IT IS HERE! The annual Neiman Marcus Christmas Book has arrived. Expect the expected holiday gifts from clothing to handbags along with over the top crazy expensive gifts and gift packages. This year I am a bit disappointed with the absurd. I have no use for a cupcake car, but I really want a tree fort built on a private island while Bono sings for me and Chef Ramsey cooks.

Included in the book are two new pieces from Judith Leiber. Judith Leiber found inspiration in the animal kingdom and designed the regal “Gobi” Camel and noble “Maharaja” elephant minaudieres. Both are hand encrusted with Austrian crystals as they open to store evening essentials. There is a 19″ tuck-away chains shoulder strap. Camel is 4 1/2″H x 5 1/2″W x 3 1/4″D; elephant is 4″H x 5 1/2″W x 2 1/2″D. Again, there is no way to label these pieces as anything other than art work, worthy of your china cabinet at home. These regal ornate pieces are fun to look at. I am not about to drop $4,995 for the camel or $5,995 for the elephant; however, I will continue to look for free and find beauty in her designs. Buy through Neiman Marcus.

Alexander McQueen. He wins. He wins at innovation, he wins at Paris Fashion Week, he wins at life. His collection was so mesmerizing, so totally awe-inspiring, that I don’t even need to see the rest of the shows to declare him the victor.

McQueen titled his show “Plato’s Atlantis,” and the aquatic, amphibious influence was clear from look one. Other designers this season have shown us visions of the world, post-apocalypse, but this collection may be the most fully realized of any of them. Not only do the clothes depict an eventual devolution from woman to sea creature, but so do the towering, sculptural platform shoes (more on those in a post later today), the prostheses that were applied to the model’s brows, and the molded, horn-like hair looks. When McQueen tells a story, he goes all out.

Regardless of the story, these clothes were nothing but mind-blowingly beautiful. The prints were some of the most interesting I’ve ever seen at Fashion Week, and they also represented a step towards fashions technological future – they were digitally designed. In greens, browns, teals and blues, they formed sculpted, architectural cocktail dresses that were unlike any you’ll find at a store near you.

The attention to detail that was paid – the ruching, seaming, pintucking, and beading – was worthy of any superlative that you can imagine. McQueen brings a decidedly couture sensibility to his pret-a-porter, and he continues to lead the way in innovation. This collection embodies what fashion can be, on its best days – fantastical, experimental, full of ideas.

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If the clothes of Christophe Decarnin’s Spring 2010 collection for Balmain were the costumes for a movie, that movie would be Beyond Thunderdome 2: In Da Club.

The clothes are straight from the closet of a post-apocalyptic party girl; they’re equal parts grunge and glam, which continues and builds upon the half dozen or so trends that Balmain single-handedly spawned with their Fall 2009 effort (if you’ve bought any daytime sequins or hard shoulders for fall, thank Christophe Decarnin).

This season was another one filled with military jackets, glitter, epaulets, and deconstruction to the point of near-demolition. But these garments were less glam-industrial and more dystopian-fabulous, which means we got them in shades of gold and bronze instead of silver and graphite.

The glittering tanks that looked a bit like ultrafine chain mail were a standout under the types of jackets that have come to be a Balmain classic under Decarnin – lots of embellishment on top of statement shoulders and a militaristic aesthetic, smart shrunken leather blazers, and a vague marching band vibe here and there. And it sounds ridiculous, and it was, but also incredibly brilliant.

And if you don’t like it, well, too bad. Much of chain retail is going to be ripping off this collection in every way imaginable in a few months, and you’re going to be hard pressed to find something on-trend that doesn’t look like it came from this runway.

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Salvatore Ferragamo is one of those brands that flies under the radar for so many of us. But it shouldn’t. Time and time again I find Ferragamo bringing us the most delectable bags. They are simple, understated, and elegant but there is always a wow factor. I will always reference the Ferragamo Carlotta, an oversized alligator bag that exuded brilliance with its exotic skin and shape.

Next up on our Ferragamo love list, the Salvatore Ferragamo Gathered Leather Hobo. From the moment I laid eyes on this bag I adored it. The red leather is showcased by gentle pleating. The chain link leather handle has a finely crafted twisted strap, which is the wow factor on this bag. This bag is great in red, but Ferragamo also has a black version which Eva Mendes was spotted carrying in Italy.

Every handbag collection needs a vivacious red bag and I find myself wanting to add this piece to my collection. Quality and craftsmanship is superb on Ferragamo bags. The inside features a zipped and two open pockets. Overall measurements are 16½”W X 15″H X 3½”D. Buy through Saks for $1,790.

If you don’t think that John Galliano is a mad genius and we’re just all lucky to be living in the same world with him, then you haven’t been paying attention.

For Spring 2010, his collection for Christian Dior connected beautifully to the retro-and-structured-underthings look that he had showed earlier this year during Haute Couture week, and the 40s film noir looks were exactly what you would expect a dizzy dame to wear when walking into a smoky private eye’s office.

Galliano knows his audience for Dior, and I could see them buying up these ultra-glam cocktail dresses and floating evening gowns hand over fist. And not only are they beautiful, but they so thoroughly inhabit the brand’s history and mythology while still incorporating modern touches like tough leather bombers. The past and present meld gorgeously into looks that are not only art objects, but are also impressively wearable, for the most part. You know, if you go to those types of events.

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The leather on this handbag looks very similar to another bag we covered this week. Ah yes, the Bottega Veneta Boudoir Knot Clutch, with its chunky visible woven leather. Some of you did not like it on the BV clutch, but I am digging it on this Miu Miu bag.

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Swoon.

Is it just me, or was last night’s episode GREAT?

All in one hour of television, we got a crazy Tyra Banks cameo, the return of the “I’m Chuck Bass” line, references to Heart of Darkness, Jean Renoir’s World War II classic The Grand Illusion, and Dumbo, and a closing song so good that it just made me download Passion Pit’s entire album on iTunes.

See, Gossip Girl? This is what you can be if you really put your mind to it.

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In the immortal words of Carrie Bradshaw: “Hello, lover.”

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It is no secret that we are huge fans of Alexander McQueen at PurseBlog. His over the top fashion shows have editors, bloggers, and anyone who caught a glimpse of the show talking for months. Alexander McQueen himself is a private man, but we would give anything to be in his head (follow him on Twitter for the best chance to do so).

Tomorrow we will all be able to partake in the genius that is Alexander McQueen. McQueen is collaborating with ShowStudio to deliver the Spring Summer 2010 show entitled Plato’s Atlantis live from Paris. At 2:15 pm EST (8:15 pm Paris time), you can log on to watch an exclusive interview of McQueen with Nick Knight and watch the Spring Summer 2010 show.

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As long as Bottega Veneta continues to bring us new Knot Clutches, we will continue to cover them. There is something inherently simple yet completely stunning about these clutches. The box shaped body with rounded edges and the knot closure make this bag easy to spot. The reincarnations of this bag is what keeps us on our toes.

The reason that I like the Bottega Veneta Boudoir Intrecciato Knot Clutch it that it brings volume and dimension to the design.

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