I worship Marc Jacobs. He’s my favorite. Really, I think just about everything he touches is brilliant, even the stuff that a lot of people don’t like. The one bag I will never eBay (and everyone that knows me and my handbags knows that I eBay everything eventually) is my black Stam from several years back. So when Megs asked me if I wanted to write up a show from New York Fashion Week, my response was more or less, “MARC JACOBS!!!!!!11!!1!,” because one of the most wonderful moments in an aspiring fashion writer’s life is the opportunity to write about one of the premier shows of New York Fashion Week, even if you don’t get to go (and besides, his show always starts late anyway, that diva).

So what did Marc have for us this season? Well, lots of things, my dears.

80’s shapes - sweaters and blazers with pronounced, exaggerated shoulder shapes were a recurring element in both brights and pastels, as well as some grey here and there. Often they were paired with long, skinny, high-waisted skirts for maximum effect - when compared to the thin line drawn on the bottom, the boldly shaped tops were even more striking.

Brights, sometimes mixed with pastels - I think cobalt blue is going to be for Spring ’09 what royal purple is shaping up to be for Fall ’08: the color that you have to have in some way, shape, or form. Solid-colored bright pieces were often mixed with softly colored, usually patterned pastels for a bit of an art school student look - wear that part of the trend with caution. For me, though, one of the highlights of the show was the mixing of brights with other brights, most notably when mustard yellow mixed with violet and cobalt rugby stripes on two of the collection’s most striking dresses.

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I think we all know that Yves Saint Laurent is, uh, kind of freaking brilliant. He passed recently, but his eponymous label lives on in what seem to be very capable hands, if the Yves Saint Laurent Majorelle Medium Bag is any indication. The bag is a perfectly vintage shape - I picture elegant, monied women in the 1950s wearing this bag, along with a chic pair of gloves (why don’t we wear gloves anymore? Or hats? Can we bring those things back?) and a 3/4 sleeve skirt-suit.

The thing is, though, this shape is so timeless that you don’t have to be a vintage-lover to understand its appeal. It’s simple, functional, and not at all gimmick-y. The color is a gorgeous example of one of the season’s popular berry tones, and the patent makes it extra glam and very ‘now.’ I would imagine that this bag could be dressed up or down quite easily - based on the dimensions on Saks’ website, “medium” is an accurate description of the bag and it wouldn’t be too big for dinner out or too small to take to work or to the mall. Feeling kinda sassy? Tie a beautiful silk scarf to the handle, like many ladies on the forum do with their Hermes bags. But really, this bag is freakin’ awesome on its own, and would add a great pop of color to pretty much any outfit that any of you own, so everyone out there that’s afraid of color and has lots of black and brown needs to at least THINK about this handbag, for a moment mmk? Buy through Saks for $1395.

Hello again fellow Project Runway-ers, it’s that time of the week again: Amanda’s post-Runway roundup!  I’ve been following the pros at New York Fashion Week for the past few days, and now it’s time to take a moment to watch the amateurs try as hard as they can to pretend that they’re pros, too.  We didn’t get a whole lot of clues about the new challenge in last weeks preview - only that all of the designers go “awww” at some point, about something.  In commercials since then, we’ve learned that two of my all-time Runway FAVORITES (Christian Siriano and Daniel Vosovic) and, also, that other guy (Jay?) come back as guest judges and Heidi says, “Ooooo, dat’s baaad” in an adorably German way about something that is, surely, hideous.  So what in the world happened?  Find out after the jump.

It has been far too long since I obsessed over a clutch. Yes, my sister and I love clutches and yes we love to feature them, but there’s no harm in that, right? Ok, so that leads me to the Brian Atwood Mattie Patent Clutch. I look at this clutch as something a little different than we normally see and I think I like it. It always amazes me how many different avenues a designer can go down with a handbag. This patent leather clutch is vintage inspired. More than vintage, it simply reminds me of an envelope. Envelope, that is a word we don’t see very often anymore. Between emailing, FedEx and electronic billing, I can’t remember the last time I bought a box of envelopes. I love the gold metal corners. This accent really adds a nice touch to the clutch. The envelope/clutch flap has a magnetic snap which keeps the it sealed. I have to say, I can see this clutch being quite a fun conversation starter. Plus, it can go with so many outfits - what a lovely perk! And in case you don’t support white after labor day, the clutch comes in coral too! Buy through Saks for $1,660.00.

So, here is a question for you, is there such thing as a handbag that is too big? Like pretty much everything else in this world, everyone has their own unique taste and personal preferences. I totally understand the oversized handbag trend, however, for me, the jury is still out. That is the same issue I find myself pondering with the Bottega Veneta Atene Ayers Bucket Bag. For the most part, I love almost all things Bottega Veneta. But, with this bag, I can’t decide if it is simply just too big.

Now don’t get me wrong, the craftsmanship of the bag is gorgeous. The material used is a buttery goatskin stitched in orgami-like triangular folds and then accented with Ayers trim. The double top handles with a 5″ drop give the bag the option to be carried by hand or on your shoulder (I don’t know how comfortable that big of a bag would feel on my shoulder though). The suede lining is not just classic but actually adds a nice contrast to the goatskin. But, I hate that the bag has no closure! I am sure if I threw my stuff in there, it would stay put, but if I knocked it over (which there is a 99% chance I most certainly would), I hate watching everything spill out. You know what I mean? Maybe it’s my own issue, who knows. So, handbag lovers, is this bag big hit or too big and a miss? Buy through Saks for $3,950.00.

It is nothing new from designers to business executives, people love to collaborate. Maybe it all goes back to the saying, “two heads are better than one”? It doesn’t really matter why collaborations happen because I have to say, they always intrigue me - for better or for worse. There are always pairings that excite me while others make me go “hmmmm”. This time, Mulberry has collaborated with FRED (one of East London’s most influential contemporary art galleries) to design a series of artist designed, limited edition tote bags. FRED selected five British artists to reflect Mulberry’s individuality and identity. In the way any amazing collaboration should be conducted, Mulberry designers worked closely with the artists to ensure the vision at hand was captured.

Each tote has a noticeably different design which to me is great because that guarantees there is probably a tote out there for just about anyone! The tote to the right was designed by Kate Davis. At first glance you get a romantic vibe from the tote. I guess red does that, huh? Beyond that, the red rose on top of the black background offers a bit of softness and elegance which drew me in. Davis drew inspiration from a romantic moment she had in Rome and felt the design depicted a sense of pulling away from everyday life and focusing on romance and love. Whether romance driven or not, it is so important to be able to take a step back and simply, enjoy life and love. Click here to keep reading and see the rest of the designs!

The new bag of choice for Katie Holmes? Well it is an interesting Fendi number that can clearly be loved or hated quite easily. Katie Holmes was spotted out sporting a funky cross-body bag, the Fendi Snakeskin F3 Secret Code Bag. If the bag looks familiar, it is because Shannon covered the Fendi Stamped F6 Secret Code Bag, which elicited a strong like/dislike barrier. And the F6 is similar to Katie Holmes’ F3, but the F3 is designed with genuine snakeskin. The focal point of the bag is the genuine sodalite stone embellishments with logo-engraved settings.

What is so secret about this bag? Why name it the Secret Code Bag? All of the details do show themselves well, including the snakeskin, suede-lined cut-outs on the front and back, and stone embellishments. Katie Holmes choose to wear the bag with the removable belted shoulder strap, rather than carrying it by the rolled leather handle. There are two pouch pockets under the flap and an interior patch pocket. Measurements are 12.5″x 7.75″x 4.25″. Buy through eLuxury for $3,840.

I’m on the fence about the BCBG Max Azria Evelyn Shoulder Bag, so here are my thoughts.

On the one hand, grey. I love grey. I think I write about how much I love grey in every third post. Especially this particular shade - it goes with everything, and is a much better (and more stylish) neutral than black or brown.

On the other hand, kind of odd handles. They look rigid like a tote, but they’re set wide like a hobo. And there’s two of them. I don’t like two-handle shoulder bags, because they always fall off. Maybe I have fat shoulders? Or maybe I’m normal and the bags are poorly designed.

Back on that first hand, the leather looks super soft. Soft leather makes up for a multitude of sins, and this bag’s looks particularly nice and squishy.

And on the second (lesser) hand, the design of the bag is kinda awkward. The zippers are placed unevenly, the bag is really square, and it doesn’t appear to have much of a slouch to it. Soft leather needs to slouch so that the people that see you know just how awesome your bag is.

And that first hand again - the price. At $358 (and that’s FULL PRICE, people, not sale price), as long as the leather is nice and the bag is functional, wouldn’t it be worth a look? I think so. It’s not perfect, but compared to the $14,500 crocodile bag I thought about writing about today, it seems like a very reasonable, attainable luxury. Buy through Saks for $358.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York 2008! I probably don’t have to remind anyone, but yes, we are in the midst of the infamous New York Fashion Week. While designers, PR reps, socialites, models, celebrities and other lucky people participate, the rest of us eagerly await to see fashion images pop up. I know I’ve been curious to see which magazines cover what lines or what tidbit the nightly news might drop. Sure, there are new looks I am not fond of, but isn’t that the point of fashion sometimes… to push the envelope? Well, I do think the Fendi Stamped F6 Secret Code Bag might just fit into that category. This bag was seen gracing the runway and it got me thinking, could this handbag be one of the next on your wish list?

I have to say, once you realize what the handbag is made out of, it is no surprise it was featured on the runway during Fashion Week. The bag is available in two vibrant colors, violet and cherry. Although both fun colors for a handbag, it was the mink fur-stamped suede that really intrigued me. The luscious mink is paired well with the contrast topstitching and metal hardware. The front cut-outs are lined with wolf fish skin and accented with oversized stone (tiger’s eye stones on the violet bag while multicolored stones are on the cherry bag). I am not so sure how I feel about the adjustable shoulder strap (I’ve never been a big fan), but I do like that the flap top tucks into front panels and secured with a magnetic closure. So, a re-cap: the bag has graced New York’s Fashion Week, the material is stunning and there is a definite attention to detail. But the question remains, will the Fendi’s handbag go from the runway to your closet? Buy through eLuxury for $2,450.00.

For all of you out there who are considered to be the handbag expert within your circle of friends, how often do you hear, “what would you say is the ‘IT’ bag of the moment”? When Megs first really started to follow fashion and handbags I would *always* go to her for advice. Now that I work with her, I find people asking me the same kind of questions I used to ask her. Personally, I don’t think there is ever just one “IT” bag at a given time. However, it is undeniable that right now, top handle bags are making a run for that coveted title.

As always, as I looked around there were top handle bags I despised and others I found myself instantly drawn to. Well, the Gucci Small Hysteria Top Handle Bag is without a doubt, a handbag I was drawn to. As you might remember, we’ve posted about Gucci Hysteria bags before, in particular you might recall the ginormous price tag associated to the the Gucci Crocodile Hysteria Bag. Luckily, the Small Hysteria Top Handle Bag has a much smaller price tag. Although saving money, I love how the lightly gathered lamé patent leather, with side tie accents and a metal Gucci crest show off the bag’s elegance. There is a zip-top closure, inside zip, cell phone and PDA pockets, not to mention plenty of storage space! And of course, double top handles. So, does this bag make your “IT” bag list? Buy through Saks for $1,395.00.