New designs that are affordable and fun all at the same time are hard to find. But with the internet, a few clicks can lead you to a great hidden treasure and that is precisely what I have come up with when I stumbled upon the Diana Eng Fortune Cookie Coin Purses. Aren’t these adorable?

The best part is that Diana Eng decided to make these novelty items while also being socially conscious. The pouch is made in the USA and crafted from recycled leather. The really interesting aspect is that each purse has a unique number on it so you can go to the Diana Eng website and track the origin of the leather your exact pouch is made of. Much of the leather comes from remnant leather from the garment district, so all the scraps some of our other favorite designers left behind are used to create these adorable purses.

And what is a fortune cookie without a fortune? There is a fortune inside each pouch which makes this just as fun as cracking open a fortune cookie (without the sometimes cardboard-like cookie, of course). The shopping season is upon us, and these make great gift ideas. The price is a reasonable $65 via Diana Eng online.

When I started PurseBlog in 2005, I owned 2 bags. My love of handbags has been with me from a very young age, but my collection didn’t start to expand rapidly until after this site was already up and running. As a biproduct of having carried so many different bags in that time, I’ve learned not only about the intricacies of the purses in my collection, but also what I think makes for a good bag overall. To share the results of our trials and errors, we’re introducing a new category to PurseBlog, Purseonals.

Amanda and I will get purseonal with our readers and share honest reviews of the bags we own and rate them on our Purseonals scale. We’ve come up with the five major categories within our rating system: Aesthetics, Usability + Functionality, Quality + Construction, Value, and Staying Power.

We’ve determined five essential categories for evaluating a bag, and each design will receive a rating of one to five stars for each element. The categories are as follows:

1. Aesthetics – The appearance and overall visual design of the bag.

2. Usability + Functionality – Does this bag do the job we expected it would? Is it easy to get in and out of and can you easily organize all of your belongings inside of it for whatever time of day it’s intended to be carried? Is it comfortable to carry?

3. Quality + Construction – Do the materials, including the leather, hardware and stitching, hold up to regular use?

4. Value – Are you getting what you paid for?

5. Staying Power – Is this a bag you can wear for years, or will it be a one-season wonder?

So, if you’ve ever wondered our true thoughts on the purses we own, be ready to see how each of our bags stacks up next to the others. Our first Purseonals will be coming to you next week!

If you’ve done any shopping in the contemporary department of your local high-end department store in the past few years, then you’re probably well familiar with the slightly retro, very It Girl look of Vena Cava. The brand works brilliantly with off-kilter prints and vintage inspiration to create memorable clothes at a somewhat attainable price point, and according to Women’s Wear Daily, we’ll also be seeing handbags from the insider-favorite line in the near future.

During the designer’s presentation dinner a few days ago, the duo behind Vena Cava gave editors and buyers a little thrill by including bags, which they called “purposefully nondescript,” on the arms of their model-muses. There aren’t any detail shots just yet, but almost all of the lookbook outfits include bags, and it seems as though Vena Cava has the basis for a bright handbag future that will make the brand’s devotees very happy. The line will be priced from $275 to $550, and we have more photos after the jump.

Admittedly, it’s two bags for the price of one still-quite-expensive handbag, but just look at ‘em! It’s kind of hard to find fault with structured dark grey snakeskin, in my very humble (ok, not-so-humble) opinion. The L’Wren Scott Large Lulu Python Tote echoes the design of L’Wren’s famous dresses – strong, modern and tailored to great effect.

When introducing a new segment of a brand, I can’t stress how important it is to ensure that the new products have some sort of aesthetic connection to the old ones. If you already have a dedicated audience that’s willing to spend money (lots of money) on the things that you make, failing to cater to those people with new products doesn’t make any sense. And yet, every year, brands come out with bags that have seemingly nothing to do with the brand images they’ve worked so hard to create with the other parts of their lines.

That’s a pitfall that Scott has avoided splendidly. Her ultra-tailored dresses are the stuff of buy-on-in-every-color legend in the high-end ready-to-wear market, and an exotic but restrained satchel perfectly translates that into the accessories world. Including the clutch wallet with the large model is perhaps a small stroke of genius, because it gives the purchase a sense of value; an added incentive for existing customers to get their feet wet with the handbag line, if you will. Whether you’re already a L’Wren Scott fan or not, this bag is totally worth a look. Buy through Matches for $4307.

Growing up, I had my lunch made for me every morning by my mom. In a brown paper bag, she meticulously packed healthy foods that no one wanted to trade for at lunch (thanks mom, you were ahead of the curve!). My childhood was filled with brown paper bags, and for this reason the Marie Turnor Picnic Bag called out to me from the first time I stumbled upon it.

You can’t tell me there is not a tinge of nostalgia you feel when you see this bag. Whether you had an awesome hard case lunchbox or bought lunch everyday, the brown paper bag was part of all of our lives in someway or another. Marie Turnor uses this design to give us a pouch-like bag that can easily work as a clutch or be placed inside of a larger bag to hold some essentials.

The best part after the design is the price. For only $175, the Picnic Bag holds plenty of items at 8″ x 8″ x 2″. The Italian calf leather looks luscious and soft in the photos, so I hope it will not disappoint in the flesh.

If I bought this bag, it would end up getting most use as an organizational pouch thrown in a larger bag. The design rolls at the top and closes with a magnet, though I do not believe there are any organizational pockets on the interior. This bag could offer an easy accessory to the inside of your bag. There are many colors, but my vote hands down goes to the tan version. Buy via Marie Turnor for $175.

Well that was quick! We told you just last night about the newly announced capsule bag line that Current/Elliott founders Emily Current and Meritt Elliott would be doing for Kate Spade, and now we have images of all seven bags for you to peruse. As expected, the designs of Westward by Emily and Meritt for Kate Spade New York marry the competing East Coast and West Coast aesthetic of the two brands, and hopefully this time, no one will get shot. (RIP to Biggie and Pac.)

Images via Fashionista

The Row has two interesting and and seemingly incongruous distinctions: It’s a clothing line owned by former child stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and it’s one of the most expensive ready-to-wear lines in the entire industry. By all accounts, the prices of The Row’s garments come as a result of the Olsens’ desire to make clothing in as exacting and precise a way as possible instead of just having Another Celebrity Clothing Line, and even if the prices are out of your budget, their desire for quality instead of another quick buck is to be commended.

With the sisters’ bag choices being a topic of discussion in the fashion world for some time, it was only a matter of time until The Row launched a line of bags, as it has for Fall 2011. And wow, are these things expensive. The price points for the regular leather day bags and smaller lizard and ostrich bags are in the $5000 range, but I’ve been unable to find firm prices for the alligator pieces. To me, that means, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” And, well, that’s probably true. The bags will be available exclusively through Barneys and Barneys.com. As many photos of the collection as I could find, after the jump.

Photos via Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar

If there’s one thing on which we can all agree around here, it’s that fake bags are the opposite of awesome. Both eBay and the Council of Fashion Designers of America are on board that ship as well, and they’ve gotten together to start the “You Can’t Fake Fashion” tote bag campaign, which launches at 11 a.m. today on the eBay Fashion Vault.

To mark the launch of the $35 anti-fake tote bags, whose proceeds benefit the CFDA Foundation, eBay and the CFDA asked 50 American brands and designers to customize one-of-a-kind totes that will retail for $150 each. From a minimal, modernist version by The Row to appliqued black lace from Jason Wu to illustrations by Rodarte, the designers came through. Some of the designs are better than others, of course, but we’ve got pictures of all of them after the jump. Which one is your favorite? If you’d like to purchase one of the regular or customized totes to support eBay’s and the CFDA’s fight against fakes, visit the eBay Fashion Vault at 11 a.m. today.

Images courtesy of eBay

I know it’s old news that Nicole Richie has transformed herself from Paris Hilton’s snotty reality TV sidekick to a respectable mom with a very chic contemporary clothing line, but every time I hear something about House of Harlow, I can’t help but reflect on how far Richie has come. And now that House of Harlow has announced that it will expand into handbags for Fall 2011, I’ll probably be having those thoughts a lot more.

Women’s Wear Daily reports that the 14-piece collection will run the gamut of bag sizes from clutches (some seen above) to hobos, with prices ranging for $150 to $625. It’s surprising that it took the label this long to move into bags; Richie is known for her accessories, after all. Based on the clutches above, do you think you’ll be moved to buy a House of Harlow bag? They’ll be available through Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom and ShopBop.com.

Image via Refinery 29.

Usually when a Bravolebrity starts a handbag or clothing line of some sort, everyone rolls their eyes and frets about the state of the creative arts. But superstylist Rachel Zoe isn’t your average reality TV star; whether you like her personal aesthetic or not, you have to admit that she’s beyond brilliant at what she does. So when rumblings were first heard six months ago that Zoe would be releasing her own line of clothing, shoes and accessories, most people reserved judgment until the line had actually surfaced. The verdict? Not bad, Ms. Zoe. Not bad at all. Not revolutionary, but very serviceable.

Now that the pre-orders for the line are available exclusively through NeimanMarcus.com, we can finally get a close look at the bags and handle on the type of prices Zoe hopes to command. As it turns out, the bags are neutral and functional, and the prices fit right in to the contemporary market. We have purchase information and bigger pictures of our favorites after the jump, or you can shop the entire collection via Neiman Marcus.

Rachel Zoe Melissa Satchel, $475 via Neiman Marcus (this one is my personal favorite)

Rachel Zoe Audrey Snake-Embossed Shoulder Bag, $525 via Neiman Marcus

Rachel Zoe Mandana Satchel, $450 via Neiman Marcus