Shop online sample sales for Tuesday 3/9/10

*Editor’s picks* Jami Rodriguez, Theory, Cynthia Rowley, American Retro, Tretorn, Marc Jacobs, Salvage, Cole Haan

Shop online sample sales for Tuesday 3/9/10 at Gilt, Gilt Fuse, ideeli, Row Nine, Rue La La, Billion Dollar Babes, Editor’s Closet, Beyond the Rack, HauteLook, Enviius, Gomatta Girls, Lucky Chic, One King’s Lane, Reverse by Revolve, Jetsetter, Gilt Man, Estile, DD Push, The Top Secret, The Skinny, Juxzy, GlamList and Rent the Runway. Just click on the links to sign up and start shopping!

Beyond the Rack: UGG, Christina Pareo, Ladies Career Wear Boutique, Salvage, Jami Rodriguez

Billion Dollar Babes: Theory, Nux, LAmade

DD Push is an exclusive online sample sale site. In order to join, please email me at editor (at) whatshaute (dot) com:

Editor’s Closet is a free, highly exclusive and invitation-only sample sale site. In order to join, please email me at editor (at) whatshaute (dot) com: Marc Daniels Australia, Exuberance, Betsey Johnson, Michou

Enviius: Mirjana Scepanovic handbags and accessories

Estile: Mai Quin beachwear

Gilt Groupe: Daryl K, Jewelry by Gerard Yosca, Melissa Shoes, Riedel, Cynthia Rowley Handbags, American Retro and more

Gilt Fuse: American Retro

Gilt Jetsetter: Kona Village - Hawaii, Villa Marina Capri - Italy

Gilt Man: Riedel, Tretorn, Helly Hansen

Gomatta Girls: Poise Collection

HauteLook: Jimi Hendrix Relaunch, Marc Jacobs sunglasses, Christian Dior watches, Luminess Air, decadestwo jewelry, Beau Soleil and more

ideeli: Curtsey, Shu Shu, LAmade, Zinke, Oryany, Girogio Milano, Cookware & Bakeware, Salvage

Juxzy is an exclusive online private sale site. In order to join, please email me at editor (at) whatshaute (dot) com

Lucky Chic: Kate Spade, Apple MacBook, MAC Cosmetics, Crate & Barrel, Southwest

One King’s Lane is a free, highly exclusive and invitation-only sample sale site. In order to join, please email me at editor (at) whatshaute (dot) com: Baekgaard, Harry Barker, Wee Gallery, Zid Zid Kids, Best of OKL

Rent the Runway: March 2010 Runway Report

Reverse by Revolve: LnA, Kiyumi, Kenneth Jay Lane

RowNine: Erica Anenberg

Rue La La: Cole Haan, Anne Cole Collection, and Inn by the Sea - Crescent Beach, Maine

Shopbop: Farewell to Winter + Jerome Dreyfuss spring bags

The Skinny: Whish

The Sample Sale: BCBG, YSL, Mek Denim

Top 9 bags of 2009 by Handbag du Jour

It’s been a busy year blogging about bags and now we’ve come to the end of 2009 so we decided to compile a list of the top 9 bags of 2009. In no particular order are the bags that made us swoon, drool, and whip out those credit cards and shop! Check them out below and share your favorite bags of the year!

1. Jimmy Choo Mandah Hobo
All the girls carried the Jimmy Choo ‘Mandah’ Hobo BagJimmy Choo Mandah. Halle, J Lo. and Jessica Alba were fans of this smooth calfskin leather and suede bag in brown, leopard and hot pink. With a zippered gusset panel down the front and back center and two rolled handles accented with gold bands, the Mandah was the perfect hobo and the suede/leather combo made it great for any season.

2. YSL Easy Studded Y Bag
Any bag that can distract AWAY from Lady Gaga’s outfits HAD to make the list. The YSL Easy Studded Y Bag was a fave of Gaga, Adrienne Bailon and many other celebs. YSL bags are typically very understated and simple but even they got in on the 2009 studs trend and executed it perfectly. The result was a fabulous duffel bag that we couldn’t take our eyes off of. And that’s no easy feat when you’re in the hands of Lady Gaga.

3. Alexander Wang Coco Duffel
Alexander Wang was the designer of the moment this year. With easy, cool separates and accessories, and a celebrity following led by Rihanna, Mary-Kate Olsen and Amber Rose, it was easy to add Wang to the list. The Alexander Wang Coco Duffel was one of this year’s edgiest bags, with tough leather and even tougher bullet studs on the bottom. The exclusive blue denim version was to-die-for and the grey and tan versions were nice too.

4. Kooba Alex Tote
I’m a bit biased since I own and love this bag, but the Kooba Alex Tote was a must-have this year. The rich aubergine glazed leather was ever-so-slightly distressed, giving it a vintage vibe, while the mini studs gave it modern appeal. The shape was just right – not too big, not too small, and had Kooba’s signature unstructured, ’sling it over the shoulder and go’ feel.

5. Alexander McQueen Faithful Glove Clutch
The Alexander McQueen Faithful Glove Clutch may not have been directly related to the late Michael Jackson but it certainly paid homage to him and his iconic style. The luxe leather clutch featured a detachable fingerless glove on the front, with slanted zippers on either side. We’re sure the King of Pop would have approved.

6. Chloé Paraty Python Tote
This. Bag. Is. Amazing! There’s not much more that needs to be said. With a brilliant design and luxurious python, Chloé really redeemed itself with the Paraty Tote. We haven’t been this excited about Chloé since the Paddington!

7. Valentino Shining Flower Tux 360 Tote
If it was on Gossip Girl, it had to be good. The Valentino Shining Flower Tux 360 Tote made its debut on the show with Blair Waldorf drooling over it and women all over the world followed suit. Following in the footsteps of Valentino’s couture creations, the 360 is what you could call a couture handbag. Rows of black sequins, cream-colored ‘petals’, crystals and a large bow are everything you’d expect from the design house, but wrapped up onto one pretty bag.

8. Rebecca Minkoff Stud Devote Belted Tote
Studded bags were BIG this year and who better to create one than Rebecca Minkoff? The Stud Devote Belted Tote reached instant cult handbag status with its wide, belted and buckled main opening and rows of studs around the top and bottom bands. The edgy bag incorporated Minkoff’s signature California cool with the hot stud trend.

9. Novella Royale Mister Studded Tote
Green is the new black, or haven’t you heard? Novella Royale debuted the hottest in green (eco-friendly) bags this year and our fave was their Mister Studded Tote. This handmade bag is made of recycled leather from motorcycle jackets (so no two are the same), and the oversized resin studs made it look brand spanking new!

Spotted: Taylor Momsen (aka Jenny Humphrey) and her YSL Roady on the set of Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl’s new Queen Bee, Little J (Jenny Humphrey for those not in the know) is really living up to her title. Because only the Queen has the right to carry the bag of the moment. On this week’s episode, Jenny toted her new YSL Roady ($1,295), much to the surprise of her ‘court’. “It’s not even in stores yet!” But the Queen gets what the Queen wants. And what she wants is to be the new Blair Waldorf, the reigning “Bee” who wears the latest and gifts her followers with matching YSL Roady bags. Good job Little J.

LeToya Luckett: around town with the YSL Muse

Much as we love Beyonce, we can’t help but feel the other Destiny’s Child members (former and ‘current’) didn’t get a fair shake. I mean, how can you next to B? We don’t want big bad Mathew coming after us so we’ll end our rant here. But it’s good to see some of the former members achieving their own success post-DC. LeToya Luckett, one of our fave former DC girls, was spotted leaving MTV studios in New York City, likely promoting a new music project. She was all smiles and looked great in her casual look of leather jacket, jeans and chic accessories. The red cage booties? To die for. And so is that metallic Yves Saint Laurent Leather Muse Bag on her arm.

Photo: JDH/WENN

Bag Lady: The cubicle trip

Like clockwork, I squinted at the bottom right hand of my computer screen. It was 11:15 a.m. and I definitely need a break. Most people take cigarette or coffee breaks, but I take virtual shopping trips to all my favorite sites. Besides, my breaks are cheaper. If I were to do the math on how much each co-worker spends a week on their bad habits, I would be able to replace my beat up Longchamp Le’ Pliage tote (my lunch bag).

My first stop: Paris. I took a quick glance at the Yves St. Laurent Updated Muse Tote ($1,795) and wondered if I needed to upgrade. My Muse was purchased in 2006, in bag years, that’s a century ago. But there’s no time to dwell on the past - I’m off to Milan to visit Valentino. Valentino and I have a love-hate relationship. Today I love the Valentino Kaleido gem-embellished tote ($2,995). I already have the perfect booties to kick it up a notch. It’s a shame I wasn’t able to grab a baguette or cappuccino during my short stay in Europe. As usual, I promised myself that when I return, I will do what normal people do: visit the Eiffel Tower, see the ruins and eat!

11:35 a.m. - back to reality. My project is due at 5 p.m. but if I finish early, maybe I can catch the red eye to China. Hey, I’m on a budget.

Haute Bag of the Week: Yves Saint Laurent Spiral Clutch

Most handbags should be at the very least, practical. I mean, there is a point to carrying them – it’s to hold your things. But some bags are purely for design purposes. I admit I own a lot of these largely impractical bags, simply because they’re so darn cute. Like this one – the Yves Saint Laurent Spiral Clutch. I can’t imagine that anyone would ever buy this for the purpose of carrying your things around. You’d only buy it because it’s a bag that looks like a haute couture fashion notebook! Made of glossy vernice patent leather, this clutch has a spiral bound design with silvertone hardware, magnetic flap with a snap closure and suede lining. It measures 9½”W X 6″H X 1½D.

Buy for $395 at Saks.

Lady Gaga out with Perez Hilton and the YSL ‘Easy’ Tote

In case you haven’t noticed, Lady Gaga is the new pop queen of shock and awe dress. Move over Madonna. Her talent is questionable but when it comes to her love of fashion risk-taking, there is no question - she’s down. She was out recently with Perez Hilton (BFF alert?) wearing a get-up that only Amy Winehouse and Aubrey O’Day could be proud of - bad wig, skanky leotard, leopard panties, ripped fishnets, stripper boots. But she redeemed herself (only slightly) with that studded YSL Easy Tote - the only smart choice in this entire getup.

Pick up your own YSL ‘Easy’ Tote and more bags from Yves St. Laurent at Beyond the Rack (here’s the personal invitation code: NEH7308F05D). Click quickly before they all sell out!

Dita von Teese with the YSL “Obi Large” Stone Handbag

Everything about queen of burlesque, Dita von Teese, is so girly and ultra-femme. So the Yves Saint Laurent’s Obi Large stone handbag is the perfect accessory for her. Made from soft textured leather in a color that looks like cement or putty, this top-handle bag has YSL’s iconic bow theme Read more

Own a piece of TV history with the one-of-a-kind Korto Momolu Tote

Although I am at heart a handbag and accessories addict, I do love my fashion too. So Project Runway is in my list of must-watch television shows (and no, I do not like that wannabe replacement, The Fashion Show). Anyway, the last Project Runway winner Leanne Marshall captured my heart with her final collection but my fave throughout the season was Liberian-born designer Korto Momolu. Read more

Ask Haute Girl: Victoria Beckham’s White Bag

Dear Haute Girl,

I would really appreciate it if you could identify Victoria Beckham’s white handbag with one handle.

Camilla L. Read more

Alexander McQueen ‘Blow’ oversized hobo bag

Designers are struggling to come up with something new in their bag of tricks. That must be why the Alexander McQueen Blow oversized hobo bag looks suspiciously familiar, a lot like last year’s ‘It’ bag, the YSL Patent tribute Flat Tote. I guess the popularity of the Tribute propelled other designers to sit up and take notice. And while a little creative competition is always exciting, outright copying is just not haute. The two bags looked so similar I wondered why it had McQueen’s name when it was obviously a new version of the Tribute (or so I thought). But even though it is a downright duplicate, I prefer the ‘Blow’. Why, you ask? Well I love the rounded, hobo shape, the gold hinge hardware on the rounded straps, and the two side zips. The ‘Tribute’ looks more like your basic work bag; the ‘Blow’ is more versatile.

What’s Haute is Off to Paris!

Ooh la la, I’m taking a much needed vacation to Paris and I can’t wait to see the Eiffel Tower! Oh, who am I kidding - I can’t wait to go shopping for bags and haute Parisian fashion! Paris is the second fashion capital of the world (you may disagree but hey, I’m a New Yorker so I’m biased!), so I can’t wait to see what’s in the stores so I can blow all my money on gorgeous French designer handbags, shoes and clothes and then come back to share my finds with all of you! What’s Haute will be away until next Tuesday but in the meantime you can enjoy the archives, catch up on Hauteness and What’s Haute Magazines and shop some haute bags!

Pictured, clockwise from top left:
Louis Vuitton Monogram Tissé Sac Rayure PM, eLUXURY
Hermes Crocodile Birkin bag, Hermes
Givenchy Medium Metallic Nightingale, Barney’s
Yves St. Laurent Medium Majorelle, YSL