If only New York’s fashion elite would have known months ago that Michelle Obama had planned to wear Jason Wu to the inaugural balls – he probably would have gotten a better slot at Fashion Week. Nevertheless, we kick off Purse Blog’s coverage of the goings on in the tents at Bryant Park with his Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear show. As it turns out, his show is a fitting aperitif to the more editorial shows to come; his clothes are accessible, beautiful, and would sell if sent to stores tomorrow. After the jump, take a look at his big ideas for what we should be wearing come fall.

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In the current economic climate, many designers that would have normally had lavish runways shows are opting instead for private viewing of their collections for buyers, journalists, and critics. One of those designers is Reem Acra, which may strike as odd anyone that’s familiar with her clothing. Acra is, by definition, lavish – lush materials, floor-length gowns, and lots of jewels. And as a stark contrast to the restraint that a private viewing would indicate, Acra’s clothes were just as posh as ever.

The model over there may be looking a bit like Morticia Addams in that dress, but I kind of love it. A lot. I want Angelina Jolie to wear it, although I think she wore something similar a few years ago when she was still nuts and making out with her brother (anyone else kinda miss that version of Angie?). As it is, I’d like to see it on someone super curvy – perhaps Christina Hendricks? If you don’t know her, Google, my friend. Google.

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And you thought we were done? Not so! We are continuing with our last few fabulous designers to have them spread the Valentine’s Day love. One of our favorite designers of exotic skins, Nancy Gonzalez, shared her Valentine’s Day thoughts with us recently.

Is Valentine’s Day celebrated in Colombia, if so how is it similar/different from the US? Valentine’s Day in Colombia is on September 16 and it is actually called the day of Love and Friendship (Dia de Amor y Amistad).

What would be the most romantic Valentine’s Day, from start to finish, for you? Most romantic would definitely be in Marrakesh at the Amanjena Hotel, spending the day getting lost through the streets of the souk and ending with dinner at Le Yacout restaurant.

What is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have received? Best Valentine’s gift I ever received is definitely a Buccellati diamond cuff.

Are you a romantic? I am a romantic…

Your favorite romantic meal? Favorite romantic meal depends with who?

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day this year: I like to be surprised for Valentines day plans.

The best Nancy Gonzalez bag for a Valentine’s Day gift, why?: Best Nancy Gonzalez bag for a Valentine’s day gift is a small, soft, pouch clutch in colorful crocodile skin. It’s like candy but much better

In – what I believe to be – the final episode of this year’s Spreading The Love segment, the two gentlemen from Lambertson Truex, namely Richard and John, took a minute to share their thoughts on this year’s V-Day. Enjoy!

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Known for her use of exotic skins, Devi Kroell’s handbag line is just as stylish as the designer behind it. We had the pleasure of getting to learn more about Devi Kroell and her handbag line and since then I have a long list of Devi Kroell wants on my wishlist.

Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions? Usually I celebrate with my husband. He always has a beautiful giant bouquet of flowers for me to wake up to, followed by breakfast in bed, and finished with a lovely late lunch date with a glass of champagne to celebrate!

If you could celebrate Valentine’s Day in any city, where would it be and why? Paris – of course! – It is the city of love and has the perfect romantic back drop.

The perfect bottle of wine for Valentine’s Day… A wonderful Brunello di Montalcino.

The most romantic restaurant for Valentine’s Day is… La Grenouille on the Upper East Side for its fantastic french food, delicious fine wine, and enchanting atmosphere. They also add the most beautiful flowers to complement valentines day colors of pinks and reds and deep purples.

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day this year: For the first part of the day, I will be working on adding the final touches to my collection for our FW09 ready to wear presentation that takes place on the 18th of February, followed by a charming date at La Grenouille with my husband.

The best Devi Kroell bag for a Valentine’s Day gift, why?: Option 1: Small Envelope in Raspberry not only is the pink toned color perfect for valentines day, and it is also the perfect sized bag to carry on such a romantic evening with your admirer.

This morning while I was running errands I couldn’t help but notice it was very much, in fact, Valentine’s Day. I saw flowers, reds, pinks, chocolate, and most importantly, I saw love. Whether it was a young couple or an old couple, some friends or an entire family, everyone seemed to appreciate each other a tad more. Speaking of appreciation, CC Skye took some time to show how much she appreciates all things related to love. Just like when I had a chance to meet CC out in LA, her answers reflect her fun, fresh and amazing outlook on life and her brand. (PS – How cute are those pictures of CC and her boyfriend? Welcome to Purse Blog, David!)

Since you’ve told us before how much you love the beach, have you ever spent a Valentine’s Day on the beach, if so, tell us about it. Yes, good idea! Beach Valentine’s Day! Why haven’t I done that yet? Picnics are the best on the beach- great idea… I’ll forward my boyfriend this article! Even if you’re in cold weather, a surprise picnic on the floor of your house or apartment is super fun too!

What was your favorite Valentine’s Day gift ever? The best vals day gift I have ever received was the very 1st vals day I spent with my current boyfriend of 4 years.. We decided to stay in and he had cooked me lobster with champagne and caviar- my 3 faves.. Then he presented me with a small red basket containing all these little scrolls which he had tied himself with little red ribbons.. In opening one of the scrolls, I discovered that each one contained a memory about the past 6 mos of our relationship.. I was told to open one per day until they all were opened– it took a few months to get thru them all! They were all funny, yet romantic and so thoughtful to say the least.. I think all guys should do that one at least once.

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Happy Valentine’s Day! No matter what your plans are, make sure you spend time with the ones you love. Today we have a few more designers who have taken time to answer Valentine’s Day questions for us. Part owner and Creative Director, Toni Hacker of Hayden Harnett has brilliant answers. This really comes as no surprise, Hayden Harnett is after all brilliant brand!

What is your most memorable Valentine’s Day? The year that Ben whisked me away to Iceland…seriously life changing trip. He knows that I love volcanoes, thermal vents, tiny ponies, and exposed continental plates more than anything.

If you could be anywhere for Valentine’s Day where would it be? Back in the Hotel Borg in Iceland with Ben or at Machu Picchu.

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We are winding down our Valentine’s Day interviews. We hope that you’ve all enjoyed what we’ve had to bring as much as we’ve enjoyed providing the content for you! Today, we have some great answers from some great designers over at Treesje. Sheila Dardashti and Laura Darrah provided some Valentine’s Day insight for you to enjoy below.

What is your most memorable Valentine’s Day? The most memorable Valentines day we both can remember is our pre-children days. We took our husbands Chris and Page on an ultra lavish trip to Bali. Where we had candle lit dinners on the shore, Couple massage after a few bottles of wine (which we highly recommend), long days at Kuta beach and we top it off with a romantic stay in the Ubud rainforest.

Valentine’s Day, over-rated, over-hyped, or exactly as it should be and why? We both feel that Valentine’s Day is exactly as it should be as girls NEED to be spoiled by their honey’s!!

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day this year? Laura and I have dates with the new “loves” of our lives…sheila’s little Joelle ( 3 month) and laura’s little Hawkens (3 months)!!! Our husbands both have special days planned to spoil us!! As it is much needed…..we will keep you posted with the details!!!

What is the best Treesje gift for Valentine’s Day? Why? The best gift for Valentine’s day is the Asher in Fushia and the Hendrix in black shine…. These are laura and I favorite bags of the season. We love the texture of this ultra luxe shined lamb skin. Another bonus of these bags are that they are a perfect combination of casual and edgy bag that can be worn from day to night.

We continue to have the pleasure of meeting some of our favorite designers, designers that I have always admired and looked up to. Meeting Be and Steve of Be&D was a total treat. The duo are inherently different yet compliment each other wonderfully. And because just one interview was not enough, we are able to share another fun read with you! Both Be and Steve from Be and D let us in on some of their Valentine’s Day traditions, thoughts, and wants.

From Be Inthavong, Co-Founder/Designer Be & D

Valentine’s Day, worth the hype or overrated? I think Valentine’s day should be viewed like any other holiday. Do we really need a designated day out of the year to remind us to love our parents, to exchange gifts, to be thankful, and to love? I think any designated day to anything wonderful is worth it!

Your favorite part about Valentine’s Day as a child: I loved buying Valentine’s day cards and passing them out in class. But when I was younger, I had just moved to America and spoke no word of English. I would pass out birthday cards and get well cards to my classmates for Valentine’s Day! I was glad the teacher didn’t call me out on it!

Your favorite part about Valentine’s Day as an adult: I’m such a hopeless romantic sucker. I love to make plans to go out and celebrate. I love dressing up, having dinner at a nice place, having drinks at a cozy bar, and all the romantic things I could think of.

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I think that one of my favorite things about Bluefly is that their selection is so vast and random. They carry brands that are rarely found elsewhere on the Internet and bags that may not have made it onto the radar of the casual aficionado, in addition to lots of reliable favorites. A perfect example of the breadth of their available bags is the Balenciaga Lune Tote. As one of their rarely-noticed non-motorcycle bags, the Lune may have been overlooked by many, but I think that anyone who appreciates a statement bag should give it some serious consideration. It’s a bicolor, multi-textured beauty made of soft denim-colored goat leather and smooth, slick black calfskin with enough buckles, straps, and trim to keep anyone entertained. It’s big enough to handle all of its accoutrement, though, and the Balenciaga bag designers stopped just before it got overdone. The more I look at it, the more I wonder why we never saw Victoria Beckham carrying the Lune – it kind of looks like something she would like, doesn’t it? Buy through Bluefly for $2060.