Louis Vuitton Mahina

Louis Vuitton has done it again. They have made a bag that is pricey and highly sought after. I really love this bag !! This bag remind me of the Jimmy Choo Alex, but lil' bit more slouchy.
The Louis Vuitton Mahina when it was first released (dubbed the Louis Vuitton XL and XXL) and since then there has been Mahina mayhem. But the bags, both in XL and XXL are available in eLuxury right now. The XL costs $3100 while the XXL costs $3900. Told you, expensive, yet understated with the monogram LV and the large slouch. One of my obsession handbag. Grab it while you can!

Designer Handbags- How To Tell Whether It Is Authentic

First of all, check the location of the seller, which is posted in the auction. In many, BUT NOT ALL, cases, sellers from Asia are selling replica bags. The reason behind this is that countries in this area have very unspecific intellectual property laws, so factories which manufacture replica products are very prevalent. Sellers from China, Korea and Singapore are especially dangerous.

Also, it is important to check the wrapping of the bag in the picture. Paper around buckles, plastic over handles, and square tags of material hanging from a strap are all telltale signs of a replica. Brand new bags from the boutiques never have any wrapping around them UNLESS THE BAG WAS SPECIAL ORDERED. Special-ordered bags are typically the newest "It" bags, like the Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 was a few years ago. In contrast, the Louis Vuitton Cabas Mezzo is hardly ever special ordered because it is a classic. Get a very clear answer from the seller when it comes to the circumstances of purchasing the bag.

If the seller says the bag is from the internet, ask them which website. Websites usually leave the wrapping on bags, however there are very few websites that sell authentic bags from high end designers. eLuxury is the most prevalent one, also the websites of department stores (Neiman Marcus, Saks, Macy's, etc) will sell authentic bags. When these websites do have wrapping on their items, the handles are covered in tissue paper/plastic and buckles are covered in blue plastic adhesive. Additionally, the squares of leather that hang from straps are only on replicas.

Finally, it is important to do research on what the bag should look like. If there is a store in your area that carries the bag that you look for, take a trip and look at the ones that are carried. Pay close attention to exact colors, the way seams meet, stamps in the leather, markings on hardware. If you are not able to go to a store where authentic bags are sold, try eLuxury or the manufacturer website. Another option is looking up auctions that are verified by mypoupette or other authenticity verification service. Not all authentic bags are verified by these services, but nearly all bags verified by these services are authentic. Take a close look at the pictures provided, even keep watch of the auction.

An authentic bag should always have a dustbag, authenticity/care cards, and sometimes a reciept. However, these are also counterfitted, so do not rely on these as the sole verification source.

The final red flag to look out for is sellers who sell large numbers OF THE SAME ITEM. This is different from sellers who sell alot of the same BRAND. For example, a person who has 25 Louis Vuitton speedy 30 handbags is very suspicious, while a seller who has 50 Louis Vuitton handbags that are 30 different styles is much more legitimate. Sellers who do wholesale are always selling replicas; wholesale meaning that they have large numbers of the same item that they sell at a large discount (over 50%).

The most important thing, when buying a high end designer bag, is to do research, find a reputable seller, ask questions, and be comfortable with your purchase. Never rush into a sale (don't quickly read over an auction then bid right before it ends) and always ask any questions you have before bidding. The world of high fashion is full of excitement and glamour, and do not settle for anything less than what you want.

Giorgio Armani Luxury Traveler Collection

Although travel by steamship has gone by the wayside and prim suits have been replaced by sweatsuits as appropriate airplane attire, vacationing doesn't have to be entirely lacking in glamour this summer. Inspired by the elegance of bygone eras, Giorgio Armani has just introduced its Luxury Traveler Collection, a set of distinctive pieces of luggage guaranteed to turn even average tourists into modern day Rita Hayworths. For women, the three-piece set features a travel bag, vanity case, and suitcase, all in black or brown patent crocodile skin made particularly glossy by a special agate cylinder finish, while men get a four-piece collection of different sized suitcases and a doctor's bag in printed calfskin. We can’,t say whether Armani’,s jet-setting lifestyle of island hopping and rubbing elbows with the likes of Tom Cruise had an impact, but if the hand-stitched nappa leather lining, a personalized metal label, and a crocodile skin address holder are any indication, the sophistication of the sets will certainly make an impact on fellow vacationers.

The Giorgio Armani Luxury Traveler Collection, price upon request, visit giorgioarmani.com for Giorgio Armani Boutique locations

Yves Saint Laurent, 1936-2008

"Fashion fades. Style is eternal."—Yves Saint Laurent

He was a fashion designer by trade, but Yves Saint Laurent’s enduring legacy is that of gender equalizer, silhouette soothsayer, child prodigy, and inventor of the ready-to-wear category. Saint Laurent, who died in his Paris home at age 71 on Sunday, forever changed the modern woman’s wardrobe with the tuxedo jackets, trench coats, and most memorably, pants, he both glamorized and popularized in the 1960s and 70s.

When Christian Dior died in 1958, then-21-year-old Saint Laurent, his former assistant, took over at the house to instant raves (thanks in part to the flatteringly novel trapeze dress). Over the next few years designing for the house of Dior, he set the stage for ultimate change agents like Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada, being the first to continuously surprise each season with new lengths, moods, shapes, and tones.

Saint Laurent opened his own couture house in 1962, radically altering his aesthetic every six months to the delight and anticipation of fashion followers worldwide. By 1968, he decided that couture’s stuffy moment had passed, that the line between day and eveningwear had become blurred, and that stylish young women on the street were the best source of inspiration. He proposed a radical idea—that women wear pants every day. He offered smart suits that became an integral part of a woman’s wardrobe, leaving his indelible mark on the world of fashion.

That same year, Saint Laurent opened his first Rive Gauche store on Madison Avenue, bringing ready-to-wear to New Yorkers. While everyone else’s hemlines were rising, the skirts in his shop hit at mid-calf and were declared the new notion of sex appeal. Over the next 35 years, Saint Laurent reinvented his own classics—the safari jacket, le smoking, leopard prints—countless times, reversing public opinion that clothes needed to change drastically twice a year, and instead establishing himself as a designer both adaptable to change and highly capable of engendering it.

In 2000, the house of Yves Saint Laurent was purchased by the Gucci Group, and the designer announced his retirement two years later (along with the dissolution of YSL couture). He retreated to his Paris home, where he ended a long battle with brain cancer on Sunday.

Source: All About Yves by Tracey Lomrantz

Ksubi

Ksubi (formerly known as Tsubi) is an Australian fashion label, co-founded and directed by surfers Dan Single and George Gorrow.

The brand is known as one of the most notorious, recognised, street-wise and innovative fashion labels in the world, with a diverse range of fans ranging from Australian underground musicians and New York City models, to celebrities and fashion icons such as Kanye West, Gemma Ward, Ashley Olsen, Kate Bosworth, Madonna, Scissor Sisters, Kate Moss, Pete Doherty and many more.

World's Most Extravagant Handbags

It's never too early to start thinking about your holiday wish list.

Sure to top it this year? Chanel's "Diamond Forever" tote (pictured left). In December, the company will debut 13 of these diamond and alligator handbags just in time for the holiday shopping crunch. Each is a stepped-up version of the classic Chanel shoulder bag, with the iconic Chanel "Cs" encrusted in a staggering 334 diamonds (a total of 3.56 carats) set in 18-carat white gold. The alligator skin is farmed and treated with a matte finish.

The total cost: $260,150.

Paris fashion frenzy: Haute Couture means the Highest Fashion

With as many as four major show weeks per year, Paris claims the status of the capital of fashion. In Paris, the fashion design industry is booming. From June 28 - July 5, Paris is whipped into a fashion frenzy for the S/S 08 Menswear and Haute couture collections. While runway shows may appear to be mere theatrical performances, they are also formidable money-spinners.

The use of the term haute couture is strictly controlled, and the list of fashion establishments allowed to call their lines "haute couture" is regulated annually by a special ministerial decree. While there were several hundred haute couture establishments in France in the 1950s, today just 10 fashion houses in the country meet the criteria, which include hand-tailoring and personalized measurements. These elite establishments are members of a professional haute couture society that organises two annual fashion events, in January and July. Haute couture is only for women.

The haute couture club may be restricted, but is not entirely closed, says Charlotte Cabaton at France24.com. Four non-French fashion houses, including Elie Saab and Giorgio Armani, share a similar status, as they fulfill all required criteria except for nationality. The fashion industry also desires to create opportunities for young talent and lesser known designers. This season, 17 designers have been adopted by the haute couture club, and given the status of “guest designer”.

The prestige attached to the title stems from fashion tradition and history. Even though haute couture is nearly 140 years old, the phenomenon has learned to adapt to the times. The key to haute couture’s eternal youth lies in its capacity to be resolutely meticulous, while being respectful to contemporary trends. In the words of Christian Dior, it allows “audacity amidst tradition”.

However, this audacity counts for no more than 200 regular woman clients in the world. Not that there is a paucity of rich women, of course – it’s just that most rich women have changed their lifestyles. They are more impatient and busier. Few are ready to wait for three months before wearing the dress they chose. Furthermore, the number of grand social occasions - the kind of event where an opulent haute couture gown is appropriate - is declining.

Haute couture sales represent not more than 2% of sales of the big designers. Why all the effort, one may ask?

The answer: To allow designers to practice their art, thus providing a fresh breath of air to the fashion industry. Haute couture is a laboratory of future trends – a type of investment in research and development, if you will. The designs worn on the catwalk influence future ready-to-wear collections.

Haute couture is also a powerful emissary of image. It creates dreams; thus, it sells. It gives rise to perfumes, cosmetics, and accessories, affordable to the public at large; it gives life to brand names, and also to the couture houses themselves.

For haute couture creates a thriving living for many artists. For every outfit a designer puts on the catwalk, many hands have gone into its creation – workers, designers, tailors, seamstresses, feather-workers, milliners and bootmakers.

Haute couture is a savoir-faire, a heritage that France has protected and preserved, notably at its Museum of Fashion and Textiles in Paris. For fashion tells a story. To be à la mode is to bear witness to one’s era. C'est vrais.

Cheap Monday

Cheap Monday isn’t just all about jeans. They make some darn cute dresses that look like APC but price like well, Cheap Monday.

Ring in the new month by picking up this July Dress from Urban Outfitters.

Originally $75 and now $54.99, the plaid frock is a bit of a breezy ‘70s throwback that will look at home on the Bowery. Cinch it with a thin leather belt for a more flattering silhouette.

Are you a fashion addict?

"That fashion designing industry is respected for high quality, aesthetic and uniquely finished garments cannot be doubted. However, they don’t come cheap at all - buying a well-made designer cloth is not the same as picking up a rose flower in a local store. This reality often makes some ‘concerned’ commentators to occasionally wonder aloud whether designer clothes are worth their high price tags.

Some buyers actually love the high cost. Surprisingly, an average fan of designer clothes is aware that they’re cheap to make, yet he’s always eager to flip open his wallet and grab a set of three shirts for £500 or much more. He principally sees his purchase as ‘collection of treasures’ which end up tearing down any negative criticism against high cost of designers cloths.

It is fine if people have plenty of money to spend on clothes, but the addiction by some people to these designer labels lead to spending beyond people’s means. Most addicted buyers regard designer cloths as vehicle of pride, ego massage, confidence boosting and curry envy of peers and colleagues, while generally he like to the ‘special feeling’ those greatly finished garments provide.

So, are these clothes worth the price tag?

There is no right or a wrong answer, but it all boils down to how much you can afford."

Source: Excerpted from History of Fashion Design by James Dyson