Another major design house has joined the world of social media. As of August 1st, Yves Saint Laurent became official on both Twitter and Facebook to reach out with their fans and share news on fashion shows, products, special products and events, campaigns, and celebrity dressing.

Also, Yves Saint Laurent released the fifth edition of Manifesto featuring Christy Turlington, which was photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The Manifesto will be distributed in the streets of Paris, New York, Milan, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and for the first time in Seoul on Saturday, September 12, 2009. We will bring you more on the Manifesto when it goes live.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Lanvin bag that I wanted to carry everyday. Same for a brown bag – that color just doesn’t jibe well with my mostly black wardrobe, and as a result, I’m not commonly attracted to bags of that color since I know I won’t get much wear out of them. For some reason, though, those two things combine in the Lanvin Amalia Quilted Cabas Tote to make a bag that I’d love to wear.

A huge portion of the bag’s appeal is the milk chocolate leather. The bag is made entirely of lambskin, which looks so soft and tactile that I can’t help but want to reach through my screen and grope the bag. The surface is largely unobstructed by other design elements, and the result is a smooth expanse of leather that looks like it might actually taste like a Hershey bar if you licked it. Not that I’m advocating that you lick your bags, of course. But wouldn’t it be cool if it did? Even in it’s current state, I’d take this bag in a heartbeat. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1561.

Entirely unique, I will give this bag that much. And maybe that is what Emilio Pucci is going for. Why bring one more predictable clutch into the handbag world when you can bring an eclectic one to the bunch? The Emilio Pucci Bean Shaped Clutch truly is shaped like a bean and finished in a navy metallic shine. The body is a hard box clutch with a silver tone frame and push clasp opening. I would have to see this ‘bean’ in person to know exactly what would fit inside of it. This is a conversation piece. One of those funky bags you see someone carrying where you try not to stare but you continue to stare wondering what exactly it is and who created it. This is Emilio Pucci, it stays fun but strays away from his signature prints. The price tag is hefty and this is a clutch that I will be content to leave out of my collection. Though, I will admit, it did grab my attention. Buy through Net A Porter for $1385.

Despite the beauty of the last Nancy Gonzalez bag that we reviewed, the combination of exotics and non-exotics didn’t exactly inspire all of our commenters. Using multiple materials is difficult to pull off, for sure, but what about using two exotics? Is the whole more than the sum of its parts? I think it is for the Nancy Gonzalez Python/Crocodile Tote. And just look at the end result…

This may be one of my favorite Nancy Gonzalez bags of all time, which says a lot, given my penchant for exotics. This particular shade of blue-undertoned grey is fantastic for highlighting scale and texture differences on exotic skins and bringing out their natural patterns and variations, which is exactly what a well-designed exotic bag should do. Python is the main event here, making up the front and back of the bag, while the sturdier crocodile skin forms the bag’s gussets. I’d be interested to see what the bag would look like if the material usage was flipped, but either way, it’s still beyond gorgeous. The neat rows of studs that run on either side of the bag’s front panel are the perfect finishing touch and something slightly out of character for the designer – I hope we see more of it in the future. Buy through Saks for $3100.

One of the many reasons I love Bottega Veneta is for the understated elegance the brand conveys. When it comes to celebrities wearing Bottega Veneta, the crowd is typically the Hollywood starlets that we all adore for their personal style, sophistication and class. A long line of celebrities can be seen in the fabulous designs from Bottega Veneta and here are some of our favorites:

Penelope Cruz: In Cruise 2009/10 Fever Spring Gabardine Jacket [$1,900], Fever Jersey Top [$260], Fever Spring Gabardine Pant [$790], and Fall/Winter 2009 Whiskey Satin Karung Shoes [$860]

More of our favorite Bottega Veneta celeb looks...

Earlier today we brought you information on how the Bottega Veneta Cabat is constructed. You all adore the Lilac Cabat we featured. I love it too. The Lilac Cabat is simply elegant. Truth is that a different Cabat had my heart all along and finally I have the pleasure of featuring it for you all.

See the Limited Edition Reflet Cabat!

One of the staples for Bottega Veneta is Intrecciato. Intrecciato is the technique of weaving the leather, which as all of you know is now synonymous with the company. We wanted to find out more information about the history of Intrecciato from Bottega Veneta, how did it become such a large part of the company today? Here is what we were told:

Click to learn the history behind the famous Intrecciato...

      

An elongated clutch, the Bottega Veneta Parure Karung is inspired by decorations from haute couture. The beauty of this bag is that it is a clutch, but Bottega Veneta heard the requests from their audience and added a strap to enable comfortable shoulder wearing. It is recommended to wear it over your right shoulder, such that your arm does not cover the beautiful embroidery. As expected, the craftsmanship and attention to detail is superb. The embroidery reminds me of a collection of buttons, scattered across the flap.

The official color is truffle. Now, the amount of time that it has taken Vlad to attempt to adjust the color in Photoshop in entirely unreasonable. Looking at BV Online, the color appears very deep brown, which is inaccurate. The actual brown of the Parure carries slight hues of orange and red. And while I am making this sound so complex, the truffle color from Bottega Veneta really is just an average brown. You must see it in person to grasp the actual color, even though I think our representation is somewhat accurate.

Color aside, the easy/west shape of the clutch works well with taller frames. It is not a dainty clutch but it is still elegant. On the runway, the clutch was paired with beautiful hues of metallic lilac and held in hand. I prefer it as a clutch with a long wrist strap, since small shoulder bags seem to appear too tiny on my 5′10 frame. Measurements are 5.3 x 12.9 x 2.0 inches. Buy through Bottega Veneta for $2400.