SWAROVSKI CLUTCHES - THE ACCESSORY OF CHOICE AT THE SAG AWARDS!

Whenever there is a major award show, you will see more coverage about who wore the most fabulous gown than discussion about the awards show itself. Of course, the male nominees are totally overlooked! No one even pays attention to the purses-- at least not until now. Bags are now just as important as the gowns. Designers are pushing their accessory lines out front and center because they are realizing that their sales are coming from the accessories! Of course, someone like myself who designs handbags, always looks at the handbags first-- that is, if the ladies on the red carpet even decide to carry one.

So for those of us who dig handbags, I'm going to give you my opinion of who I felt held the title of best handbag designer at this past Sunday's SAG Awards: The winner: Daniel Swarovski!!!

Swarovski handbags are "eye candy" for sure-- truly decadent! These bags are absolutely beautiful, crystal-loaded beauties that provide the perfect finishing touch to any beautiful gown--they close the deal for the red carpet contestants!

Here are a few of the actresses who sported their Swarovski works of art at this year's SAG awards show (courtesy of People Magazine):

Vanessa Williams accessorized her gown with a black Swarovski and accessories-- Classy!

Jenna Fisher wore a very vibrant blue gown, and accessorized it with a silver Swarovski-- the perfect companion for this number!

Tina Fey sported a shorter-length gown with single shoulder strap. The silver and black Swarovski really works with this ensemble!

You can check out the complete line of Swarovski bags by clicking here!

HANDBAGS IN VIBRANT HUES WILL BE SHOWCASED IN SUMMER '08

Wondering what the summer handbag trends will look like this year?

Violet, turquoise, citron and melon will add new life to the summer season's essentials.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

TARAH SMITH’s salmon patent-leather “The Yuppie” satchel ($165).


LOCKHEART’s “Color Theory” turquoise leather “Jolie Disco” bag with chain strap ($140).

LOCKHEART’s “Color Theory” leather “Large Frame Continental” clutch in light purple ($127).
TRACY REESE’s yellow leather hobo-shape handbag ($162).

I just love the colors-- I'm really feeling like being in the Bahamas right now!

(courtesy of Apparel News)

RIHANNA APPARENTLY DOES IT ALL: MUSIC, FASHION, AND NOW... HANDBAGS!

This girl is creating such buzz right now-- she seems to be one of the "it" girls at the moment. So it's not surprising that Marc Jacobs would name his latest handbag after her.



The "Rihanna Bag" retails for around $1,600. Let's see if Rihanna's status translates into big sales for Mr. Jacobs...

"PURE BOHEMIAN" HANDBAG COMPANY COMBINES FIBER AND MUSIC

Pure Bohemian, a smashing new company based in Park City, Utah, will present its debut line of alt-couture handbags at the February 2008 MAGIC Marketplace.

Combining rescued and found fabrics, leathers, and hides, as well as a phenomenal music disc in every bag, these playful yet elegant pieces are the next in original accessories.

The first music go features the London based band Tunng, as musically complex as the fabrics, antique hardware, and makings of the bags.

To read more about this innovative company, click here.

(courtesy of fibre2fashion.com)

THE "HANDS-OFF" PURSE: AN EMPOWERING ACCESSORY FOR YOUNG GIRLS

I absolutely love what this company, Hip Purse, has come up with. Four sisters (I'm referring to blood relatives here!) who are in business together came up with the idea of creating really cute and hip handbags that strap over your shoulder or around your waist, and don't weigh you down like the new arrivals soon to be on the scene this spring and summer.

These purses are truly convenient because of the many roles that women take on in their day-to-day. We are often multi-tasking, and in addition to weighing ourselves down with our essentials, we are also toting our groceries, paperwork, and even our children in some cases. We need to be able to free our hands up a little bit!

The message that the "hands-off" bags sends to young girls is truly positive. This purse comes with a Certificate of Strength and a Power Badge. These motivational messages make this purse both inspiring and fun to wear.

I think these women have come up with a great concept for their company, and they offer a variety of purses with themes assigned to them. Here are a few that I really like:

The "Getaway" Purse - Looks to be just that!

The "Day-Tripper" Purse - Allows easy access but secure enough to prevent would-be kleptos!


The "Escape" Purse - A very elegant version of the "Fannie Pack"

I also like the fact that these purses are reasonably priced!

MORE FASHONABLE LAPTOP BAGS!

Looks like there's lots of laptop bags for the fashion conscious after all. The attractive bag shown above is called the "Mary Jayne", and is part of the gina b. international collection. What appears to be a typical elegant handbag from the outside reveals a different story on the inside! Compartments for all of your personal items, notes, and a separate section for your laptop computer makes these bags totally functional, without weighing you down.

Some of the other styles available:

The "Jetsetter"- Perfect for travel or for everyday fashion

The "Luca Bella" has a classy look

Looks like I'll just have more than one laptop bag!

TIME TO DO WEIGHTLIFTING, LADIES-- THE HANDBAGS ARE GETTING EVEN LARGER THIS YEAR

One of the biggest fashion trends of 2007, giant handbags are going even more extreme in 2008. Some of the largest bags, shown by everyone from Louis Vuitton to Chanel and Prada, now measure up to nearly 2 feet in length, the size of a small garbage can.

Here are more bags that are part of the 2008 Spring/Summer collection:

This beauty is from the L.A.M.B. collection (Gwen Stefani's line)

This gorgeous printed bag is part of the Dolce & Gabbana collection. This company knows how to strike gold in whatever they do!

This Marc Jacobs bag is the perfect accessory to vacation with in the spring or summer. The handle looks pretty sturdy as well.

To read the read this article in its entirety, click here.

(courtesy of Wall Street Journal)