Botkier bags are not only gorgeous, they are also very functional. They seem to be designed with the user in mind, this making them appreciated by modern girls who don't have a lifetime to spend looking for items in their purses, especially when those purses are totes, which are extremely roomy by definition.

Botkier Rio is a tote bag with two exterior pockets on the sides, a bit unusual for this kind of bag, but surely useful for keeping a few things handy. The high-quality shiny leather is smooth, yet resistant. So is the logoed lining, made from a strong fabric. The expansion zippers on the sides can help you turn this bag into a generous storage space. There's plenty of room inside for an iPad or a small laptop, for instance, together with a few accessories and other personal items.

The bag is available in two colors: bronze metallic and cognac.

Bag size: 15.5” height x 15” width x 5.5” depth. The shoulder strap measures 6.5”

Botkier Rio Tote Bag price for any of the colors: $395 at Endless

Once more, Monkia Botkier proved that she created an approachable designer brand. The Howard Street satchel combines the edgy looks with the comfort and functionality of an everyday bag. The bag is made from finest quality leather, which is very soft and pleasant to the touch. Being so soft, the bag bottom is sagging a bit when you put stuff inside the bag, but this doesn't make it ugly. Well, it depends very much on personal preferences here: if you like slouchy bags, than the Howard satchel will be a great choice for you.

The Howard Satchel features two zippers which are fully functional and which can unzip completely around the bag. It's cool, you can then use the inner zipper compartment to store some of your secrets in there. On the front of the bag there are two D-rings, perfect for hanging a keychain or a small toy, if you're into that style. The tassels on the bag are removable, so in case you want to get rid of them for a while, there's no need to destroy them, you can put them back on again later.

While the leather for the black Howard Street satchel is pebbled and matte, the leather for the Cement Howard bag is smooth and quite shiny and the leather for the Espresso brown Howard is shiny and crinkly. The Natural Snake model is shiny and it replicates very well snake scales. All of them are very good looking, but I think I've fallen in love with the distressed leather of the brown bag.

The Botkier Howard Street satchel comes with an attachable strap which would allow you to wear it as a shoulder bag. For wearing it crossbody, you'll have to be very short, as the strap is not as long as needed in our opinion. Anyway, it's not a messenger bag, therefore I don't see this as a major drawback. You can buy the Botkier Howard Street satchel from Endless for $475.

It is very hard, if not impossible, to pass by an Isabella Fiore handbag and not notice it. These handbags are shocking, so one can either love them or hate them. It seems there’s no middle way. I’ve recently heard somebody referring to those clutches in the latest 2009 collections as being multicolor tacos. Tacos or not, these handbags are surely something to talk about. Older handbags collections were also remarkable, but the style changed a lot, from those “Baroque a Go Go” totes decorated with side tassels to the newest collections such as “Once Upon a Tattoo”, “Geometrics” or “Mosaic”. What’s with mentioning here is that even though the style has changed, Isabella Fiore handbags managed to preserve that “artistic” appearance that brought them the fame and appreciation of the public.

The designers behind the Isabella Fiore brand are two ladies from LA, Jennifer Tash and Tranh Huynh. They managed to bring Isabella Fiore into the attention of several celebrities who became their clients, among them being names like Katie Holmes, Madonna or Kate Hudson. I think Halle Berry was spotted wearing Isabella Fiore handbags, too.

Latest Isabella Fiore Handbags Collections

Watermark

Watermark includes three bags: Sara, a python patchwork clutch with detachable crossbody strap, Rania, an oversized shoulder bag with outside pouch pocket and Mia, a double top zip tote with outside slit pocket fold out.

Geometric

The Geometric collection features Leila, an oversized hobo, Suzanna, a top handle tote with woven flap closure and Amalia, an oversized fan-shaped clutch.

Mosaic

In the Mosaic collection we meet again Amalia, the clutch, this time with a different kind of pattern and with a cute tassel attached. Leila, the Isabella fiore oversized hobo, has now an embroidered side panel. The last piece of this collection is Serena, a double handle top zip balloon tote with woven handles. But these were only the three flagship bags of the collection that we can find featured on Isabella Fiore's website. In fact, the collection also includes the Isabella Fiore Mosaic Susanna Tote, which is as beautiful as the other ones.

Mesh

These handbags are a little bit more sophisticated, suitable rather for evening outfits, although the shape and size of Leila and Francine suggest all day usage.

Once Upon a Tattoo

These three purses are really cute. Liz is a mid-sized shoulder bag with a very nice floral embroidery and with a beautifully rounded shape, Mia is a top zip tote with outside coin purse and Amalia is the same taco-shaped clutch with an exquisite whip stitch detailing and a jeweled leather tassel.

The price range of Isabella Fiore handbags falls within $200 - $700, thus being quite affordable compared with other designer handbags.

Many times it’s enough that one of the most loved celebrities is seen carrying a certain bag model for the whole feminine population of a certain age group to follow. Even if the bag in question is too big for my needs, who cares about that? We can easily find stuff that we could use during the day, so filling up a big handbag is definitely not an issue for the modern girl of our days.

One of the large yet elegant bags that have just been launched for the Spring and Summer 2010 is the new Kristin Metallic Python Drawstring large hobo from the newest Coach bags collections. With a generous size of 17 3/4" x 15 1/4" x 3 1/2", this handbag can also be used as a netbook bag in case you don’t feel like having a lot of luggage in your daily “trips”. Kristin Metallic Python is made of fine Juno leather, carefully embossed in a python skin pattern, featuring a metallic sheen that reminds of modern SF movies characters. One of the most creative accents is the pink color of the fabric lining. Besides the fact that it offers a contrast that’s appealing to the eye, it also resembles the largely open mouth of a real python. With its two multifunction interior pockets, one interior zip pocket and two cute side pockets on the exterior, the Coach Kristin Metallic Python Drawstring large hobo can help a girl be organized and find her important stuff easily inside her bag. This large hobo bag features a shoulder strap with 12”.

Bag price: $589 (in the official Coach online store)

The most interesting feature of this Alexander McQueen tote is that it’s expandable, thanks to the two pairs of snappers hidden in the side folds of the purse. It’s nice to have such a bag, which is smaller when empty, but which can accommodate even bigger items if needed. For example, I don’t always need to take my netbook with me, but when I do, I like to put it in my purse, because I don’t like to carry two bags. Besides its practical side, this tote bag is very appealing. This red color Alexander McQueen uses for his handbags is absolutely stunning and the multiple zips, pockets, snappers, buckles and stitches are chic. The lining is made of electric blue fabric, creating a cool contrast with the red leather. The details of this handbag were inspired by a motorcycle jacket.

Bag size: 28 cm width x 42 cm depth; 15 cm handles with 18 cm drop.

Bag price: $1685

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The Love Red Faithful satchel is a beautiful bag with lots of zippers and pockets and with a fold-over flap zip opening featuring two zippers which meet in the center, thus making it possible to open with either the left or the right hand. The dark silver button detailing looks stylish and expensive. Expensive it is, as this bag costs $1480, which is not exactly what many of us would call pocket change. The purse has cotton lining and an interior zip pocket. The 8 cm top handle drop is thick enough to be comfortable, even in case you’re the kind of girl that carries heavy stuff in her purse. The Alexander McQueen Love Red Faithful satchel also has a 34 cm shoulder handle drop, welcome if you need to use both hands.

If red is not your color but you still love this purse, you can get the Black Faithful satchel which looks just like the red one and which is slightly cheaper: $1450.

Bag size: 38 cm width x 25 cm height (for both the red and the black one)

If we were to define Alexander McQueen’s work with one single word, that would be “theatrical”. Unconventional and shocking, his art attracted a lot of controversy. Shocking or not, his ideas managed to ignite the imagination of enough fashion experts, as to be the youngest fashion designer ever who was awarded the British Fashion Designer of the Year. Actually he won this award four times, the first time being in 1996, when he was only 27 years old.

The Dazed & Confused Episode

Dazed & Confused is a fashion magazine about models with physical disabilities. Alexander McQueen accepted to work as an art director for one of the issues of this magazine. The show that was inspired by his cooperation with Dazed & Confused featured Aimee Mullins, an athlete who had suffered an amputation of both her legs from the knees down at the young age of only one. For this show, Aimee wore a pair of hand-carved wooden legs, which everybody in the audience mistook as wooden boots. Aimee Mullins herself was impressed by this show and by its spirit of empowerment, as she confesses in this following video:

Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 Show

You don’t know: it’s a skin, it’s a dress, it’s a costume? Or maybe it’s the exteriorization of an attitude. The almost scary makeup and hair styles make those otherwise beautiful models look quite threatening. Move your sight from their head to their toes and you’ll understand: cuteness and smiles have nothing in common with walking on these monstrous hills. Despite all these, if you take away all drama and effects, you end up with perfectly wearable outfits for all moments of the day. I think this is the real art in fashion: make a memorable show, but give me something I want to buy and wear in my daily life. I’d wear many of the dresses in Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 show any time. Based on electric blue and black, the fabrics remind of an exotic bird’s feathers. One could easily believe those girls were born in their dresses, that’s how well they are tailored to fit.

Alexander McQueen has died! Long live Alexander McQueen!

On February 11th 2010, Alexander McQueen was found dead in his home. He committed suicide. When private persons die, their name continues to live only on the funerary stone. Public persons’ names have a life of their own, so when such a person passes away, the name keeps on living as if nothing happened. And if you happen to be the bearer of a name that’s been bought by a company like Gucci, you can be sure it will last long after you’ll be only a far away memory in the minds of a few people.

Despite initial uncertainty, the parent company of the Gucci Group, PPR, announced that there would be an Alexander McQueen show in Paris in the spring of 2010, and that the brand would continue without its founder, setting off speculation over who would succeed him. (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/alexander_mcqueen/index.html)

Bags by Alexander McQueen

Although he is mostly famous for his clothing creations and for his spectacular fashion shows, Alexander McQueen created several lines of handbags featuring amazing shapes and colors and top quality materials and execution. Here are a few of what I consider being among his best creations:

• Love Red Faithful Satchel
• Blue Kaiser Clutch
• Red Medium Faithful Tote
• Black Python Faithful Tote
• Midnight Faithful Tote
• Ziggy Mercury Chain Bag

Although it’s not a must that a Burberry bag features the check pattern, those purses which do are the easiest to recognize when spotted on the street or in shop windows. For instance, it only takes a quick look to figure out that this studded shopper handbag is a Burberry. Of course, it will take more than one look to tell if it’s an authentic Burberry purse or a knockoff, but that’s another discussion.

The Burberry Studded Check Shopper Handbag is simple and cute, with its traditional check detail fabric and with the white leather trim studded with tonal pyramids. The handbag is made of PVC with leather trim and it features an interior zip pocket, a cell phone pocket and a PDA pocket. Even if you don’t have that many electronic gadgets, you still can find a good use for those pockets, for storing items you need to find fast.

Bag size: 12” x 10” x 4”

Bag price: around $1400

Buy the Burberry Studded Check Shopper Handbag Here

If you look at this Burberry bag from a distance or if you see it in a picture, you could swear it’s made of soft, big feathers. However, the purse is pure leather in a pale pink color which they call “Crocus”. Manufactured in Italy, the Burberry Feather leather sling bag features a single handle in flat leather with a dark nickel Burberry logo on the strap. The purse has an interior zip pocket and sateen lining. The zip top closure is hidden between the purse top edges, so all you see at a glimpse are those leather feathers which look fantastic. Flat and delicate, this swing bag is one of the cutest at Burberry’s.

Bag size: 12 ½" x 5 3/4" x 3/4"

Bag price: $1195

Burberry is a British luxury fashion house which became famous for its tartan check pattern. They manufacture clothing, fragrances and other fashion accessories, handbags included. The Burberry house was founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, who was only 21 years old by that time and who decided to open his own shop in Basingstoke, a small town in England. Thomas Burberry opened his first London store in 1891, in the Haymarket. The location is still used today as corporate headquarters for the company. Burberry is the inventor of gabardine, a water-resistant yet breathable fabric which was patented in 1888. Breathability was possible thanks to the fact that waterproofing is done upon the yarn before weaving it.

The Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo

The Burberry Equestrian Knight logo was developed and registered as a trademark in 1901. It contained the Latin “Prosum” which means forwards. Ten years later, Roald Amundsen literally took the Burberry logo forwards, in his successful attempt to reach the South Pole. Today, “Prorsum” is still the name of a Burberry handbags line of 11 bags, from the minuscule Feather Leather Wristlet and Feather Leather Sling Bag, to the Alligator bags which include the Baby Alligator Leather Tote Bag, the Suede Leather Tote Bag with Alligator trims and the Alligator Leather Tote which costs nothing less than $22,195.

The Burberry “Check”

What we know today as the “trench coat” was initially the military officers’ coat adapted by Burberry in 1914 to better suit the war conditions of that age. Civilians adopted this fashion after the war and it soon became so popular that it was featured in movies like Casablanca: who doesn’t remember Humphrey Bogart wearing that famous trench coat with the iconic Burberry check? The famous Burberry check is a black, tan and red pattern, initially used only for the lining of clothing items, then extended to umbrellas, purses, scarves and luggage. After the success of this pattern, Burberry launched two more: the Novacheck, aimed at younger target, and the diamond pattern.

Bags that feature the check pattern:

• Burberry Studded Check Shopper Handbag
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The Burberry Outlet Chain

Burberry is by definition an UK fashion house, but this didn’t stop them from opening boutiques all across the USA, from Aspen, Atlanta, Austin or Beverly Hills to New York City, Washington, Philadelphia or Minneapolis. They also run operations in Asia.

Shopping for a Burberry Bag for Less

A Burberry bag will always be perfect to the smallest detail. Burberry is a high-end, top quality brand, therefore they keep their standards at a very high level. Although no authentic Burberry purse comes cheap, it is possible to find some of them discounted, especially during sales seasons. Make sure to check the Sales section on the Burberry website, as they offer a lot of clothing and accessories at heavily discounted prices. Counterfeit Burberry handbags are quite widespread, therefore it’s not advisable to buy so-called authentic purses in places like the China Town in New York or from non-trusted sellers on eBay.