Designer Handbags Fan Club

I can not believe that cake artists could actually create and design such a beautiful cake of Gucci bag . This is indeed a cool cake. Looks like this was given as a gift for a 26th birthday.  This is a Gucci handbag cake complete with a Gucci Boston Bag on top of a Gucci Box.  I can not imagine the price for a cake like this, novelty enough that it would end up being totally ridiculous, but isn’t it amazing? I would prefer a Hermes handbag cake for my birthday this year…

Chloe Edith Tote

With a doctor’s bag feel and traditional leather styling, plus extra fashionable details, this Chloe tote fills a lot of wardrobe needs.

If you’re a one-bag woman and prefer to have one carry-all you use almost daily for a season or a year, this is definitely that type of purse. With a neutral color and classic silhouette the Chloe Edith Tote will take you to work, lunch and the mall.

This Chloe bag is roomy enough for your essentials plus a few extras like a magazine or bottle of water. You’ll know where the important stuff is with a front pouch pocket and an interior zip pocket.

One drawback of the relaxed feel of the broken-in leather and sturdy buckles and contrast stitching is the casual aesthetic. This Chloe handbag won’t go to more formal offices or dressier events.

Double handles allow you to carry this at your side or attach the removable shoulder strap when your hands are full.

Somewhere in Australia, basking in the waning rays of a winter sun, lies a crocodile. The fate of this crocodile, a Crocodylus porosus to get technical, is linked to international financial markets, a 1970s British actress who made it big in France, a 172-year-old company that started out making horse harnesses, the tastes of the world’s super rich — and if she’s very lucky and very patient.

Within days this porosus will be killed. Its hide will be tanned and sent to an atelier (because to call it a workshop would be declasse) in the French town of Pantin. There, one of a few dozen highly skilled craftsmen will spend 48 hours over two weeks using tools specifically made for this task. He will use his own hands, two needles, a trademark stitch and a proprietary linen thread soaked in beeswax to craft one of the world’s most expensive and highly sought-after luxury goods: the Hermes handbag.

This will be one of about 3,000 coveted saltwater-crocodile-skin bags made this year and will fetch somewhere in the neighborhood of $50,000. People put their names on lists and wait two to three years to own such a bag. They spend tens of thousands of dollars on scarves and jewelry and clothing just for the opportunity to spend thousands more on a crocodile-skin pocketbook.

It is that obsessive demand — combined with an intentionally limited supply — that has allowed Hermes to prosper in an economic environment that has decimated its competition. While many of its competitors are suffering under the strain of the global recession, Hermes, an iconic brand famous for its silk scarves and handbags, had a remarkably good first quarter. As some luxury brands like Gianni Versace shutter their stores, Hermes plans to open several new shops this year.

The French-based company’s sales rose 3.2 percent to $603 million over the first three months of the year. Much of that growth is attributed to sales of leather goods, which rose 21.7 percent to $287 million.

 ”Hermes’ position is unique; it is at the very top of the pyramid in terms of luxury goods,” says Francesca Di Pasquantonio, a Hermes analyst for Deutsche Bank in Milan, Italy. “The goods are very expensive. They make you pay for the quality they provide and the brand is classic, an icon. Handbags are the core of the business and a successful product. They are produced only in limited numbers, never overwhelming the market.”

“The price is above and beyond everyone else,” says Michael Tonello, author of “Bringing Home the Birkin,” who spent six years circumventing Hermes’ years-long waiting lists to get bags to wealthy clients when they wanted them. “The people who can afford these goods are not affected by the recession,” Tonello says. “Even if they lost millions of dollars in the market, they are still worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If you want something super special, if you want a handmade crocodile bag and you can afford it, Hermes is the only place you’ll go.” “That’s why,” he says, “the brand is recession-proof.”

The importance of handbags to the company — particularly expensive exotic leathers like crocodile — has led Hermes to farm its own animals in Australia. Leather goods make up 40 percent of the company’s profits.

“It can take three to four crocodiles to make one of our bags so we are now breeding our own crocodiles on our own farms, mainly in Australia,” Patrick Thomas told Reuters at its Global Luxury Summit in Paris.

The company is also looking to train new craftsmen to add to the 1,400 currently employed by the company. “We cannot face demand. We have massive over-demand. We are limited by our ability to train new craftsmen,” Thomas says.

The Hermes bag has become a cultural touchstone. The Hermes Birkin bag was featured in an episode of the HBO series “Sex and the City.” And the Kelly bag was used as a plot device in the 2003 film “Le Divorce.” Numerous celebrities have been photographed toting Hermes bags, including singer Victoria Beckham, who reportedly owns $2 million worth of Birkin bags.

Marc Jacobs, who can usually do no wrong in the eyes of many modern fashionistas, has stirred up quite a controversy with his Rana (which means “frog” in Spanish) clutch. It’s not the choice of skin that’s got the ladies up in arms, (the delicate sheen of the kangaroo has received universal rave reviews) but the antique gold frog adornment. Although this Marc Jacobs purse has been seen hanging from the wrists of celebrities like Fergie and Cameron Diaz, not everyone is mesmerized by the crystal eyes of Marc Jacobs Rana.

This Marc Jacobs bag itself is an unusual, and quite covetable, soft pouch shape, and the 5″ single strap with the loop through closure and a 3″ drop makes it perfect wrist-dangling material. The intricate pleats on the top of the bag add volume to the dynamic red kangaroo leather. The petite 8.5″ x 5.5″ x 6″ size is great for carrying an evening’s worth of gloss and powder plus PDA, but leaves little room for anything else. Besides red, the Rana is available in a wide variety of colors from black to neon green.

The antiqued-gold frog with sparkling gemstone eyes decorates the front of the bag. The brushed goldtone hardware subtly balances the fine grain of the kangaroo skin exterior. The luxurious quality of the bag is exactly what the world has come to expect from Marc Jacobs, but this fine specimen of Italian craftsmanship is just not for everyone. This is definitely a statement bag for a woman with a quirky, irreverent style, who is willing to wear her sense of humor on her purse.

I, along with most of the handbag loving world, really fell in love with the new rose and bow themed Valentino bags. But I still favor the Histoire Bag since seeing Angelina Jolie and Zahara carrying matching versions of this Valentino bag. I believe a lots of ladies just like me who adore the mother-daughter version of the bag. This Valentino handbag by no means looks dainty, so it is a great mix of feminine colors on bold handbag. The topstitching is done in black and there is gold tone hardware. The braided leather details and two front flap pockets are integral parts of the Histoire and make it what it is. Typically these aspects were a tad overpowering, but with the feminine colors it tones it all down perfectly.

Jimmy Choo is famous for sexy stiletto heels and red-carpet ready purses, but the designer is now dressing down for charity. The fashion house has created some cute casual shoes and handbags to raise funds for the Sir Elton John AIDS Foundation.

These limited edition items are part of Project PEP, an initiative to help support the Simelela Rape Center in Cape Town, South Africa. One quarter of the accessory sales will help the charity provide the vital HIV preventative medication Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) to abuse victims, as well as offering counseling and support.

The cause is close to the label’s heart, as Jimmy Choo founder and president Tamara Mellon worked with Elton John on the auction project 4 Inches. This landmark program helped to secure the Simelela Center’s future.

Each Project PEP accessory features a signature laminated print starring iconic Jimmy Choo hallmarks, such as snakeskin, grommet laden leather, a scribbled phone number of the brand’s London store, and a picture of Ms Mellon gracing the cover of Vogue Italia.

“It’s a whole collage of the DNA of Jimmy Choo,” Tamara Mellon explained.

The print covers tote bags, clutches, sandals, ballet shoes, and summer-ready flip flops. Prices start from $95 for the flip flops, up to $995 for the large Jimmy Choo handbag. The Project PEP collection of Jimmy Choo clutches and Jimmy Choo handbags will hit Jimmy Choo boutiques and department stores in November.

With a history of 90 years, Fendi handbags is long recognized as a forefront trend in the world of high fashion. It is considered to be the combination of superb quality, innovative design and functional style.

This Fendi handbag use soft Nappa Leather in Tan color with smooth leather trim, Zucca Fendi logo lining leather, Fine topstitching Logo-engraved polished silver metal hardware, Braided smooth leather shoulder straps with thorn-like knots; 5.5″ drop < br> Braided smooth leather handle on front flap with looped pebble-grained leather strap, Secret compartment with mirrored end hidden in loop of flap closure, Coin purse with push-lock closure inside flap and Braided smooth leather piping
Size:W45XH21XD18

Police in Hong Kong are investigating an online video showing a teenage girl performing oral sex in exchange for cash to buy a Gucci handbag. The six-minute clip shows the 17-year-old performing the sex act on the upper deck of a Hong Kong bus.

The video, which appears to be shot on a camera phone, has now been circulated online. The accompanying caption reads “Pay $200 and get this service from a 17-year-old Hong Kong student. She wants to buy Gucci bag.”

Police were investigating whether the video is part of a growing trend called “compensated dating” . This euphemism describes a practice where young girls are paid for sex.

I can understand a girl’s love of Gucci bags because I love them too but not more than myself.  I can not stand teens become prostitutes for designer handbags.  They need help!

Chloe Saskia tan satchel

Chloe handbags, founded in Paris in 1952 by Egyptian-born designer Gaby Aghion, have always represented a mercurial spirit and enjoyed a freewheeling bohemian style. Novelty, femininity and function always make Chloe bags timeless elegance.

Chloe saskia tote with tan leather, Tonal topstitching, Gold-tone hardware, Clear top handle, Shoulder strap, Front flap pockets.
Dimension:W15″×H8″×L5″

Even with Victoria Beckham’s ridiculous, over-the-top spending on her Hermes bags collection, Hermes is still dealing with financial woes. It’s a common story these days with fashion labels as people are cutting out luxury purchases.

Though Hermes recently opened anew boutique in the East Hamptons, the company has had to postpone the scheduled openings of two new stores in China. Some people might be surprised to hear it, though, since the brand was considered one of the top labels, along with Louis Vuitton handbags and Gucci handbags, doing well during the financial crisis.

Hermes’ CEO addressed the issue recently:

“We have a crisis, all luxury companies can feel it,” CEO Patrick Thomas said at a shareholders’ meeting yesterday. “It would be illusory to think that Hermes can escape.”

At least the company’shiring freeze isn’t affecting the leather-goods department yet. Only time will tell how well they survive in the months to come.