fashion low down

I didn’t get an invitation (lost in the mail somewhere, surely) to the 2010 Emmy Awards, so I’m just going to show you a life-size picture of the Alexander McQueen Crystal-Encrusted Skull Clutch and imagine it in my hand. Because of that lost invite, I was also forced to give back my Marchesa dress and let Heidi Klum wear it, but she didn’t have the clutch to pair with it. So, in that regard, I still win. Except that she’s Heidi Klum, and I’m a blogger who doesn’t actually own this clutch either, technically speaking.

Ok, so maybe I don’t win. Either way, you can keep up with our coverage of Emmy fashion and weigh in on your favorites (and least favorites, because that’s way more fun) over at BagThatStyle.com!

Buy through Alexander McQueen for $2215.

These kids are cool. Like, a lot cooler than me. And the saddest part is that they’re nine years old and already cooler than me. What happens when they’re 15, 20, 25?! They’ll grow beyond the borders of cool. And that scares me. But, I am no discriminator against age, we all know it’s nothing but a number. So I am going to take some advice from these ultra cool kids and draw some inspiration from them.

1. Be born the child of rich movie stars. Let’s admit it, the coolest kids out there right now are Suri Cruise, Willow Smith and the Jolie-Pitt clan. What do they have in common? That’s right, the people they call “mommy and daddy” are who we call celebs.

2. Repeat step #1

3. Have articles written about you in People magazine. This indirectly relates to step #1 (and therefore step #2). Heidi Klum calls daughter Leni (FYI: she’s 4) a fashionista. Um, if my mom was Heidi Klum (FYI: presenter of Project Runway and a Supermodel) and called me a fashionista, I’m sure some designer would give me my own line of baby bibs or onesies or whatever else 4 year olds wear these days.

Basically, there’s no hope for you unless your last name is a household name. I’m okay with that though, I can go back to my normal life of going to work, hanging out with friends and wishing I had the shoes Suri Cruise does, only not in toddler size.

Post from: TheGloss

In a recent interview, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said that they consider David Beckham the most influential man in fashion today. Do you agree or disagree? Here are a couple of photos of Beckham’s evolving style through the years to help you make your decision.

[Please note that all images are courtesy of WENN.]

Post from: TheGloss

By now many of you have seen the much anticipated Sex and the City 2. While the movie itself may not have lived up to your expectations, the fashion still lured many in. Of course I was looking for the handbags, and one of the designers who had the most handbags showing up in the movie is Adriana Castro.

Adriana Castro had five bags show up in Sex and the City 2. We knew we would see some of her bags, when we first spotted Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) being snapped with the Python Eva Clutch back in September of 2009. The exotic bags chosen from Adriana Castro are both colorful and alluring.

Congrats to Adriana Castro! Check out two of her bags featured in Sex and the City 2 being sold at Neiman Marcus and all info at Adriana Castro online.

I have decided that Lady Gaga performs makeovers on her Hermes Birkins just for us. She wants the handbag lovers of the world to get a rise out of what she is doing to her bag. And how can you not? Her last Hermes Birkin was taken over by what looked like a Sharpie marker with a message to her Japanese fans.

This Birkin has been taken over with studs, and not just any studs, seemingly sharp studs. The kind of studs that can poke you and get an “Ouch” reaction from your mouth. And when you inspect the bag closely, they are not perfectly set apart, rather tried to be somewhat in pattern but it is a bit of a free-form design.

What I wonder is if Lady Gaga sits in her spacious first class seat as she flies from location to location with a glue gun and a bag of studs working on her handbag-art-project. You know, with anyone else I would be shocked, but this is Lady Gaga. What else can you expect? Her outfits and her entire persona is there for shock value, so at least she is staying true to herself and making sure each and every item she wears gets the attention she is seeking. Oh yea, her shoes look like horse’s hooves… I’m just saying.

What do you think about Lady Gaga customizing her Hermes Birkins?

When I covered the Gucci Joy Boston Bag with Snowman and Elephant Print, the reaction was mixed (except on Facebook where most everyone disliked the bag strongly). But not me. I loved this bag from the moment I first saw it. You see, I recently took a look into my handbag collection and realized I was lacking playful and whimsical designs. My collection is overflowing with great leather bags, but I not only wanted but felt that I needed to add some bags that are meant to be taken lightly and meant to be fun. I found it in the Marc Jacobs Fluorescent Tweed Bag and I have found it in this Gucci Bag.

You know who else is drawn to it? Elle MacPherson.

I must admit, I have had Elle MacPherson envy for years. She somehow pairs gorgeous with casual so well that it makes me mad. And in her all dark ensemble, Elle added a playful touch with the Gucci Joy Boston Bag with Snowman and Elephant Print.

I told you all I was going to order this bag, and I did. It arrived last week and Vlad and I plan on doing a photo shoot with it coming up soon. In person, it is great! This bag is not meant to be taken super seriously, rather it is all in jest (while also being for a good cause). I am looking forward to pairing it with a crisp white top and summer khaki pants! Buy through Gucci online for $695.

You know, I am not really sure what to say here… and that rarely happens. So, let me see what I can conjure up given the fact that my mind is suffering from various states of confusion.

As I was catching up on some news (as well as daily celeb gossip), I came across a tidbit of information that I *HAD* to share with you all. Lindsay Lohan is planning on breaking into the handbag world. And no, I am not talking about her discussing the various expensive handbags she owns. Instead, I am talking about Lindsay designing handbags of her own.

If you are anything like me, you need to reflect on this a little bit.

That’s right. Lindsay Lohan wants to be a handbag designer. I realize that handbags are an accessory most celebs love. Everyone seems to have at least a couple favorite designer bags they can’t do without. Heck, even us “normal people” covet handbags. That’s why you are reading this, right?

I also understand that it makes sense for many fashion forward celebs to dabble in the fashion world. There are several successful celebs who have fashion lines of their own. I welcome this. However, I cannot believe that Lindsay Lohan will have her own line of handbags. In fact, Ms. Lohan will be creating her own line of Ed Hardy handbags. Certainly Ed Hardy is a line that appeals to a very specific crowd, but regardless, what do you think about Lindsay putting her two cents into the handbag world? I for one am rather shocked that any designer line (including one such as Ed Hardy) would want their name/brand associated with Lindsay and her train-wreckish ways. Am I the only one who feels this way? Discuss!

Eau is Me is a weekly perfume column, introducing you to new and old scents by pairing them with songs, foods, and even fashion. Colleen Williams has been writing and obsessing about fragrance for years now, and wants you to obsess about it too.

Celebrity fragrances are a dime a dozen these days. Most perfume industry people will wax poetic on the blockbuster intensity of J.Lo’s “Glow,” because it truly was a mindblowing record-breaker. It knocked celebrity perfume out of the ballpark – first and foremost because the marketing behind it was genius, and secondly (and quietly) because it actually is a pleasant scent. But most since have not been so lucky, although they have been lucrative. Nothing says “Merry Christimas, teenager” like a bottle of Britney Spears’ Circus under the tree. But do you really want to say your signature scent is that of a celeb? “Oh this? I’m wearing Celine. Celine Dion.” You’d feel like a wanker.

With the exception of Sarah Jessica Parker, most celebrity perfumes are in name only – they don’t normally help with the chemical construct that becomes their trademark stench. SJP actually had her thumb in every pie, from start to finish. Others, not so much. Here’s a few of the latest releases in the past year:

KAT VON D SAINT & SINNER

I am a leetle bit in love with Kat Von D, namely because she’s like the circus coming to town, but a really exotic, pretty-faced kind of circus. She’s no lady with a beard. She’s also the kind of ridiculous and outrageous reality star who has a brain, which I appreciate in my pop culture. Enough about that, though- the point is she created two scents for Sephora, and they are pretty standard girl smells. Saint is terribly sweet, like a marshmallow explosion on your wrist, due to the vanilla/caramel notes deepened with a base of musk. Sinner is a little bit more my speed – dark and complicated with notes of vetiver, cinnamon, and jasmine. They definitely hit yin and yang on the head – Saint is girly, Sinner is vixeny. Probably the most successful sampling of the few this week.

Kat Von D’s Saint and Sinner are available exclusively at Sephora; $55 for 1.7oz.

FAITH HILL PARFUMS

Faith Hill, bankable & lovable country star who oozes Americana, released her fragrance in October 2009. Since then, the bottle has been selling pretty steadily, so the latest progression will be a travel vial in pink steel. With the first spritz, I was instantly transported to 7th grade. Ms. Hill’s eponymous scent smells like 7th grade P.E. – the original scent of Secret Solid. At least you smell… deodorized, right? It dries down to a pleasant, cottony scent. Overall, sweet but nothing spectacular.

Faith Hill is available at Kohl’s; $31 for 1.7oz, $24 for 1.0oz. Travel size coming soon.

HALLE BERRY PURE ORCHID

Halle Berry’s Pure Orchid is described as voluptuous, desirous, and feminine. With notes of jungle cactus flower, lemon, blackberry creme, star anise, masdevallia orchid, giant sequoia and patchouli, it actually is a bit tartish. Do not be concerned with the idea that this lesser-priced product will fade too quickly – it will stick to your skin like superglue. After the initial spray dissipates, it is not as Cabo-Spring-Breaky, but still not particularly sophisticated. It is the vacation from classy perfumes. Worth a huff if you feel like developing a slutty alter-ego.

Halle Berry Pure Orchid is available at Wal-mart; $26 for 1.0oz, $16 for .5oz.

Post from: TheGloss

The Katherine Kwei Donna Clutch is as recognizable and stand-out as they come. The knotting technique Kwei uses for her designs is not seen with any other designer, which is clearly her individuality factor. And because of this, it is hard to miss one of her designs.

Recently, Fergie was seen pairing her colorful fuchsia Katherine Kwei Donna Clutch with her black on black outfit. There are so many reasons why this work, including the fact that her somber outfit desperately needs a pop of color. The Donna Clutch has been seen in a variety of materials, including watersnake, but I think I have found my favorite rendition. I am clearly drawn to hot pink (like my Botkier Venice Hobo). Not everyone wants such a bright splash of color on a larger bag, so it is perfect to opt for a clutch. Buy via Saks for $645.

For more celebrity style don’t forget to check out our sister site, BagthatStyle!

Image via Just Jared

If you’re a fan of the Hermes Birkin (or simply not a fan of Lady Gaga), gird your loins for this one.

When her Monster Ball tour landed recently in Tokyo, La Gagita was seen in the airport carrying a white Hermes Birkin inscribed with a message that loosely translates to “I love small monster. Toyko love.”

In case you’re not familiar with the Gaga vernacular, “little monsters” is the name that she uses to refer to her fans, so her Birkin message was a shout-out to those that would be attending her Japanese shows. Using accessories and the paparazzi to communicate – clever, or not so much?

Regular readers of the blog will know that I’m a huge Lady Gaga fangirl, so I think it’s fairly clever. It’s not the most interesting thing she’s ever done, but playing with fashion and blurring the lines of social acceptability are two things that are integral to her public image, and not only does a Sharpie’d Birkin combine those things effectively, but it has managed set tongues wagging all over the internet.

UPDATE: As commenter Allen pointed out, it looks as though Gaga has now had her Japanese fans sign the back of the same Birkin, according the the pictures that she posted on Twitter today.