Mark Wahlberg and his longtime girlfriend, model Rhea Durham, were married in an intimate ceremony this weekend. Every bride should be the center of attention on their day and Rhea Durham looked nothing short of stunning on her day. Rhea wore an Goddess like Marchesa silk chiffon strapless empire gown along with her Neil Lane diamond-and-platinum cushion cut ring. Everything about the gown and bride make this our weekend obsession. For more on MARCHESA visit their online site. Congrats to Mark and Rhea!

We receive countless emails everyday about new and emerging designers that want us to take a look at their line. I wish we had enough time in the day to be able to cover all of them, but we do not. What helps a designer stand out to us is their bags possessing a unique quality. Uniqueness catches my eye first, one of those ‘Ah, haven’t seen anything like that before‘ moments. That is precisely what I feel about LaLucca Handbags. The head designer of LaLucca, Laura Pimentel, was born in the Dominican Republic and trained in both Europe and the USA. Her design aesthetic jumps out and grabs you instantaneously, especially with the LaLucca Art Bag collection.

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Just another version of one of the coveted Proenza Schouler bags. We have introduced you to nearly every version of the Proenza Schouler PS1 that has been released and this one is not much different. Main difference is the size, this is the Proenza Schouler Extra Large PS1 which not only is larger but also moves the price tag up into an extra large number. I prefer the medium size but if I am being completely honest with you I really just want the Crocodile Satchel. The chocolate suede looks scrumptious. What are your thoughts on the size? Buy through Net A Porter for $2,350.

Ladies, the Real Housewives of New Jersey ain’t got nothin’ on the Real Housewives of Atlanta. If you had forgotten, let the first episode of their second season remind you: the heat down here makes people crazy. It’s 10:30 in the morning as I’m writing this and it’s nearing 90 degrees outside – you’d get upset quickly too.

Maybe I have a special place in my heart for the Atlanta housewives because all of their shenanigans go down in my hometown, but I can’t help but think that they’re probably my favorite ones. I had a brief love affair with the New Jerseyites, but their reunion left me kind of glum and unimpressed, whereas the Atlantans have never done anything but delight me with their awfulness. And don’t get it twisted – that’s what we’re all here for.

And my Atlanta compatriots didn’t disappoint in their premiere. Since we saw them last season, alliances and residences have shifted, relationships have ended, and they started things off in the only appropriate way: a fight where a grown man had to be physically removed from his place of business, lest he punch Sheree in the face.

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Tory Burch toughens up her line of handbags with a bit of rocker studded chic. We love these studded Tory Burch handbags. There are many options for studded handbags this fall and Tory’s collection fuses classic silhouettes with contrast gold pyramid studs. The tailored shapes will pair nicely with a daytime outfit consisting of this fall’s uniform of leggings and ankle boots. Available in a variety of designs the Tory Burch group of studded bags includes several styles available in black and cognac.

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Studs continue to make their mark for fall/winter 2009 handbags. Some of you may not love a large studded bag and that is precisely why a clutch or accessory is the perfect way to add a little stud in your life. We are huge fans of Jimmy Choo and are happy to bring you a fabulous giveaway from Jimmy Choo!

New for autumn/winter 2009, the Jimmy Choo Filipa Wallet features luscious black Nappa leather with gold triangle studs. The price is $795. This wallet is so hot that it is already out of stock at Jimmy Choo. But we got our hands on one for one of you!

TO ENTER: Visit JimmyChoo.com and tell us your favorite item! Post your answers in the comments section of this post and you will be entered to win the Filipa Wallet. Contest runs from July 20th through August 3rd at 4:00 PM EST. Open for both US and international users.

It’s rare that I see a technique that I haven’t seen used somewhere before. After all, I spend 40 hours a week (sometimes more, depending on how inefficient I am) looking at handbags; if a weird leather trick or a trim idea or a shape is out there, I’ve probably come across it out of professional necessity at some point. To a certain extent, there is nothing new under the sun – designers rip off each other and their own brands’ design history as much out of necessity as anything.

Which is part of the reason that I like the Salvatore Ferragamo Studded Jazz Satchel: the petal effect of the cut leather is not something you or I see every day. It’s incredibly intricate (and for the price, I certainly hope it was done by hand) without taking away from the essential function of the bag, which is a trick that not all designers execute skillfully. Usually I’m not a fan of brown, but in this case, keeping the color neutral and unobtrusive was the wiser decision. Although, now that I think of it, the tiny studs are silver – wouldn’t this bag be cooler in black? It looks less industrial this way, though, and maybe that will appeal to a wider customer base. Still, black version? Please? Or maybe not, since it’s so hideously expensive that I can’t buy it anyway. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $3845.

About a month ago, the Purse Blog team attended the Kayne West Shoe launch at Louis Vuitton Bal Harbour. We did not leave with a new pair of sneakers, but I left crushing on a new handbag. One of our favorite SA’s at LV (the entire staff at LV Bal Harbour is amazing) showed me a new clutch that I adored. The Louis Vuitton Sobe Clutch is the all-around perfect attention getter. The patent leather appears liquified and the LV signature in golden brass finishes the clutch off beautifully.

The original Vernis bags were named after streets in downtown NYC. When I first saw the name of this clutch I wondered if Louis Vuitton named it after another famous city, South Beach. After talking with my SA at LV today I can confirm that the Sobe clutch is indeed named after South Beach, which is perfectly fitting for this clutch. All about style and easy to take out into the nightlife, this clutch is nothing but hot. Fergie wore the much loved belt that accompanies this bag to the LV show last month. Size is 4.3″ x 10.2″ x 2.2″. Buy through Louis Vuitton for $895.

On the one hand, I think the JCrew Lugano Leather Suitcase is really pretty. It looks really well made, and J. Crew’s website says that it’s manufactured by some big-deal Italian manufacturer called Dell’Ga. I’m sure they’re awesome, and I’m sure this is a wonderful suitcase. BUT IT’S BASICALLY WHITE! I know the color is called “stone,” which implies that there’s some grey to it, but still. Almost white. And a decent-sized suitcase seems like it would be the single most impractical thing in the world to manufacture in such a light color.

Airports are disgusting (at least to me) in pretty much every way imaginable, and I don’t like putting my cheap duffel bag on the dirty conveyor belt to be checked, let alone a nearly $2000 piece of nearly white handcrafted luggage. It also doesn’t have any little wheelies on it, meaning you’re lugging it by yourself, and it weighs nearly nine pounds when completely empty. The price, the color, and the lack of functionality lead me to only one conclusion – these bags are made for those that have OTHERS that see to it that their luggage arrives safely at their destination. Buy through J.Crew for $1800.

I can’t wear heels. I won’t get into the story of exactly why because it’s gruesome and I don’t want to ruin the next few minutes of your life, but suffice it to say, heels are not an option. Also, I can’t wear most knee-high boots because I have enormous calves, and most designers don’t embrace the big calf market. So my ability to appreciate and enjoy the new over-the-knee-boot trend is limited to merely watching from a distance, so that’s what I’m here to do: which of you girls out there have jumped the bandwagon and bought them already, and which of you plan to later?

If ever there was a pair of shoes that was worth an astronomical price tag, it’s these. The construction of a shoe that will cover that much of your leg has to be so precise and well-designed that I’m not sure how well this style will fair at retail. One of my favorite pairs so far is the Yves Saint Laurent Over-the-Knee Boots since they have a bit of stretch and will be more forgiving on more leg structures. If you can pull it off, though, I think you should absolutely go for it – maybe with some tights and a tunic for maximum boot exposure.

And what type of handbag should be worn with these boots? Probably something with a simple, clean design, although the size would be negotiable depending on whether you were rocking them during the day or night. The most important thing to remember with a shoe like this, though, is that what you’re wearing shouldn’t compete with them. So are you going to wear them once the weather turns cold? Buy through Saks for $1745.