Spin Me Round

Kylie gets lucky

Following their No 1 smash with Dead or Alive's You Spin Me Round, the recently conjoined trio of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman were able to fit out their own studio, and pop's new producers followed up with huge hits for Bananarama, Rick Astley and Mel and Kim. But the act most associated with SAW was an antipodean soap actress of whom Waterman had never heard when a mate asked if he'd produce her as a favour.

In his own telling of the story, Waterman forgot the appointment, and when told he had to rush to the outfit's HQ in south London because she had a plane to catch, he said to Mike Stock: "She should be so lucky." Quick as a flash came: "Great, that'll do: 'I should be so lucky.' Can we write some lyrics?" Over the next half hour, the duo used their fax machine to swap ideas and then Kylie entered the studio. It was a perfect example of the trio's pop take on Hi-NRG, a knack that led them to being branded "Schlock, Aimless and Waterdown" by the Guardian and that helped them sell 40m records over the next two years.

Perrin Paris "Riva" Ball Bag: You Spin Me Round - The Bag Snob ...

The Lady Gaga of bags: eye-catching and different, with the ability to be shocking and chic, elegant and modern, though not without reference to past game-changers! To be all this at once is unheard of, really.

And, like many of Gaga's fashion choices, Perrin's 3-D lattice-woven ball bag may not be the most functional you'll find, but it promises to turn heads. And for the double-take factor alone, it's worthy of owning. (Or at the very least, coveting.) This is not a bag you should attempt to overfill - the center zippers expose an interior pouch that folds over on itself, so it's a lot of work to access what amounts to a very small space. But when the construction is an engineering feat, some work on your side is justified. The quality is top-rate, leathers are divine and the supple crocodile is Australian, not Caiman, which is the more common and therefore, cheaper skin. For the snake, instead of the often seen python, they use anaconda, which has such beautiful scales. And, yay for me, allowed to be sold in California!!

While it's not perfectly round like an actual ball (I've never fantasized about carrying a beach ball around, anyway), it does balloon out with purpose and dramatic flair, so the effect is amazing. It makes for a total statement piece that will put you up there with the uniquely stylish likes of VB, J. Lo, and yes, Lady Gaga.

Choose among what feels like an endless selection: in three sizes and multiple shades (mostly neutral) and skins (python, crocodile, goatskin, lambskin, calfskin), you can really make it your own. Not that you're likely to see too many girls out there toting ball bags. Not yet, at least. The rest of Perrin's collection is pretty thrilling, so keep the Parisian house on your radar and expect more to come!

"Riva" Large Ball Bag in Crocodile , for $5,465.

"Riva" Large Ball Bag in Anaconda , for $2,735.

"Riva" Large Ball Bag in Calfskin , for $1,250.

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