Since you mentioned a fairly high price limit, I'm going to suggest the Bottega Veneta hobo in red. I bought it last summer and I LOVE it. The bottega shape is classic and the woven leather is amazing, and the handbag itself is soft and smooshy but still has amazing shape. It's great because it's a classic in a color that really pops, but still manages to be a year-round color. And a color that's a classic in it's own way (red will never go out of style).
BV is great because people will recognize the brand if they're into that kind of thing, but there are no outer labels or anything. It's subtle and refined.
The red itself is a true red, not an orangey-red.
The small one is $1500 and the large is $1850.