Accessories

The charming staff at the Sloane Street store made the experience delightful. I am completely obsessed with the extraordinary jewelry boxes (cerise pink!) and especially love the blue gift boxes. Smythson is the British brand typically known for its pocket notebooks embossed with cheeky titles like ‘Yummy Mummy’, ‘Wedding Belle’, ‘Inspirations and Ideas’, ‘Happiness is Shopping’, ‘My London’, and most recently, ‘Recessionista’.

The notebooks and all of the products are made of luxurious full-grain patterned leather and can be personalized with your name, initials or any other phrase you desire. Smythson’s travel accessories are perfect for keeping organized on trips at home or abroad. I pawning over the Marshall travel which has compartments for wallet tickets, passport, boarding pass and currency. The Marshall wallet is shown here in Cerise Aruba calfskin. The high quality of the Marshall wallet makes the price very reasonable for $330.00 as this wallet will last for years. The aqua passport cover sells for $110.00 and has silver blocked pockets titled ‘Boarding Pass’ and ‘Passport’ and the cover can be personalized with up to ten characters. The aqua shade is bright enough that it will be easy to find in your bag as you speed through customs.

via The Find

It’s always great to see a big brand give back, and Jimmy Choo is putting their money where their mouth is with a new limited edition collection in partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The line, named Project PEP, will send 25% of its proceeds to help fund South Africa’s Simelela Rape Center. The center is often instrumental in administering patients the preventative medicine that lessens the likelihood that a victim will contract HIV from her attacker, as well as providing psychological services after the fact.

The collection itself will feature the collage-like pattern that you see here as a representation of some of the iconic elements that make Jimmy Choo all that it is today. This should look familiar to anyone that involved in punk culture in their formative years - the gritty look is a clear take-off of that subculture. It will be printed on coated canvas for the line’s bags, clutches and pouches and also used in several types of shoes. Prices will range from around $100 for flip-flops to almost $1000 for a large bag. If you like the pattern or are a Choo fan, this is money you can feel good about spending.

This right here, folks, is why they hate us. And when I say “they,” I’m not talking about terrorists. I’m talking about everyone. Because there are few things more imminently hateable than a $450 beach towel. The Louis Vuitton Ipanema Beach Towel, to be specific.

And I totally get that’s it’s all in good fun and totally hilarious and kitschy, but seriously, a beach towel? Something made specifically for putting on the ground and messing up with Corona, sunscreen, and sand? At this point, all it elicited from me was a serious eye-roll. I know that people with money to spend will spend it as they please, as well they should, but I think we may be beginning to stretch the bounds of reasonableness. Maybe I just feel like that because of the price, however - if this was $150, I probably just would have chuckled and moved on, and wouldn’t even be writing about it right now. But it’s not, it’s three times that, and that’s not a typo. It’s also something that I can simply not abide. Buy via Vuitton.com for $450.

Most handbag lovers are also shoe lovers. So this post will fit in nicely, amongst all the designer handbag chatter. Jimmy Choo shoes are positively known across the globe and their latest collaboration with Hunter is going to have the shoe world’s attention. Hunter, an iconic British brand, was established in 1856 and their Wellington boots are known for performance, durability and comfort. Hunter has a dedicated following worldwide embracing everyone from farmers to rock stars to the British Royal Family. And Jimmy Choo follows suit nicely. Jimmy Choo may not ubiquitous with farmers but celebs, rock stars, and shoe lovers save to splurge on magnificently designed Choo’s.

The collaboration between Jimmy Choo & Hunter has resulted in a sophisticated rendition of the Wellington boot with crocodile print and a branded top bind. Everything about these boots are perfectly stylish and wearability is key. For all the rain Florida gets in the summer, I would have use for these boots. And just looking at this picture I can imagine women around the world wearing this fashionable rubber boots and jumping through puddles. I am already decided to go on the waitlist for these boots. The boots will be sold exclusively in the United Kingdom and the United States and online at www.jimmychoo.com from June 2009. A waiting list will be available for the boots from 1st May on www.jimmychoo.com. Hunter & Jimmy Choo Retail Prices: £235, €295 and $395. Read more...

It is not that I am a superfluous spender, though at times I may be. The fact of the matter is I have always had an affinity toward miniatures. Truly, not sure why, but it is a fact. So the Minaudiere’s from Judith Leiber have always been a favorite of mine. I pop on her website or into the department store to see what itsy-bitsy pillbox will show next. Believe it or not I do not have a collection of them yet, which is shocking. Not a very usable piece, and let’s be honest it is not even a practical pillbox, but I love the Judith Leiber Strawberry Pillbox. There is no use other than looking at this Leiber piece as art, a collectible. And I would love a little collection of pillbox collectibles. Is that totally weird or does it seem fitting? Some people buy Lladro’s and I want Judith Leiber pillboxes, running around $600 a pop. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $595.

For those of you who check Purse Blog frequently, you are certainly familiar with Meg’s Web She Bang Posts. Well, we’re also collaborating with another great site, The Find, to bring you a wide variety of what is on the most-wanted fashion lists. Starting today, look for weekly installments of guest posts from The Find. Enjoy!

Inspired by the ultra modern Perspex briefcases shown at the Chanel ready-to-wear fall ‘09 show is an emerging trend, clear accessories. Karl Lagerfeld’s briefcase for the modern workingwoman bears it all, exposing all of your personal belongings to the world. Perfectly proportioned for a compact, lipstick (Chanel of course!) as well as your iPod, glasses and shoulder bag. Practical, perhaps not, but a fashion statement, yes!

Are see thru accessories of all types on the horizon? Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren all have transparent bags each with their own signature look. Hollywood jewelry designer CCSkye has also created a clear Lucite Medallion Cuff. Also spotted are crystal clear cases for your iPod and electronic gadgets and of course the original vintage Lucite clear handbag designs. Keep an eye out for more clear accessories, but be sure to edit your handbag contents before bearing them to the world.

Karl “Krazypants” Lagerfeld is at it again. He’s made a bike, which we covered, as well as other sporting equipment like skis. If Krazypants can find a way to put a Chanel logo on something that is already expensive and then charge more for it, he’s all over it. Particularly if it can be done in a wacky, eccentric way that makes everyone go “…waaaah?” And that’s the case with the all-new-for-spring Chanel Segway. It’s got an enormous classic flap stuck on the front of it like a basket on an old-fashioned bicycle and Chanel’s quilted caviar leather covering the wheel wells. I don’t even know what else could be said about this…thing. Except that Krazy Karl is the only person I could ever see riding it, except for maybe Victoria Beckham. And maybe her kids behind her, on mini ones. No price information was given, but their bicycle from several seasons ago was several thousand dollars, and this thing has a motor, so…draw your own conclusions.

Image courtesy of Chanel via NYMag.com

Folks, we’ve done it. I think. Maybe I’m being optimistic. But, with the advent of the Louis Vuitton Card Deck Set, I think it may be possible for someone with enough money and enough dedication to go through their entire day without deigning to use a product that’s not luxury branded. We’ve covered Chanel and Hermes bicycles, Gucci makes wallpaper, Fendi makes bedding, Versace makes furniture. And now, your husband won’t just be playing poker with the guys, he’ll be playing Louis Vuitton poker. And that won’t get him made fun of by his buddies AT ALL, I promise.

Eluxury promises that this set includes three “luxurious” decks of cards, so please, help me brainstorm in the comments - exactly how does one make playing cards luxurious? The first thing that came to my mind was having the symbols ever so carefully covered in close-cropped mink, making them slightly furry. How would you do it? Buy through eLuxury for $105.

This bespoke chair from Suzan Fellman would be one of the greatest artistic pieces for your home. Vlad and I have a little more modern vibe going on in our house and I would plop this chair down to be the ultimate conversation piece. There are of course a few problems that I would run into. Price is the biggest one followed by keeping it clean. But would this not be amazing? This Chanel Bespoke Silk Scarf Chair is designed with vintage silk scarves on a sleek slipper chair. The lucite legs are the perfect modern finish. Each chair is individually designed to the three scarves that make it up, so all the chairs will vary. But the Chanel chair pictured is the ideal chair for a handbag loving fashionista. Dimensions vary but are about 27″D, 32″H, seat height 12″, and seat area approximately 20″ square. Order through Vivre for $6,400.

Large image after the jump...

I have another little secret to let you all in on… I am not a big makeup wearer. So now you know that I do not get manicures, pedicures, dye my hair, or wear make up much. What is wrong with me you ask, well that is just my style. Simple. Someday I may need makeup and more to give my face a nice look, but for now, I will keep my lack-of-makeup my typical look. When going somewhere I do put make up on; typically only a bit of blush, eye shadow, mascara, and lip gloss. I don’t have to travel with large make up cases, which is actually a major perk when you travel as much as I do. I simply need a cosmetic case and I am good to go. But my cosmetic case is nothing fancy, and it is time to change that. Read more below...