Fashion

After seeing a few shots from Chanel Cruise 2010, I couldn’t resist sharing some of the highlights with all of you PurseBloggers out there. This has to be one of the most strikingly beautiful runway shows I’ve ever seen, from the Venice Lido boardwalk setting to the 1920s throwback clothes. Karl Lagerfeld said that he chose this particular setting to debut this collection because Coco Chanel was a long-time fan of this particular Italian beach. Coco made yearly visits to this beach during the 1920s, making it particularly appropriate for this set of retro-glam resort wear and beautiful evening dresses. The boardwalk is only steps from the sea, the show began at sunset, and I’ve never found myself wanting to attend any fashion show so much in my entire life.

Click here to see hilights from Chanel Cruise 2009

Black is one of the most essential colors (I know there is a long standing argument about if black is or is not a color) that you must have in your wardrobe. There is the little black dress. The black bag. The black shoes. The black pants. The black clutch. The black tee shirt. The black jacket. Forget the argument of black as a color and realize that black is a staple of most wardrobes. I have a great little black dress from Prada that fits beautifully and has been used for a variety of events. But when I looked in my closet I realized a lack of black bags. I do have a classic Chanel Bag but I am lacking a compact black clutch and a larger black handbag.

I kid you not, I dreamt about a black Hermes Birkin last night. I woke up craving one and questioning whether I should opt for gold hardware or palladium hardware and if 35 cm would be better rather than 30. This year is a great year for investment pieces and a classic Birkin in a color that is classic seems to be a good fit.

Read more on Black Wardrobe Essentials...

In response to some tough economic circumstances, Henri Bendel’s parent-company CEO Leslie Wexner has opted to eschew the luxury apparel market in favor of focusing their stores only on accessories, beauty products, and gifts. Bendel’s is one of the first major luxury retailers to make such a drastic move to improve their business models in the country’s current economic climate, and one has to wonder – will the risk pay off?

Read on!

As most of you know, we are rounding out a fabulous month of Linea Pelle giveaways. Each week, a new bag, a new look, a new chance to win. And today, Creative Director Andrew Cotton provides a guest post and some fun insight into what’s new with Linea Pelle. (Oh, and don’t forget to register for this week’s giveaway, if you haven’t already!) Enjoy!

Show everyone how all that working out this winter paid off from your buff arms in a hot new tank to your toned calves in a sexy pair of heels. Treat yourself to a spray tan for a healthy glow! OR grab a tube of Clarins or even Jergen’s Glow. Either way please swear off all those dangerous uva/uvb rays! Promise me!

This season, you’ll want to start sporting new fresh looks for Spring going in to Summer, so grab your flirty skirts & comfortable tanks & tees and of course your favorite new Linea Pelle Dylan, Alyssa or Janis handbag & start workin it! You don’t have to spend a fortune to update your look!

Click here to read on...

If you aren’t familiar with Mary Norton handbags, let me introduce you. Several celebs have been spotted carrying her beyond exquisite clutches. There is something extremely unique and sophisticated yet totally wearable about Mary Norton handbags. Although I feel like I would love carrying one of her clutches as I grace the red carpet (ya, one day, right?), as I come back down to reality, I can still see myself carrying a clutch as I head out for the night.

And what’s better than carrying a clutch when you can find yourself a pair of gorgeous shoes as well? For those of you in the NYC area, it is yet again your lucky day. Check out the details below about the amazing sample sale Mary Norton is putting together. And of course, make sure to share your newest purchases with us!

Sale Address:12 W 57th Street, Suite 401 New York, NY 10019 (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
Sale Hours: Tues – Wed. 9-6pm; Thurs. 9-8pm; Fri. 9-5pm
Start / End Sale Dates: Tues. April 21 – Fri. April 24
Telephone: 212-265-5800

Like so many days set aside for some sort of theme, I sometimes wonder why we *need* a day dedicated to the Earth. I mean, just like I think every day of the year should be filled with love, I definitely think we should keep the Earth in mind on a daily basis as well. Yet, if it takes setting aside one day a year to really bring the environment into focus, well, I’ll take it.

In honor of Earth Day, here at Purse Blog, we are going to set aside a little bit of time to bring you eco-friendly fashion. To start things off, I was ecstatic to see that Yves Saint Laurent has a green side. In conjunction with the release of the PPR-sponsored film “Home”, YSL has created limited-edition t-shirts, tanks and totes made with organic cotton. Make sure to check out select YSL boutiques in early June to snag these green-inspired fashion items. While the movie “Home” is about raising environmental consciousness, it is fabulous that YSL’s involvement helps boost awareness – fashionably.

Via WWD.com

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Or, in the case of luxury retailers, they plan cocktail parties.

As it turns out, the opening of a temporary Hermes Hamptons store that we told you about a few days ago is not an isolated incident; instead, it’s a high-profile part of a larger trend. With fewer people able to afford their products, and some of those that can balking at the idea of conspicuous consumption, stores are having to do more to attract customers than they ever have in past memory.

The most obvious way to increase purchases would be to cut prices, but when a huge part of a brand’s image is their prohibitive price points and exclusive reputation, doing this that a big-box retailer like Best Buy would do to to attract customers isn’t what’s on their mind. Keeping the brand’s mystique intact is essential in order for them to keep doing business when the economy picks back up, and destroying their image of exclusivity now would probably be the luxury retail equivalent of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. In order to survive long-term, people like Saks need you to be willing to still pay full price when things are back to normal and we’re not all afraid of losing our jobs.

Click here to keep reading...

You guys!!! Great news!!! Our beloved Project Runway is going to return to television after all! According to Women’s Wear Daily (I actually read about this on their Twitter feed, so yes, you can learn things from Twitter after all!), NBC Universal (who owns Bravo) and the Weinstein Co., who produce the show, have settled their forever-long lawsuit over the fate of the show.

What does this mean? It means that Project Runway can return to the airwaves, which is great. But it also means that it’s returning to the airwaves on Lifetime, which is less great. At least to me – Lifetime’s programming tends to be less edgy and hip than that of Bravo, so I hope that PR doesn’t lose any of it’s cool, insider-y appeal. I’ve heard rumors that PR will eventually be moved to Los Angeles under Lifetime’s control, and if that’s true, then this is a sad day instead of a happy one. For now, I’m just glad that it will be resurfacing at all. There’s no premier date for season 6, but we know that the season has already been shot and the designers have already shown at Fashion Week, so I’m hoping they won’t delay it for too long.

Based on the activity on the Forum, it seems like our readers are very, very interested in trying to identify what celebrities are wearing, both in real life and in movies. In general, there’s more interest in female celebs, but when we got these great pictures of Clive Owen in the new movie Duplicity, I thought that this was something you ladies would like to see. Or at least something I wanted to spend some time looking at and thinking about. Ahem.

Click for more pretty pictures

This has nothing to do with handbags, admittedly, but it is an urgent fashion message that I feel needs to reach the public as quickly as possible. Ladies and gentlemen, jumpsuits are not your friend. Oh, the fashion magazines want you to believe that they are. They want you to think “hey, one piece outfit, that’s so easy!” But it’s not easy, dear readers. It’s heinous. It will take your midsection and turn it into a lumpy sack of cottage cheese. Think you’re immune? You’re not.

A jumpsuit will find the area you hate most on your body and practically paint a target on it. It’s like a “look at me!” sign for your love handles, saddle bags, or tummy pooch. Do you have the audacity to have a top bigger than your bottom or a bottom bigger than your top? Well the jumpsuit says that they’re now the same size, despite whatever conventional reality says! Why? Because they now both have to be covered by a single garment! And it’s not just the catwalk, ladies – I have seen these in regular mall stores, beckoning the clueless masses to cross over to the dark side and dress in a waist-eating, belly-fat-hugging jumpsuit. Do your future self a favor. Don’t ever be in a position to be photographed in one of these, because the pictures will haunt you forever, and you’ll embarrass your children. Just say “no!” to these unflattering monstrosities, and remember:

Friends don’t let friends wear jumpsuits.

Picture courtesy of Net-A-Porter