June 2008 Archives

There are a lot of really amazing bags from Chanel this season - this is not the best in the collection but it is our Cheap Thrills of the week. That's right, you heard right, but this is a Chanel Cheap Thrill so the standards are a bit different, it is over $1000. It's really smart to them to make bags at a lower price point, it allows the label to be accessible to the younger girls to get them hooked but it's not like they are bending over backwards to achieve this, it is still a very Chanel bag. Fabric has been done by Chanel so it is not a huge departure and it is a classic flap, but the novelty crinkled patent finish is refreshing and hip. This picture makes the fabric look kind of cheap but in person it is quite lush, it is not a super shiny patent which I prefer. The fabric is slightly puffed so it feels really good against the body and of course is super light which makes the bag that much more desirable. The only detail that bothered me is the CC magnetic closure on the flap - does it cost that much more to put in the classic CC twist lock closure? If so, I would pay an extra $100 to have that. $1295, call (800) 550-0005 to have one located for you but I suspect this will be available at every boutique.

Darlings, so sorry I have not loaded up photos (over 100!) of my tour of the original Louis Vuitton house and atelier. I have been so busy catching up with my favorite city on earth and drinking way too much champagne to work all week! I promise in the next few days I will have it up, along with my bag purchases. Paris boutiques go on sale on June 26th, sadly-- I'll be on my way home and will miss it. The Euro exchange rate is insane, by the way. Not that it's going to hinder any of my shopping but still, kind of hurts when I do the calculations. I know London is going to be worse so I am just not going to think about it. xoxo

Beauty Snob brings the spa to YOU!
Stiletto Jungle names the top must-have beauty tools.
Bag Bliss has some Father's Day Gift ideas: Bags worthy for Dad
Fashion Indie looks at Miley Cyrus, Madonna, and David Beckham before they had stylists.
Coquette says there's nothing hotter than a knit chain necklace by Little Purls.
Fashiontribes tags along on a Annie Liebovitz shoot of Sofia & Francis Ford Coppola for Louis Vuitton.
KRiSTOPHER is wanting, wearing, and hating foldover clutches.
My Fashion Life indulges in some beauty therapy with Satellite3 Cosmetics!
Papierblog goes mod with their Erin with an "e" foto story.
Second City Style gets the scoop on summer hair care and color tips.
StyleBakery.com gives us the scoop on where to find drastically reduced designer duds online
Stylehive delivers 10 Maxi Dresses With Summer Sex Appeal
Looking for a new swimsuit? Fear not! Stylenotes puts together the season's must-have swimwear & cover-ups.
The Shoe Goddess dishes about her fave celeb looks from the CFDA Awards.

We love Anya Hindmarch but Vivre REALLY loves Anya Hindmarch, so much so that they are doing a special 30% OFF with code "ANYAH30" through Sat June 14th. This includes shoes and clothes and of course the must have bag of the season, the Cooper which has been seen all over the world on Angelina Jolie's arms. It was $1195 and is now only $836.50. The Ruffle Tunic is a vacationer's best friend and is an absolute must buy at $164.50 (was $235). I love the purple but it also comes in chocolate, black and white. I would get a couple for the summer to stay fabulous while being cool and comfy (one fit tip, if you have the good fortune of big boobs, this tunic will not work for you). Another season's top choice from Anya is the Crackled Mirror Satchel, originally $1100 but now only $770. It is a quick way to add some glamour to your life without sacrificing on function. Again, metallic is now a staple but the crackled finish here is definitely a trendy statement. Even Chanel is doing novelty finishes on Fall bags (the crinkled patent micro fiber is jaw dropping, especially when you find out the price, will have the story up next week). Shop AH's sale at Vivre, again the 30% off code is "ANYAH30".

Update: Congratulations to Lydia Lau-- our winner this week!

Charlotte carried this Modern Chanel Plastic Chain bag when she arrived in Mexico (actually filmed in Malibu!). The bag was fresh and chic, perfect for a beach side holiday. Charlotte, however, didn't fare so well. What happened to her in Mexico that made Carrie finally laugh??? Leave your answer in comments. US residents only please! Winner will be picked via random drawing at midnight EST on Friday the 13th and will win a Bag Snob T-shirt! Jump for more photos!

The other day I had the pleasure of meeting Kara Ross and her PR coordinator Elizabeth and they gave me a firsthand look at the latest Kara Ross jewelry and handbag collections. Ross works with an array of skins and for the first time, this season, some of her pieces (and my favorites) were made with cork. Most of the handbags and clutches come complete with semi-precious stones and coordinate with her jewelery pieces (besides being a designer, Ross is also a gemologist). I fell in love with this cork "Porto" bag accented with purple snake! (jump for photo!)

You know the hate for Miu Miu wouldn't last long. Although I agree the scaly bags are pretty bad, I am loving this woven leather beauty. Yes, it is another woven leather bag but this one with the big pleat changes everything and makes the shape of the bag cute like a dumpling, yet refined and chic (so not like a dumpling). The sheen on the black leather also adds additional texture and interest, it almost looks like it is various tones rather than just black, which is good because a flat black woven leather bag is very very stodgy and down right boring (that includes the Bottega Veneta wovens in black, that's right, you are hearing something negative about our beloved Bottega but it is so true, nobody buys the black woven from them. And I just told the Bottega SA I worked with today that we never say anything bad about BV. Oh well!). My favorite part about this bag is that is puffy with a snap closure gusset so the whole thing opens up and is as roomy as a Winnebago inside. Don't you hate digging through your bag for stuff? At Saks for $1595.

Left: Botkier Stevie Satchel $650 Right: Burberry Metallic Satchel: $1,395

I am going to try and be impartial here but would just like to say that I saw Monica Botkier actually carry her well worn Stevie satchel when I interviewed her in New York but have no idea when Burberry launched theirs. I would also like to mention that Monica Botkier sells 50,000 bags a year (no lie!), she is in a position many (if not ALL) bag designers envy. That said, the Burberry satchel is not a complete twin of the Stevie satchel (they would then be sued right?) but the similarities are uncanny to say the least! The strap around the pocket is replaced with pull strings and the shoulder straps wrap around the bag but other than that? The bags look like twins! It's kind of like Mary Kate and Ashley... who look almost identical but are fraternal twins with minor differences but are twins nevertheless. (Ashley is an inch taller, Mary Kate has wider set eyes-- please don't ask me why I know this. Too many years of reading gossip mags have turned my brain into a useless mush of nonsense). The biggest difference between the bags, however, is the price. The Botkier Stevie satchel is $650 at Shopbop.com. And the Burberry satchel is $1,395 at Saks I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to figure out which bag to get if you like this style.

I wasn't sure what this was supposed to be but a ruched tube top gone bad at Dior seems to be the inspiration of this mess they call the Hermitage bag. It has been a long and dry spell at Dior since the uber popular saddle bag. Even SJP shunned its bags in the SATC movie-- though the Dior extreme shoes she wore throughout were absolutely brilliant (which I also have in black but I saw them on eLuxury way before the movie came out!). This bag may have the deceiving silhouette of a lady like top handle bag but is in fact 16.5" x 11.75"-- which is huge yet they call this the medium size! Galliano is one of my faves when it comes to ready to wear and haute couture but Dior bags of late? Not a chance. Dior Hermitage bag $2385 at eLuxury. But maybe I am too harsh on this thing, what do you think of this super ruched Hermitage shopper? Snob or Slob?

My love of all things neutral colored lately continues, mostly because I am starting to feel like a rainbow sherbert these days what with wearing my orange ostrich birkin with every color from royal blue to jade green. Fun as it has been, enough is enough. Bring on the camel tones and grays! I came across this fabulous bag from Tanner Krolle; one of England's greatest leather brands-- founded in London in 1856 by Fredrick Krolle, a second-generation saddler. The Chanel group owned the brand until 2002, when it was bought back by a British group who promised to offer some of the best bags the UK has ever seen. It certainly looks like they made good on the promise, check out this lovely Sudie python stunner. I adore python and in this subtle shade of pale chocolate brown it really makes my mouth water.