Are you looking for a high-impact bag?
You might want to check out these bold and funky totes and purses from Tokyo Made!
They’re made in Tokyo, by designers MACBAG and Colorcult – with an interesting twist.  The body of the purses are made from handmade African fabric.  You can’t get much more multi-cultural than that…

This is the “Lattice Tote” by Colorcult.  It’s made using handmade Nigerian wax printed fabric (the design is made by layering different colors of dye over top of the fabric – the dye can’t penetrate the wax, which allows for intricate designs to be created).  It’s finished …read more

Blue Q is the source for all kinds of weird and wonderful goodies.  Everything from novelty gum to stickers, fun accessories to eco-friendly bags.
These totes are made using recycled pop bottles and grain sacks – and you’d never guess their origins from their funky style!  As well, Blue Q donates 1% of their profits from these bags to the Nature Conservancy.
It’s a win-win situation – you can support a good cause, keep plastic out the landfills and carry a stylish shopper.

“Miso Pretty“

“Happy Camper“

“Crazy Collage“

images: Blue Q

Are you heading to the beach this Memorial Day long weekend?
And do you have the right beach tote…
Marc Jacobs has put together a sleek, lighthearted beach tote, complete with canvas hat, flip flops and a towel.  Perfect for enjoying the sunshine while making a style statement!

The clear tote is accented with a Miss Marc character and crinkled patent trim.   It’s generously sized to keep your sunscreen, water bottle and book all close at hand and ready for some relaxation.
image: Saks 5th Avenue

Feminine flowers are showing up on accessories everywhere these days!
Soft and pretty or bold and graphic, flowers can add a touch of fresh, spring style to almost any accessory.
Valentino created this leather tote with metallic leather and accented it with lush flowers, made in the same leather:

The leather flowers on Carlos Falchi’s purse add a fun 3-D accent and the colors keep it fresh and perfect for springtime style:

Or you could go for drop-dead gorgeous with Judith Leiber’s “Morning Dew” hand-finished clutch purse:

images: Neiman Marcus

One of my good friends and I went to Anthroplogie yesterday and I cannot begin to express how much I love that store.  I’d love to live in there and just play dress up! Aside from their amazingly chic jewelry, decorative items, bath and body products  and the beautiful selection of clothes, Anthropologie has a great selection of handbags too!   Their handbags are a fun mix of girlish fun, shabby chic and classic shapes. Below are my picks for Spring and Summer.
The Scarf Scene Tote is a fun patterned tote made of silk. It’s perfectly slouchy for those casual days  …read more

Waking up to an infomercial showing me a purse that could turn into other designs with the help of different “shells” is something I’d probably never forget in my life. That’s a weird fact to admit but working in the fashion, shopping, and beauty industry as well as loving it makes that statement a normal thing to say. Now back to the bag with different “shells“. It’s actually called Miche Bag.
You are not looking at 20 bags. Actually, that’s 1 designer bag with different designed mats that are called “shells”. A Miche Bag attaches and detaches to make 1 bag …read more

Let’s face it – handbags are much more fun to think about – especially compared to the state of my mutual funds these days!
So why would I rather invest in accessories rather than the stock market these days?

Have you seen what vintage Dior is selling for these days?
“Vintage mutual funds”… not so much.
A good purse can be used for years, loved, adored, petted and then restored as needed.
Can you restore your money market funds?
Check out the price of gold.
That means that white gold Tiffany bracelet can only go up baby!
A good quality leather shoe can be repaired, re-soled and if …read more

Louis Vuitton has just launched a new campaign for their Spring & Summer 2009 line of luxury accessories, featuring Madonna.  The photos are all over the internet – but do you want to see what happened behind the scenes?
Check out this fun peek behind the scenes with both Madonna and Marc Jacobs… and prepare to drool at the tables of LV purses!

It can be challenging for eco-conscious fashionistas to find quality, trendy accessories sometimes.  There aren’t a lot of options for high-end style.
Luckily, Vegan Queen is working to try and change that.  Their collection of luxury handbags are made with PVC-free eco-polymer material, veg-tan leather (the most eco-friendly way to create leather) organic cotton and other eco-friendly materials.  Best of all, the bags look great too!
There aren’t individual links to each bag, but if you click this link it will take you to their online boutique.  Just click the name of the bag you’re interested in and check it out!
The City …read more

Let’s face it, most of us are trying to be a little more money-conscious these days – even when it comes to our beloved accessories!
Luckily, there are lots of stylish options for savvy shoppers out there.  With a little bit of detective work and flexibility, it’s possible to bring in your accessory shopping under budget.  Check out these great patent leather purses – all of them under $200!  After all – how often do you find a Dooney & Bourke clutch or a Michael Kors tote for less than that?

Nordstrom patent leather drawstring hobo – $128

Dooney & Bourke patent leather …read more