I'm going on a trip next week and although I'd love to have a new stylish suitcase I think this Swarovski Crystal Trunk by Samsonite Black Label is a bit over-the-top for my taste. Modeled after a popular 1920s style and covered from top to bottom in sparkling, glittering crystals, this trunk is a mix of flash and class -- modern bling on a vintage design.
The trunks are available in a limited edition of only be 30 and although they were available on Colette just last week, as of today they're no longer listed.
Certainly 7 for All Mankind has created some beautiful, chic and comfortable jeans but handbags? I wasn't so sure but I have to say, I like it! This patent leather and canvas satchel in subtle gray hues features a zig-zag pattern along the handles and outer rim with a splash of raspberry. The bag has a top zipper, inside pockets and two outer slit pockets and comes with a dust bag to keep it protected on the rare occasion it isn't on your arm. Pick this beauty up for a mere $365. (10.2" x 15.9" x 4.7")
Late fashion designer and artist Stephen Sprouse is back in fashion news. A retrospective of his graffiti prints and neon aesthetic called "Rock on Mars" will be shown at Deitch Projects' 18 Wooster Street gallery in New York City from Jan. 8 to Feb. 28 and a new book "The Stephen Sprouse Book," by Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha is due out from Rizzoli New York at the start of 2009. WWD reveals that Marc Jacobs, who collaborated with Sprouse on a line for Louis Vuitton in 2001 (Sprouse died in 2004), is creating a new, limited edition collection of accessories and ready-to-wear. And once again, Jacobs took the chance to show off his gym-fit body, posing only with only a bag covering his nether region and Sprouse-style graffiti adorning his skin in a shoot for Harper's Bazaar shot by Terry Richardson.
Jacobs has taken two Sprouse motifs the graffiti lettering and the rose and put them over the classic Vuitton Monogram print on Vuitton's Keepall, Speedy and Neverfull bag styles as well as sneakers shoes and other accessories. The clothing includes a mackintosh raincoat with a graffiti and monogram lining, eggings and a long-sleeve neon minidress. Vuitton will also launch a website, welovesprouse.com later this month which will include interviews with people who knew Sprouse.
Another sign of our changing economy is the announcement from LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, the world's largest maker of luxury goods, that they have lowered retail prices for the Louis Vuitton brand in Japan by seven percent to boost sales. For years the Vuitton-crazed shoppers in Japan have fueled LVMH's rapid growth, together the U.S. and Japan account for about a third of LVMH's revenue. The price cuts will apply to nearly all Vuitton items including handbags and watches at the 56 stories around the country and it is hoped that the new prices will switch the downward trend which saw Louis Vuitton sales falling seven percent in Japan during the first nine months of the year.
Members-only shopping community Ideeli.com has a bunch of treats planned for Cyber Monday. The site, which offers up to 80% off top brands is hoping that great deals will lure shoppers on the internet's biggest shopping day. The site, which is famous for their contests is also courting new members with the chance to win the Balenciaga bag shown above which is worth $1,695. There are also a whole host of designer deals. Sales start Monday, December 1st at 11:00am for 1st row members (paid memberships), noon for 2nd row members and will run throughout the day. You can sign up here or use the invite code luxist. Happy shopping.
Proof that an expensive handbag isn't always a pointless extravagance can be found at Christie's where several upcoming sales show that Hermes bags can be an investment. On December 9 during the Jewels sale at South Kensington, London, Christie's will auction off 23 Hermes handbags including the Mini Kelly bag in forest green and the Sac Malette style in brown which, gilt with metalware, once belonged to Charlie Chaplin's wife. Shown at right is a rare Haut à Courroies bag. The bag was first designed by Hermes circa 1900 to carry equestrian gear but quickly became a popular travel bag. Hermes produces no more than five crocodile bags of this size a year. It is estimated to sell for £15,000 - £18,000.
Christie's is also offering Hermes bags during the Interiors sale in New York, December 18-19. A bright orange Hermes Kelly bag is estimated to sell for $4,000-$6,000. The Kelly bag has been a prized classic for decades and never goes out of fashion.
Swarovski's elegant holiday evening bag is a shoulder-held bag in black eelskin set with jet crystals. The shoulder strap is removable and the closure is decorated with shiny Jet crystal pavé. It sells for $3,400.
If this bag reminds you of a smokey bowling alley and ill-fitting, overused bowling shoes than this won't be your cup o' tea. But personally I like the retro-chic, mod look of Miu Miu's Cutout Bowling Bag. It may be a bit of a literal spin-off of its name but the neutral, simple tones and basic design make it a daily bag for popping around town or heading to a business lunch. The compact size but rounded shape give you ample space to bring your makeup, water bottle, wallet and apple but it isn't big enough to weigh you down or get in your way. For $1,430, the double zip top closure with padlock, silver accents, and satin lining make for a great basic handbag. (16" x 11" x 8" with 5" strap drop)
Versace has turned out a winner for the holiday season. Reminiscent of Santa's red suit this gorgeous crocodile embossed bag is stylish and colorful without being overdone. I love the kissing-mouth shape of the overlapping layers and the subtlety of the Versace name only noticeable by the small plate and 7" intertwined chain handle. With an adjustable or removable 16" shoulder strap this bag can be a functional daybag or flashy evening bag. Either way, for $3,045 it is bound to ring in the New Year with panache! (16" x 12" x 7 1/2")
I'm always a little torn when it comes to liking box-style clutches because although I like the way many of them look, carrying a hard-sided bag with sharp corners and rough surface textures doesn't feel very luxurious in my hands. This Shagreen Mini Audiere (in pink) by R & Y Augousti might be worth the compromise, though. It's a very structured rectangle adorned with red carnelian embellishments, lined on the inside with leather, and featuring a simple but attractive push-lock closure on the top. Certainly a solid investment if you're looking for an all-season evening clutch that will roll with the fashion trends year after year. $900
I like the idea of an envelope clutch, and at first this one appealed to me, but the more I look at it the uglier I think it is. It's the Micol Metallic Envelope Clutch by D&G and it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like -- a large leather envelope. It zips closed instead of folds over like a typical envelope, and from the pictures it looks like that ends up being a a little awkward. It has a leather pull with an attached silver padlock on the front, a contrast panel and dangling key bell on the back, and (perhaps the best part for me) the interior is lined in a pretty shade of pink silk. $695
Louis Vuitton makes a case for everything. Really. If there's something you want to carry in a Louis Vuitton case, they will probably make one for you.
The only criteria-strictly enforced to honor the original spirit of the 150-year-old company-are that the item is portable and that its raison d'être is transport. "We are in the business of movement," says Patrick-Louis Vuitton, a fifth-generation member of the founding family who oversees all of LV's custom projects. "A special order is a compromise between desires and needs from the client and our aesthetic and technical requirements." - Men's Vogue
Louis Vuitton makes about 450 special-order cases every year at their Asnières, France workshop. The process of creating a perfect case for a client's needs can take four to five months, but their policy is to never exceed eight.
Over the years, cases have been created for everything from hookah pipes to a portable altar for a French priest heading to a desert archaeological dig in the 1920's.
Louis Vuitton won't make just anything, though. If they don't like your request (say, to put little LV's all over the interior of your car, a move similar to the one that ended up with Britney Spears on the losing end of a Vuitton lawsuit), they'll modify the idea and make a suggestion - their polite version of refusal.
This Ombre Logo Basket Tote's versatile coloring means it can pass nicely through the winter as an icy blue, and then through the spring also if dressed up as a sky or pastel blue. It's shimmery, it's simple, and although it's not totally outrageous it's definitely an acquired taste. Fendi makes this bag out of coated vinyl with textured white leather trim, plus it has a smooth vinyl lining, an open top, a flat base, and 3 interior pockets. It's available at eLuxury for $1,030, plus they have also have a version in red.
Tis the season for holiday parties and excuses aplenty for indulging in a little extra glitz and glam. This Disco Box Clutch by Anya Hindmarch could be just the thing to add that extra oomph your holiday ensembles are looking for. The gold and silver leather will go with almost any outfit but will probably pop best against black or navy. The clutch features a golden clasp fastener on the top, a full lining with a pouch-style pocket on the interior, and in true clutch spirit there's no shoulder strap whatsoever. $460
I'm not usually one to go for handbag designs that plaster the brand's logo in a big way but somehow this Fendi bag is an exception for me. It's the Sweet Box Clutch and the multi-colored acrylic that makes up the hard sides glows with color and depth. The Fendi logo is done in vinyl-coated leather and is large enough to take up most of the bag's surface, and grained leather is found on the interior. Other features include a magnetic closure, a gusseted interior pocket, and an antiqued silver link chain strap that can be tucked inside if it's in the way. $1,490
I'm going on a trip next week and although I'd love to have a new stylish suitcase I think this Swarovski Crystal Trunk by Samsonite Black Label is a bit over-the-top for my taste. Modeled after a popular 1920s style and covered from top to bottom in sparkling, glittering crystals, this trunk is a mix of flash and class -- modern bling on a vintage design. 
Louis Vuitton makes a case for everything. Really. If there's something you want to carry in a Louis Vuitton case, they will probably make one for you.
