In The News

Right off the bat I will tell you that this article may get many of you really worked up. The fact of the matter is that a writer from the Miami Herald took a trip to Chinatown while visiting NYC on a hunt for an array of fake bags for herself, family, and friends. Her writing style is witty and fun, but the message behind her article really is bothersome. Elaine Pasekoff, the author, gives a play by play of how she went about getting the fake handbags. What I find most disturbing is the blurb under the seemingly pointless “Illegal Business” titled “Homework”. The homework section entails a list of how-to’s for getting ready to buy a fake bag. The list is intense and ultimately, leads people to find better ways to support the illegal manufacturing and distributing of counterfeit handbags.

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Designers Be Inthavong and Steve Dumain started Be & D out of their kitchen in 2004. Now, the handbags and brand are widely recognized and carried in stores world wide and by an array of celebrities. Be & D has recently launched their website, where there is a bio, a shopping section, and an area to view the collections. Not only do they have their handbag collection, but also a new and amazing show collection and amazing belts. I am waiting to see what Be and Steve have for their Resort 2008 collection!

View the website at BeAndD.com

We have all seen it when looking at some huge online retailers (Saks, Neimans, etc); a limit placed on the amount of bags we can buy. Have you ever thought why there is a limit? An article in yesterdays New York Times gets down to the bottom of why there is a limit on these goods, and much of it has to do with the weak dollar. We all know the dollar is weak, we see it when we travel, we hear it on the news, it affects us. But for all of the handbag aficionados it is affecting us more than we know. In February, luxury brand Hermes will have a much larger than usual price increase (rumored to be around 12% which is absolutely insane) because of the weak dollar. While it is just part of the iceberg, the US dollar being so weak does effect what happens to the designer market. This is a very interesting read below:

Article via NYT and writer Eric Wilson

FOR products that are truly in demand, like Wii game consoles, tickets to the Super Bowl or cans of corn Niblets on double-coupon day, it may seem reasonable to limit the number a customer can buy at one time.

But readers of the fine print on the Web sites of luxury retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman may be surprised to discover that such a policy also now applies to designer handbags, like Prada’s latest ruched nylon styles, which cost $1,290; Bottega Veneta’s signature woven leather hobos, at $1,490; and the new rectangular Yves Saint Laurent clutch that looks like a postcard addressed to the designer (with a $1,395 stamp).

“Due to popular demand,” potential shoppers are warned, “a customer may order no more than three units of these items every 30 days.”

Popular, the bags may be. But how many of the customers who can afford them really want more than one, or for that matter, three?

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In July, editor of Pop magazine, Katie Grand, was named the replacement of Mulberry’s creative director, Stuart Vevers who is moving to Loewe in January. But Mulberry did not have an easy time assigning a new creative director, because just a few weeks ago Grand resigned only a few months before she was set to begin. While the reasoning for her resigning is still unknown, Mulberry had to re-start their search. Mulberry found another replacement naming Emma Hill as the creative director whose designs will debut with the spring 2009 collection. Emma Hill has previously worked at Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Chloe, and Gap.

[press info below]

Mulberry announces the appointment of Emma Hill as Creative Director with effect from the Spring/Summer 2009 collections.

Emma is a widely acclaimed designer who is credited with the success of accessories collections for many of the great brands including the launch of Marc by Marc Jacobs and bags for Gap.

A Ravensbourne graduate, Emma is looking forward to coming home to a British brand after her years in New York and Paris.

Emma says “I’ve always loved Mulberry and look forward lending my skills to build on the brand’s exciting recent achievements and secure its position in the international marketplace.”

Mulberry welcomes Emma Hill to head the design team and oversee all creative functions of the company. Lisa Montague looks forward to bolstering the creative force of Mulberry as the brand embarks on new challenges and brings in resource for future development.

Britney Spears simply can not catch a break. After a horribly custody battle, and in the midst of a divorce, the pop-tart had an attempted come back. Yet her performance on MTV was horrid and now Louis Vuitton won their lawsuit against the Britney Spears music video that violated counterfeiting laws by showcasing a pink Vuitton-upholstered dashboard. The video has been pulled off the air (and off the internet) for now.

A Paris civil court ordered Sony BMG and MTV Online to stop broadcasting or marketing the video for “Do Something” in any form and fined them 80,000 euros ($117,000) apiece, a spokeswoman for Paris-based Louis Vuitton said Monday. The ruling was handed down last week.

In the opening scenes of the video, Spears appears in the driver’s seat of a hot pink Hummer floating on make-believe clouds. One shot shows fingers drumming on a dashboard covered with what looks like Vuitton’s “Cherry Blossoms” design: dark pink blossoms on a pale pink, weblike background, embossed with the “LV” logo.

The court did not find Spears herself guilty but ruled that Sony BMG and MTV Online were guilty of violating counterfeiting laws. The ruling said the video constituted an “attack” on Louis Vuitton’s brands and its luxury image, the spokeswoman said.

It was not immediately clear how the ban would be enforced, or whether the companies would appeal.

Read the entire article HERE at Fox News.

To all of you ski bunnies, we have great news for you!! If you will be headed to Colorado, which houses some of the most luxurious ski resorts, Colorado will now also house one of the most luxurious fashion houses. That is right, the first Hermes store in Colorado will be opening in the NorthCreek development in Denver’s Cherry Creek North shopping district. The store will be a great size, spanning 3,000-square-foot, and will be located at First Avenue and Fillmore Street. The projected opening is late 2008, so while you plan next years ski trip, think of Denver. The Denver store will be the Hermes Group’s 24th U.S. store.

When you go on a ski trip, do you make everyone stop to shop with you?

Read the full article HERE.

Love her or hate her, it is not new knowledge that Rachel Zoe is the driving force behind many of today’s trends. From celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Lindsay Lohan to Salma Hayek, Zoe decides what is the best look and the rest of the world scavengers to attain that look. Zoe has a profound influence and impact on the fashion world. The dress that you went out to buy, the shoes you yearned for, the oversized sunglasses you had to have, were all catapulted from what Zoe decided was hot.

Rachel Zoe wanted to share her fashion tips and secrets with the world, writing the book Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour. If you are looking for this book to turn you into a Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, or even Rachel Zoe, don’t expect that. But do expect this book to help you pave your way and your style. The first tip Zoe gives is the most important piece of advice; ‘know thyself and create your own look’. Don’t buy something because you saw it on a celebrity, buy it because it looks good on you and fits your style. What you all will love is that Rachel Zoe depends on accessories to make our break your outfit, she believes accessories are more important than clothes. That statement alone lured me in, because it is the statement I live by and agree with. As far as handbags go, Zoe is a firm believer in sticking to a quality classic rather than a logo-splattered bag. Thumbs up from me thus far!

The book proceeds to lead you through her tips, yet the idea that rings out loud and clear is to wear what you like, feel comfortable in your skin, and don’t be afraid to be bold and daring. If you buy a quirky and in-your-face dress, wear it. Carry yourself with confidence and you will project an image of confidence in your skin. The book does not make you into something that you are not, rather it guides you to find your sense of style and what works for you best. Rachel finishes the book off with an important statement; The meaning of life is living it.

This book was a fun read, which illustrates Zoe’s list of must haves but allows you to tweak your style along the way. I plan on keeping this book on my coffee table for some time, offering guests to my home a conversation piece from one of the most influential icons in the fashion world.

Buy the book at Amazon for $16.49.

Saks is featuring a Limited Edition t-shirt designed by Juicy Couture in which all proceeds with benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation Women’s Cancer Research Fund. The Juicy Couture Key To The Cure T-Shirt reads “Viva La Cure” in pink lettering with a subdued sparkle. A fun and chic shirt for a great fund, which goes toward advancing scientific research to help with better detection of breast cancer and other cancers. I already bought mine! Via Saks for $35.

Furthermore, if you are in the market for a new car (and you want it to support Breast Cancer), check out the Mercedes Benz Special Edition C350 Sport Sedan. This is a revamped style for Mercedes Benz, with an ultimate sporty outside and a powerful 268 hp 3.5 liter V-6 engine. I test drove this car last week, and it was sporty, agile, and sexy (especially the front and back seat sun roof!). The car starts around $31,000 but this version is likely to be over $40,000. 1000 of these special edition cars are being made and will all help Mercedes-Benz raise $1 million to support Saks’ Key To The Cure campaign. More info at Saks and Mercedes Benz.

A woman in St. Petersburg, Florida made a starling discovery, finding $65,000 in a plastic bag this week. Rather than keeping the money, the woman told her supervisor who called the police to turn it in. Turns out the money fell off a Loomis armored car. Talk about an honest person.

Vlad and I already had an interesting debate on this matter. He said he would take the money and I said I would call the authorities. I also questioned if you can face legal ramifications if you do indeed take the money, that obviously does not belong to you.

So let’s have a weekend debate: If you found a bag full of money, would you keep it? Why or why not? Do you think you could face legal troubles?

Story via Yahoo News

One of New York’s most recognizable hotels is celebrating its birthday with a bag tonight. 100 years of luxury and service, New York City’s Plaza Hotel has become a staple to New York and the world. The Plaza has been under renovation, turning part of the space into some of the hottest and most expensive condos in NYC. The hotel will still be open, offering its meticulous and detail oriented service, with room rates starting around $800 and booked for the next few months. If you are one of the lucky to be at the party tonight, you will be enjoying delectable mini-Plaza cakes, fireworks, and many other luxuries. My father is one of the lucky ones, he is in NYC right now enjoying the 100th Birthday of the Plaza. Hopefully he will let me in on some of the great details of one of the biggest parties and biggest anniversaries of NYC history!

Read more at NYT