Fashion

Red is infused into bold accessories for fall 2009. The vibrant combination of red with black creates a mood inspired by pop art graphics and the season’s bold contrast of brights on black. We are drawn to the red and black color combo to pair with all black outfits and in particular this fall’s all black uniform of skinny denim leggings (a.k.a. “jeggings”) paired with black platform ankle booties like these Christian Louboutin Miss 120 platform ankle boots. And of course a requisite black leather or faux fur vest.

The red accents we’ve spotted (and covet!) include oversized ’70s inspired shades from Linda Farrow Luxe which are accented with an exotic lizard trim. Add some instant color and good fashion karma with a Day Birger et Mikkelsen Beaded tassel necklace, it’ll make a pretty accent on an over sized black layered tee.Judith Leiber’s heart ‘n soul clutch will make a sparkly and whimsical addition to any black or grey ensemble. Lastly the bold graphics of Markus Lupfer’s Laughing Lips merino sweater is just too cute to resist, perfect for your black and red color story this fall.

via The Find

I am going to go ahead and speak for the entire Purse Blog team when I say, this is a great Tuesday. I’ve said it before, but collaborations are the best! And today, I get to share with you yet another amazing, I mean, super amazing collaboration we’ve started. This time, we are working with the oh so posh and glamorous Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine!

I was beyond thrilled to hear about the opportunity to partner with this fashion forward magazine. Anything and everything related to fashion can be found in this magazine. You don’t have to be a resident of the Beverly Hills area to appreciate the magazine. In fact, this is the kind of magazine that will set trends, set the tone and show you everything you need to know about fashion. As you can imagine, we are in love! Head over to Beverly Hills Magazine to check out not only what they have to offer but also how we are involved (pay attention to pages 12, 58-59). We hope you enjoy this partnership as much as you do!

There are few more joyous occasions in fashion than Paris Couture Week, although this year’s flamboyant celebration of clothing and artistry has been somewhat hampered by the depressed economy and the impending departure of one of the genre’s greatest voices, Christian Lacroix. The fact that he was able to put on a show at all is the big story of the week; suppliers and industry friends helped the designer piece together a last-minute collection and presentation for what could be his last couture show if his brand doesn’t find a backer quickly. It demonstrates an odd sort of collegiality among fashion industry workers that many on the outside looking in might overlook in the midst of so much glitz and fabulousness – it takes an army of people to make this happen for us a few times a year, and they work extremely long hours for really modest pay. That so many of them donated their time, skills and goods to Lacroix to put together what may be his final show is kind of touching, particularly in an industry known for ego and elitism. He’s not the only one to put on a show for fashion editors and couture customers this week, though – we’ve got a rundown of the best looks from the best shows, after the jump.

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Doesn’t it seem like a million years since we saw the last season of Project Runway? Anyone remember who won that season? It was Leanne Marshall, the the mousy Pacific Northwesterner that made clothes with lots and lots of wave-like ruffles. Part of her prize for winning the competition was that she would make a collection to be distributed through BlueFly.com, and apparently she finally got around to doing that!

The collection hit BlueFly yesterday and it’s a rather limited line of skirts, tops, and dresses, some of which include Leanne’s signature wave motif. Prices for the items range from under $100 for t-shirts to almost a thousand for the evening gown that we have pictured here. I don’t mean to be a hater, but for how long it took Leanne to get this stuff released, it’s not all that exciting. Most of the pieces are perfectly serviceable and wearable, which is nice, but the limited range of colors and styles is disappointing, considering Leanne’s considerable talent. One nice aspect of the line, though, is that it’s eco-friendly; it looks like her speech about sustainable design practices on the season finale wasn’t just a lot of hot air. Buy through Bluefly for $98-$990.

Last night some members of the Purse Blog team (Megs, Vlad, Intern Joe and myself) had the opportunity to attend an exclusive launch party at the Louis Vuitton store in the Bal Harbor Shops. The event was a little different than what we are used to since the party was for sneakers and not handbags. As many of you know, Kanye West has teamed with Louis Vuitton to create high end designer sneakers. While Megs and I did try and convince Vlad and Joe to snag a pair, I think it is fair to say the sneaks aren’t really our cup-o-tea.

True, these shoes are rather unique (although, do they remind any of you of the old school Reebok high-tops?), but I don’t think I will be rushing out to buy them any time soon. However, there were plenty of others at the event last night that were walking away with boxes and boxes of these shoes. It may or may not come as a shock to you, but a lot of these shoes are close to sold out! Head over to your local LV store and grab some… if it’s your kind of thing.

Image via LA MJC

Cruise show season is kind of odd – instead of having a proper Fashion Week where all of the collections are presented together, they’re released slowly in shows around America and Europe, each with very different backdrops and moods. For example, Chanel, a brand that always shows at Paris Fashion Week, chose to present its Cruise collection this year on a Venice boardwalk.

Louis Vuitton, another house that traditionally shows in Paris, didn’t have a real show at all – instead, the clothes were presented as we see them here. It’s a more understated choice for a more informal season and smaller collection, but that doesn’t mean the sailor-and-pinup-inspired clothes and accessories are any less exciting. In fact, they’re refreshingly clean and pretty, but with just enough 80s urban influence to put Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs’ signature spin on the retro looks.

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What are we buying when we buy a luxury good? Are we buying a brand name, a well-made product, or an item to ensure that others think a certain way about us when they see it? For most high-end consumers, it’s probably some combination of those options.

Many customers would claim that they buy only for the quality that these products provide, but the reaction of some customers to the recent announcement of Jimmy Choo’s collaboration with H&M seems to run contrary to those claims. Some people were excited to see what the partnership would create, but many Choo loyalists voiced the opinion that the brand was losing something by creating a temporary line for a low-end retailer.

Choo’s fans aren’t the first to scowl at the idea of their favorite label creating an inexpensive product line, and they’ll be far from the last. What seems to be unique about this occasion, though, is that Jimmy Choo is the most broadly known brand yet to dabble in mass-market, low-price retail. So far, many small or independent designers have used the tactic as a way to broaden their name recognition and, potentially, their customer base. Choo, though, is a brand with a pretty clear image in the minds of most women with any sort of fashion consciousness or desire for expensive shoes.

So what happens when a brand with a large following and a seemingly healthy business decides that they want to dabble in the desires of Middle America? Well, according to Robin Givhan of the Washington Post, it means that luxury as we know it is dead.

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This news is just what I wanted to hear today. H&M has a long and well-publicized history of collaborations with high-end designers, but until now, all of those designers had been most well-known for their clothes. Taking things in a slightly different direction, H&M will feature shoes, accessories, AND clothes (CLOTHES?!?!) designed by the folks at Jimmy Choo in select stores this November.

This is the first time that one of the Swedish chain’s designer capsule collections has focused on shoes and accessories (reports are that the clothes will be designed to “compliment” them), and the very idea makes me weep for my weak ankles, one of which I would surely destroy by trying to buy and wear any of the suddenly affordable Choos that are soon to come our way (old soccer accident, the story is gruesome, you don’t want to know). I’m hoping against hope that they make some flats for those like me, but the teaser image that we have shows two high heels, both of which are quite a bit more intricate than I would have expected for a collection like this. And is that the corner of a very shiny clutch that I see peeking out of the frame there? Because if it is, God help me, I will be the first one in line if any of the Atlanta-area H&Ms carry this line. No word on which stores will have it yet (when we find out, we’ll let you know!), but my guess is only the largest and most flagship-y of the locations will see these beauties. November 14, hurry up and get here.

Photo via Vogue UK

Our wait is almost over – Project Runway returns to the airwaves August 20th, according to the new issue of Entertainment Weekly. They’ve got a cover story on the much-missed series this week in which they speak with Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum about the future of the series, the difficulties of waiting, and what we can all expect from our favorite fashion show.

First, the show’s move from New York to L.A. isn’t completely permanent. According to Tim and Heidi, the show will alternate seasons on each coast in order to reap the maximum benefits that the cities have to offer, which should be somewhat of a relief to a lot of the fans that couldn’t fathom shooting a show about fashion anywhere in the country except for New York (I am one of those people). Also, despite the new location, the new network (Lifetime, about which I will not snark since I got in trouble for it in the comments last time), and the new production team (of The Real World fame), Heidi reports that the runway set is more or less exactly the same. Lifetime execs said that they recognized that they already had a winner on their hands with Runway and did not wish to fix something that wasn’t broken.

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Folks, it’s time for me to state the obvious: it’s summer. And for fashion people, that means magazines are getting thinner, store shelves are getting barer, and there won’t be much to sustain us until approximately August (or September, if you’re counting in magazine months). Pre-Fall stuff is trickling in from a few brands, but overall, there’s not a lot to talk about in the handbag world that most of you guys haven’t already seen. I was talking (read: whining) about this to a guy friend earlier today, and his response was, “Well, bathing suits are summery. Why don’t you just write about those?”

My initial reaction was “Psssh, those aren’t handbags,” but then I figured, why not? He might be on to something. So I spent a little bit of time looking around the Internet today for my favorite bathing suit, and I decided that I loved the J.Crew Regal Paisley Bikini. The bold, retro pattern will cover any wear-and-tear that occurs from lazing around the pool or ocean and the slightly more substantial top will give the necessary lift and added security to a girl with a larger-than-average chest. So what bathing suit have you been wearing this summer, or do you still have your eye on several? Buy through J.Crew for $90.