations.

Paris-Biarritz is a new line of bags and accessories from Chanel, very urban, easy to wear and suited to any lifestyle. Biarritz boasts a particular attractiveness geared to the rhythm of today's active woman.

The solemn and supple curves accentuate the casual yet chic style. Available in different sizes, the bags can be carried in hand or slipped over the shoulder.

For fans of Mulberry, the new Havana handbags are created from a light, natural waxed leather and lined in soft suede. The shapes are "downtown-inspired" and comfortable, and feature hand-stitching on the seams, everything fastened with a burnished-metal, custom-made lock.

Among the five styles available, the highlights include the Rivington, with a classic, double pocket, and the Langford, a soft shoulder-style purse with a front flap pocket and generous central hold.

The Havana bag is set to become a new Mulberry signature and can be seen as a sister to the current favourite, the Darwin range.

Bulgari is going on a Mediterranean holiday this summer, its bags dipping into the colours of the sea around the Greek islands - blue, bordeaux and pink.

There's a mysterious tranquillity to the soft leather, enriched with refined and delicate touches. It's decorated with small mother-of-pearl disks, reminiscent of pebbled island shores.

Louis Vuitton has reissued its iconically shaped Nomade collection, all burnished leather in restrained luxury. The rich caramel hues result from a painstaking tanning process that also lends a distinctive patina.

And watch out this season for Versace accessories, each one a celebration of individuality - not to mention luxury. The collection, inspired by art's dada movement, conjures a game of opposites and irony.

The "Icon Bag" is a bellows-style sack finished with metal plaques at the side that serve as attachments to the highly decorated and elegant handles.

Maxmara has an "anthropological chic" theme, which it defines as "a primal, migratory kind of elegance". There are tribal motifs, graffiti and dripping and shadow effects to create a patchwork of draped layers.

The long, squared shoulder bag utilises braided canvas and leather.

Playful girls will love the colours that Marni is using this summer - citrine yellow, juniper green, navy blue, coral red - given new life by American artist Richard Prince, who's famous for having fun with text.

Three images are printed on T-shirts and the bags, which come in rounded and floppy shapes in aged or patent leather.

Joan & David have unveiled a classic "resort feel" for your urban safari or cocktail party. Muted hues like parchment almond and absolute whites - alabaster, ivory - are the focus of this season's palette, which complements the simplicity of the collection. The soft leather bag evokes a romantic appeal.