Haute Off the Runway - Pucci

Pucci designer Matthew Williamson took inspiration from the Navajo to create a collection of bohemian chic pieces - printed dresses, billowing ponchos and caftans, woven swimsuits, feathered coats and easy, breezy separates in Western-style prints and solids with a primary color palette of maize, brown, yellow, and gold coupled with hot pink, peach and blue.

While the collection itself was somewhat of a stretch - as Williamson strayed away from traditional Pucci-style and added more ‘ambitious’, more signature designs, the handbag collection was extremely un-Pucci. Styles were derived from the 70’s and 80’s - leather patchwork, color blocks, Native American beading, and chevron stripes. The entire handbag collection looked dated and cheap, and seemed more like they were created for an old-school costume party rather than for a modern, ready-to-wear Spring collection.

Source: Style.com

Weekly Fashion Blog Bazaar

Spanish designer Javier Larrainzar showcases his romantic designs at Madrid Fashion Week. Designer Planet has all the details.

Fashion Fling shares a great way to support teachers by purchasing chic, limited edition Jones New York t-shirts. Get all the details to see how you can help our hard-working educators.

Elite Choice examines the latest meaures used to safeguard Harrod’s expensive shoe collection - live Egyptian cobra snakes!

Catch the fun and unique designs from Agatha Ruiz de la Prada straight from Madrid Fashion Week at Style Talk.

GLAM & TONIC recommends a webshop to help you stock up on Scandinavian designer clothing.

So Frugalicious has great style tips on how to achieve an affordable New York look.

Bring a bit of rock-n-roll fashion into your wardrobe with funky anf fashionable ‘Rock Bands’ via Spork Fashion.

View Gareth Pugh’s experimental designs from London Fashion Week at Designer Tips.

Lifestyle Buzz brings us the fabulous flowing designs from Amanda Wakeley’s Spring 2008 collection.

John Rocha’s youthful Spring 2008 collection from London Fashion Week is on display courtesy of Designer Sense.

Learn about all your favorite TV star’s Emmy Award show beauty secrets at The Beauty Counter.

Longing to start your own fashion line? Learn how to achieve your dream at Fashionably Cute.

Travel-size perfumes are hard to come by, but Diva In A Carry On found a steal of a deal on the sweetest scents around.

Pink Rock Candy wants to know if you feel a 12-yr-old is too young to model women’s clothing.

Would You Pay $30,000 for a Coach?

HAMPTONS ALLIGATOR LARGE CARRYON, $30,000

A good friend of mine is totally addicted to Coach - bags, shoes, accessories - you name it. We were perusing the website today and discovered that Coach has two new bags priced at $30,000 and $20,000. Now I’m a firm believer in buying a good quality bag and I own two leather Coach bags that have stood the test of time, but I can’t imagine paying that much for a Coach. I never associated the Coach name with luxury, so it’s hard to justify a purchase like that (if I even had the money to spend). When I think of overpriced bags, I first think of the Hermes Birkin, which almost might be worth the high price simply because it’s a status symbol, and then think of some of the top luxury designer’s bags (Prada, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton) that release limited edition bags that are highly coveted, AND lustworthy. The Coach, however, is neither. It’s not bad for an alligator bag, but just not spectacular enough to justify that price. I’ve seen much more creative and more beautiful alligator bags from designers like Nancy Gonzalez and B. Romanek that are at most, a few thousand dollars. So I don’t see the worth here. Do you?

HAMPTONS ALLIGATOR SATCHEL, $20,000

Haute Off the Runway - Olga Kapustina

Indie designer Olga Kapustina transformed swimwear into ready-to-wear with her Spring 2008 collection. Pieces consisted of solid bright color blocks, and silhouettes were bathing-suit inspired, with bandeau-style tops, form fitting bodices, and full skirts reminiscent of bikini bottom skirts. Models wore matching fabrics on their head, to resemble swim caps.

Check out more of the collection here

Gloria

Resident Evil: Extinction opened in theaters this weekend and the mish-mashed cast (R&B singer Ashanti, actress Ali Larter, comedian Mike Epps and more), the fact that it’s based on a video game, and the not-so-great reviews made it not quite worth spending my Saturday night in the theater. One redeeming quality of the film, however is Milla Jovovich, the star of the film, who is someone I have always admired; I mean what’s not to love - she can sing, act, model and most recently, design clothes!

Launched in 2003 by Jovovich and longtime friend Carmen Hawk, the L.A.-based line Jovovich Hawk has been incredibly successful and consists of easy, wearable, comfortable separates including dresses, pants, blouses and jackets. A recent addition to the line includes handbags, and I was excited to stumble upon this cool bag - the Jovovich-Hawk Gloria leather bag. The bag has a 70’s vibe with its scalloped, geometric leather patchwork. The combination of colors (orange, white, brown and metallic bronze) makes it a nice Fall bag and the centerpiece of your outfit. There’s no need to add any other accessories - this bag can stand alone! Also, it has a removable shoulder strap along with two braided handles to tote on your arm for multiple uses.

$375, NET-A-PORTER.COM

Temperley for Target

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Alice Temperley is the newest GO designer for Target. I checked out the line in person today and was thrilled to see how great the quality was! I came away with two purchases - the Victorian Ruffle Front Blouse in Antique White and the Crepe Overalls in Ebony. Both the Blouse and Overalls were of exceptional quality and both looked like they should cost much more than $29.99 and $39.99. I have to say I was both surprised and quite impressed with this latest Target collection, and if you love high fashion at low prices as much as I do, run, don’t walk, to your nearest Target before the collection sells out!

And with all the money I saved, I can afford this haute matching bag from the original Alice Temperley collection:
Temperley London Studded evening bag

The Cutest Clutch Ever

How cute is this clutch? I absolutely love it - I want to buy it and just stare at it, it’s so adorable! Gustto has a knack for creating bags that have personality and are so utterly covetable. I first fell in love with their Baca bag, their recent Cala clutch and now this! Gustto is one of the few handbag designers whose entire collection I want in my closet. Anyway, I digress…back to the Berlina Clutch. It’s available in Charcoal, though it looks more brown than grey. It has Gustto’s signature gold stud hardware, and two winged flaps. The design is extremely modern and somewhat architectural and overall it’s simply a gorgeous bag.

$310 at tobi

MCM’s Eighties Throwback Bag

I may be dating myself but when I was in high school, MCM bags were haute. In fact, MCM was so popular that all the cool girls owned at least one bag, and the cool guys were getting the MCM logo custom printed on their ragtops. MCM has recently re-launched its line of bags, and I’m glad to see they maintained the style that made them hot, but with an added modern twist. The Medium Boston Duffle is classic MCM. Structured black leather is covered with a printed grey MCM logo, a Goyard-style painted stripe and signature lion insignia, and a rubber ‘1976′ side patch. This bag is a fresh alternative to the old faithful logoed bags (aka the Louis Vuitton ‘Speedy’, the Fendi ‘Spy’, and the Gucci ‘Boston’). Be a trendsetter and set yourself apart with this haute throwback bag.

$595, at Intermix.

The Color Purple

Purple is once again the ‘It’ color for Fall and there’s no better color to incorporate into your wardrobe. However, if you want to avoid looking like Grimace, its best to stick to a few key accessories, namely handbags. And there’s no purple bag better than the Bijoux Medium Shoulder Bag by Bliss Lau. It’s a great slouchy hobo with a front flap, piped edges, and Lau’s signature minimal chain detail. This is one bag I could see myself carrying all year round. Purple is one of those colors that you can mix and match with just about anything, and the bag is the perfect size and shape to wear with anything - from dresses to jeans, and the strap is just long enough to fit over your bulky winter coat.

Get yours at Luna Boston.

Anya Hindmarch’s Bag from Hell

I’ve always loved Anya Hindmarch’s cheeky totes. She’s one of the few accessories designers that can create something unusual without it looking less than high fashion. Even her recent low priced ‘I am not a plastic bag’ bag has had monumental success and high fashion appeal. One of her latest cheeky handbags caught my eye; the ‘Hell’ bag - a tote made from black gaberdine and metallic bronze leather trim, and the face of the which reads ‘Hell in a Handbag’ (meaning a person who is troublesome or hard to handle and comes in a small package). I love the look of the bag - it’s adorable and chic; the message on it (I think most people who know me would agree I’m difficult to handle!), and the price - affordable at $395.

Loeffler Randall’s Satin Clutch + Target Preview!

Satin bags are ‘It’ for Fall. I recently showed you a surprisingly chic oversized satin hobo, now here’s a great satin clutch. Designed by award winning accessories designer Loeffler Randall, the Katia Satin Clutch ($195) is a gorgeous and elegant envelope clutch for Fall. Double flaps meet at the middle of the bag with a magnetic closure, with a zip closure hidden underneath. Satin piping goes around the entire edge of the bag.

I love both the gold and nude colors - the gold will pop against chocolate brown and black, and the nude is a soft pink that will look great with a multitude of fall colors. I would prefer to carry this bag with a dress, but I love that it can also be paired up with a casual outfit, to dress it up a bit. It’s a great timeless piece, and if you carry and store it carefully, you can have it for years AND it’ll never go out of style.

Get it at shopbop.com

Loeffler Randall also has an upcoming collection for Target, with equally timeless handbags! Here’s a preview:


Photo source: Jezebel

I’ll be buying. How about you?

Weekly Fashion Blog Bazaar

Sample the fun, chic and affordable fashions at Lulu’s Fashion Lounge courtesy of Pink Rock Candy.

Designer Planet spotlights the debut of Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Just Sweet’ collection at New York Fashion Week.

Sign up to win the new IGNES Veronica Max Clutch at Señora Cartera.

A $12 million wedding dress? Get all the details of this unbelievably priced creation at Elite Choice.

Preview contemporary designer Olga Kapustina’s Spring 2008 collection at Eye4style.

Style Talk has the Top 10 runway looks for men and women from around the globe.

Obsessing about coloring your hair? See what GLAM & TONIC has to say about the subject.

So Frugalicious has the scoop on Vera Wang’s ‘SimplyVera’ collection for Kohl’s.

Spork Fashion has found a laptop case fit for any fashionista.

Check out the chic, over the top world of “Eyelash Bars” at Designer Tips.

Experience the stunning designs from Carlos Miele’s Spring 2008 collection via Lifestyle Buzz.

Designer Sense is fascinated by Nilufer Tarzi’s exotic Kurin rings.

Sample the cute, colorful designs from Anna Sui’s Spring 2008 collection at Fashionably Cute.

Discover the cure for frizzy hair inside a sweet smelling, perfectly packaged product thanks to Diva In A Carry On.

Haute Off the Runway: Cynthia Steffe

Cynthia Steffe’s Spring ‘08 collection was a ready-to-wear dream - full of tons of pieces that could easily be worn off the runway as well as on. The collection featured bright spring colors and crisp neutrals mixed with the mod-style color blocks and prints. Solid pieces were constructed in eye-popping colors that are very versatile and beautiful for spring. 60’s-inspired mod looks consisted of geometric shapes and prints in neutral, pastel and primary colors.

Photos via NY Mag

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Photo Source: YBF

‘It’ girl about town Angelina Jolie loves her Valentino Braided Leather Shoulder Bag and now ‘It’ baby Zahara loves it too! The ever-photographed mom-daughter duo was spotted carrying their luxurious bags - a large one for mom, a mini version for baby. Zahara’s already perfected the pose for the cameras; now she’s got an eye for luxury too!

Get Angie and Zahara’s bag for $1,695 at Bergdorf Goodman

Burberry Gets Knighted

I love when a luxury designer can recognize that its claim to fame is getting old and then comes up with something fresh and new. As ‘classic’ and ‘timeless’ as they are, I was getting tired of the Burberry check bags. So I was thrilled to see a recent magazine ad full of punk style and edginess, so much so that it took me a second to even realize it was Burberry. Creative Director Christopher Bailey launched the Burberry Icons collection for Fall 2007 and the Knight Bag is the coolest, newest addition to this line.

The inspiration comes from British luxury and the Burberry equestrian knight, and the bag incorporates medieval influences all over. It’s a tough black leather satchel with pyramidal nickel studs covering the body and front ruching - it’s the most edgy piece I’ve ever seen Burberry create. The price is a stretch (£1,595.00), but if you have it to spare, I think it’s worth it - though embellished, it’s a simple bag that works well with anything.

Haute off the Runway - Reem Acra

Fashion Week is quickly coming to a close but I’ve been attending tons of shows and am hastily writing to bring you updates on what’s haute for Spring 2008!

Acra’s ultra-feminine frocks were glossed up with bright colors and shiny fabrics. Her Spring collection primarily consisted of dresses and separates, in hues of canary yellow, emerald green, and bright purple. Eye-catching color combinations were the theme - green and yellow punched up with purple; red and white floral printed dresses with wide colored belts; shimmering gowns.

Nearly every piece in the collection was accessorized with a belt, with the exception of the gowns. Gowns were red carpet ready, with form fitting bodices, plunging beaded necklines, and voluminous skirts. The gowns were less ostentatious in terms of color - the designer stuck to off white, lavender and black.

Overall, the collection was a beautiful array of flowing, colorful dresses, not for every day, but for the woman with somewhere to go. I expect to see a few of these pieces on the red carpet soon!

Photos via NY Magazine.

Weekly Fashion Blog Bazaar

I’m excited to be the newest member of the Fashion Blog Bazaar! Please check out the haute links below. Have a great weekend!

Discover Diva In A Carry On’s secret to keeping red, itchy skin at bay while traveling.

Fun, sexy and affordable t-shirts by FBnK are yours for the taking thanks to Pink Rock Candy.

Designer Planet features stunningly beautiful highlights from Wills India Fashion Week.

Find out which handbags your favorite celebrities are carrying at Senora Cartera.

Fashion Fling spotlights the latest designer to create an affordable accessories collection for Payless - Lela Rose.

Visit Elite Choice and feast your eyes on the world’s most extravagant bra.

Eye4style features the heavenly pairing of Maggie Gyllenhaal and agent Provocateur.

Style Talk thinks light-colored coats and jackets are the trend to follow this winter.

GLAM & TONIC loves the color purple. See this versatile color and its’ many fashionable uses as you’ve never seen them before.

So Frugalicious has found inexpensive rose-themed jewelry pieces that will appeal to the feminine gal in us all.

Read about a fashionista’s obsession with all things James Perse at Spork Fashion.

View the whimsical designs from Designer Fashion Grand Prix in Tokyo courtesy of Designer Tips.

Lifestyle Buzz gives us a peek at BCBG’s lovely spring/summer ‘08 collection from New York Fashion Week.

Examine designer Junko Koshino’s goth glam collection from Tokyo Fashion Week at Designer Sense.

The Beauty Counter gives us the details behind Cynthia Rowley’s collaboration with Avon.

Discover the fashionable (and always cute) highlights from New York Fashion Week at Fashionably Cute.

Three’s a Crowd

Coco Chanel once said something like “put everything on and then take one thing off.”

Luxury jewelry designer Kara Ross creates elegantly beautiful pieces full of precious gems, wood, gold and diamonds. I think her jewels are the perfect pieces to accompany you on an haute night out, that is, if you can afford them. Her recently launched line of handbags however, needs to heed Coco’s advice.

The Lucis Clutch is a particularly overdone bag. Three different types of animal skin make up this clutch! I mean, it is only a clutch. If it were a larger bag, maybe it would look less ‘busy’, but the three skins are definitely a ‘crowd’. The body is constructed of leopard pony skin, trimmed in red ostrich skin, and finished off with a front pocket made of brown caiman skin. I can’t imagine where or why you might carry this bag, though the upside is with all of the colors, its bound to match something in your closet.

If you’re a fan of aesthetic excess, visit Kara Ross’ website. Prices range from $1,600-$7,800.