Ok, to be fair, a lot of Ralph Lauren handbags are more or less exactly what you’d expect – after all, the brand has a very distinct and well-developed aesthetic, and when you have that, there’s not much reason to stray from it for a foundational product like handbags. Seasonally, though, Lauren does deviate from the saddlery chic that we know and love with his Collection pieces, and from spring, that means a heavy Spanish influence runs through the brand’s traditionally Southwestern feel.

For a new brand (not to mention a brand owned by celebrities), The Row’s price point can feel a bit shocking. I was definitely shocked by it when the brand started producing bags, but the more opportunities I have to see, feel and smell (you know you smell the leather, don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about) The Row’s bags, the more of a believer I am.

Last week, we noticed a slightly modified Yves Saint Laurent Cabas ChYc Bag had just popped up on the Nordstrom website as the Saint Laurent Paris Cabas Classique, and it seemed as though we all knew what kind of changes we could expect for the beloved Cabas ChYc, at least for the season ahead. The big wasn’t quite as tall, and as a commenter noted, the handle bales had been switched from ovals to squares.

It’s been months since Target and Neiman Marcus announced that they’d be teaming up with dozens of your favorite American designers to produce a chic, affordable line of holiday gifts, and a lot of you have asked me lately if I knew anything more about it. Sadly, I didn’t; Neiman Marcus, Target and the slew of designers involved have been mostly mum since the megacollab was announced.

Beauty shopping online can be kind of a bummer. Not only is it often difficult to find exclusive products and special sets anywhere but in-store, but you’re almost always stuck paying full price for anything worth having. In a shopping landscape that’s been revolutionized by the Internet, the beauty industry has clung to many of its old ways. Until now, that is – that’s where Coterie comes in.

Ever since the fashion industry started to open itself up a little bit to the Internet, the problem of timely commerce has been looming. If the general public can see and get excited about a collection in September, why can’t we sell it to them in September? How do we get around the fact that Fashion Week is no longer simply a trade show for buyers and editors, but a media event viewed by potential customers the world over?

I get used to talking about many of the same designers from day to day because let’s face it, they make great bags and they make bags that I love. But there are so many other options out there, and I would hate to leave worthy accessory designers out of our coverage. That’s precisely why I spend hours browsing online, flipping through magazines, and checking out lookbooks – so I will know as much of what’s available as possible.

It’s happened. Summer has ended. I have no idea how this came upon us so quickly, but it did. Memorial Day always signifies the kick-off to summer while Labor Day represents the end, and with the passage of Labor Day not only does it mean summer is over, but also that we have to consider the old rule of no more wearing white.

Last week, I kicked off one of my mornings in an ultimate dream by having an intimate breakfast in the Bloomingdale’s Lexington Avenue flagship before the store opened. This breakfast was hosted by DKNY and Lauren Bush Lauren of FEED, whose mission is to create good products that help FEED the world, literally. I’ve been well aware of FEED bags for quite some time, noting different versions on the hands of celebrities and passersby alike.

Tracking down and buying Loewe bags in the US is hard and because of this, I rarely think of the Spanish brand that makes such covetable bags. But the other day I was thinking of what brands we can feature that are different from the usual designers we’ve come to associate with designer handbags, and Loewe popped into my mind.

The Madrid-based brand is known by much of Europe for its beautiful leather goods, but most people in the US are not as familiar with Loewe.