I’m always so thrilled when a young designer whose clothes I love finally dips his or her toe into the accessories waters. Because of the profitability of bags, shoes and small leather goods, adding those lines to a brand often helps smaller designers grow their businesses and expand their capabilities, which is great for fashion lovers on two fronts. Not only does the influx of cash nurture young talent, but it gives us great new bags like these Mary Katrantzou Printed Leather Pouches.

Finding a leather bag that’s affordable, American-made and not totally hideous can feel like a bit of a chore at times. Want quality craftsmanship? It’s gonna cost ya. Natural materials? It’s gonna cost ya even more. Once you’ve cleared those two hurdles, you have to find a bag you actually like from the small pool of contenders. If you’ve found yourself in that unenviable position before, we’d like to introduce you to Clare Vivier Handbags.

I know when you hear Tiffany & Co. the first thing that comes to mind is jewelry, not leather goods. But the brand known for the little blue boxes is fast on its way to become known for its big blue boxes as well. After Tiffany tapped established handbag designers Richard Lambertson and John Truex, it became apparent that the brand was ready to make a major splash in the handbag market.

When I first heard Alice and Olivia would be debuting bags, I jumped for joy a little bit. As a long time fan of the brand and a long time fan of Stacey Bendet on Instagram (follow her, she loves rainbows and yoga and is hilarious!), I knew this foray into the handbag world would be a fun one. When peeks of what was to come were leaked on Stacey’s Instagram account, it became clear that we would be seeing everyday bags in an interesting way, with rainbow-embossed snakeskin and black-and-white leather playing a key role.

We’ve long been fans of British designer Matthew Williamson’s highly detailed haute-boho clutches and evening bags, so we couldn’t be happier to hear Vogue UK’s report that Williamson plans to expand into a full-fledged handbag line. That Williamson is ready and rarin’ to go with ten promo shots of the line’s five different designs only makes the whole proposition sweeter. Launching a line into a crowded accessories market can be a minefield, but what we have here is a promising start.

I’ve been a longtime Valentino fan, and since the brand hit handbag paydirt with its Rockstud collection, it’s been fun to watch how the accessories continue to evolve. When I first heard the news that the brand would release a camouflage collection, I immediately felt excitement. The first release of the Valentino Camouflage is a men’s collection, with women’s to follow.

It seems so hard to pop into the handbag world out of nowhere and grab hold of enough attention to get things going, but sometimes designers manage to make that happen; at the moment, Belstaff is on a roll. Don’t be confused, Belstaff has been making men’s and women’s bags and shoes since 1924, but in the past few months the revival has been amazing.

BCBG Max Azria is a name we all know, but I’m not sure I’ve ever really looked to the brand for its accessories. That’s all going to change now, though, because after playing with some BCBG bags last week, I’m hooked. Not only are the styles really chic, but the prices are also so fair that each item seems like a smart choice.

Now that the first of the year has come and gone, almost all the Fall 2012 stock has gone on sale and Resort 2013 is firmly ensconced as the in-store season of the moment. You know what that means, right? Time to start the Spring 2013 lookout, especially for new bag shapes and styles from our favorite brands. We’re officially kicking off the season with the Givenchy Lucrezia Satchel, a bag that will likely appeal to the many fans of bags like the Louis Vuitton Sofia Coppola Duffels and the Chloe Madeline Satchel.