Images via Fashionista.com

Because I know we have so many Louis Vuitton fanatics around here, I couldn’t resist posting these first looks at the Louis Vuitton Spring 2012 ad campaign. If you followed our coverage of the Vuitton runway show a few months ago, you probably could have guessed how this campaign would look – pale, precious and ever so sweet. The brand tapped Steven Meisel to shoot Daria Strokous and Kati Nescher in the world’s most luxurious ice cream shop, and the result fit the mood of the clothing and accessories perfectly. Check out another shot after the jump.

I will admit to not fully understanding how the Marc Jacobs website works (People kept saying that they were having a 70% off sale yesterday but everything looked like it was full priced to me? What?), and the fact that Jacobs is using it to sell Olympia Le-Tan Book Clutches is just another thing about it that confuses me. I can’t think of another major high-end brand that sells things that aren’t actually its own products on its website.

Which means that as soon as I saw the clutches, I was ready to write a post about how Jacobs was the latest designer to jump on the book clutch bandwagon, but instead, it looks like the brand is using its huge reach to support an independent designer. Kind of a refreshing move, right?

We all know that it’s the season of giving, and that the warm fuzzies that come from making someone else’s day with a thoughtful token of your appreciation are totally worth all of the effort that you’re putting in to selecting the perfect presents. But what about you? The most important relationship of your life is the one that you have with yourself, after all. The Twitter hashtag #treatyoself has been going around for a while, and we think that for the holidays, it’s particularly apt.

Dealing with family and travel and arranging time off from work and making sure everyone else is happy is often a burden that falls disproportionately on the women in any given family, so we’ve arranged a small group of treats, all under $200, to inspire a little bit of self-appreciation. After all, if you’re going to cook Christmas dinner, you probably deserve presents above and beyond everyone else’s. If you have more ideas, leave them in the comments.

Our cheery red Marc by Marc Jacobs bag giveaway is coming to a close, but there is still time left to enter! You will receive this bag just in time for the holiday season if you are the lucky winner. Best part is entering is simple, it is all about commenting. Comment on any post on PurseBlog.com to be entered to win this lovely bag.

More photos and information can be found in the original thread!

Hey, handbag designers! We need to talk. Huddle up, it’s time for a chit chat.

I know that relatively inexpensive canvas totes probably sell well for you guys. They’re extremely low-margin compared to leather bags (which are already pretty low-margin compared to lots of consumer products), and having a strong brand name means you get to mark them up like crazy. I get it! I just don’t like it.

Take the Reed Krakoff Leather-Trimmed Canvas Tote, for example. When I first saw it, I got that little sparkly feeling in the back of my brain that happens as soon as I set eyes on something that I really like. Printed bags are under-appreciated, and this graphic python print in particular is quite nice. For a moment, I had hope that the bag was leather. Those hopes were quickly dashed.

Our friend’s at Ruelala are giving you a first look at the upcoming Kooba boutique which goes live later today. Kooba bags are known for their beautiful leathers and extremely wearable designs. Another major plus is the price point. Kooba falls into the contemporary designer category but their bags never disappoint and the materials used are always high quality.

If you are still looking for the perfect gift for someone special, a Kooba bag may be just the item. Vivacious colors, supple leathers, and chic designs means that these Kooba bags work for your college daughter or fun-loving mom.

We are big fans of Kooba and Ruelala here at PurseBlog, so don’t miss out on this amazing sale!

December 15th: It’s 10 days until Christmas and we’re in the thick of the holiday party season, where everyone’s wearing great winter textures like cashmere and fur and wool and leather and heavy beading. This is the greatest time of the year for someone who truly adores clothing and accessories, and yet, I feel as though I’m stuck in a spring state of mind. The brights just won’t let me go!

With bags like the Emilio Pucci Python Box Clutch and Emilio Pucci Python Shoulder Bag starting to pop up for resort and spring, it’s tough to get excited about charcoal and navy. I appreciate subtlety, but I really appreciate candy-neon snakeskin.