Times are tough, but women are still buying designer handbags

Photo of Tano Handbag

It doesn't matter what the economy is doing, women still want to feel good about carrying a designer handbag. Women are still buying purses. They may not be spending thousands of dollars on a new purse, but nonetheless, they are still buying bags.

There are the very high priced designer handbags like Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Lanvin and Chanel for the upper crust. These designs usually run into the thousands for a new purse. Of course, you get high quality craftmanship, materials and hardware if you are willing to and can afford to pay top dollar for a new purse. But, nowadays, it seems as thought the "it" bag craze has somewhat subsided. It hasn't stopped, it's just not as important anymore as it used to be. Now, the people who can afford to spend a few thousand dollars on a new handbag do, and the others find an alternative route to getting the bag of their dreamy needs.

Many new designers are hitting the market like no other time in the history of designer handbags. It's a tough and competitive business. The cost of manufacturing, outsourcing and importing all take its toll on the final product, its price and availability.

Women will find a way to get themselves a new designer handbag even during tough times. With the cost of gasoline competing with fashion, a women needs to think creatively to obtain that new tote bag. Some of the moderately priced designers are doing very well these days at supplying just the right product at the right price with perfect timing.

Elaine Turner introduced a leather handbag collection with much success in the early 2000's. Women love her handbags because they are priced right, made extremely well and have a classic design and style. The Elaine Turner handbag collection is very sophisticated, well made and priced from $200 - $500 each. Elaine Turner uses many reptile embossed leathers in her styles. She is sold at majoy department stores throughout the USA. Her home base is Dallas, Texas.

Paying $2000 for a new handbag may not be realistic for everyone, but $200 may just do the trick. The Tano leather handbag ranges from about $100 - $200 each. The bags are funky, comfortable and roomy. Another designer we'll all soon grow to love is Melie Bianco. Her handbags range from $50 - $70 and are constructed of synthetic leather making them very eco-friendly. Melie Bianco takes the best from the best and designs handbags every woman can afford to own.

A few years ago two sisters from Paris (France), Murial and Valerie, introduced the Murval Handbag collection. Murval handbags are very cost effective with prices ranging from $20 - $50. They haven't quite caught on in the USA as much as they have in Europe, but they will become very popular as time goes on.

It's only natural that women get what they want, when they want it. It may not always be exactly as planned, but as the old saying goes, "you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you'll get what you need." When it comes to a new designer handbag, regardless of the economy, women always get what they need!

Launch Bags presents THE INDEPENDENT HANDBAG DESIGNER AWARDS™

from Handbag Designer 101

Handbag Designer 101 invites you to compete in the Second Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards™, the only handbag competition of its kind in the world. Win a chance to present your handbag at a high profile New York event and compete for one of six Awards for Handbag Design Excellence, international recognition, a variety of coveted prizes and a chance to have your handbag go on a marketing press tour.

To participate in the open call, you are required to upload one digital jpeg image in any one or more of the following categories:

Best Student Made Handbag
Best Handmade Handbag
Most Socially Responsible Handbag
Best Green Handbag
Audience-Selected Handbag*
Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design

Submissions will be accepted from February 29, 2008 until April 18, 2008.

The staff of Handbag Designer 101 will review all submissions at a Prescreening Event in late April. At this Prescreening, HB101 will choose five finalists in each category who will be judged on the merits of their submitted designs. All finalists will be invited to participate in the Second Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards™ that will take place on June 18, 2008, at the New York Historical Society in New York City. (Note: Finalists or their representatives are responsible for their own transportation to the event.)

Finalists must provide the handbag shown in the photo submitted to compete at the IHDA. The finalist's handbags will be on display on the evening of the event. Over 500 members of the fashion industry, including press and retailers, will attend the Independent Handbag Designer Awards™.

A Fashion Panel of esteemed and influential handbag design experts, editors, stylists, buyers and professors will judge the designs presented and select a winner from each category who will receive the Best Handbag in each respective category and determine who truly stands out as an Independent Handbag Designer.

These finalists will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their bags featured in a window display at Henri Bendel, and to participate in a trunk show to promote and sell their lines at the store. In addition, the winner of the Best Student-Made Handbag will receive an apprenticeship with the Henri Bendel accessory design team.

Finalists will also be able to offer their bags through Bag, Borrow Or Steal, the leading online retailer that allows women to borrow designer handbags and jewelry. Bag, Borrow Or Steal will give more women the opportunity to experience these wonderful bags and learn about the talented designers who created them.

The Winner of the Best Overall Handbag in Style and Design will have the chance to showcase their award-winning handbag collection with a free 10x10 booth (a $6,000 value) to 120,000 fashion industry influentials at the WWDMAGIC Accessories Show in Las Vegas, August 25-27, 2008.

Legendary handbag brand LEIBER will receive the IHDA ICONOCLAST Award. LEIBER has revolutionized the landscape of accessory design. Celebrating their 45th anniversary and now under the creative direction of Frank Zambrelli, LEIBER has stood the test of time and continues to earn international acclaim with their innovative handbags and accessories, and most recently "Most Prestigious Handbag" by the Luxury Institute.

Qualifications per Category:

Best Student-Made Handbag:
Students who have successfully started their lines while still in school

- Currently attending high school or university
- Bags must be under student designer's own label
- Major in Design is optional

Best Handmade Handbag:
Sewn, crocheted, knitted or any other material where the designer themselves is making their bag by hand or machine

- Bags must be made by you, by machine or hand
- Bags must be under designer's own label
- Mass manufacturing on any level is not acceptable

Most Socially Responsible Handbag:
Bags that meet certain ethical and moral standards in regards to production, employment and philanthropy and have impacted the local culture of the country of manufacturing

- Bags must be under designer's own label
- Bags that are made where a portion of the proceeds are given back to that country of manufacturing
- Bags must be made by local communities to create jobs
- Bags that have helped improve the quality of life in the local culture in the country of manufacturing

Best Green Handbag:
Bags that are made out of sustainable, recycled or organic materials

- Bags should be made from 100% organic cotton, hemp, bamboo or other raw materials, OR 100% recycled materials (could be recycled cloth, recycled soda bottles, recycled vinyl, etc.), OR one of the new corn-based fibers, or in some combination
- All components - metal zippers, buttons, clasps, snaps should be made from recycled metal or reused pieces
- The bags should be recyclable at the end of its life
- Any dyed fabric should be done with a nontoxic dye that doesn't use toxic fixing agents

Audience-Selected Handbag:
*Handbag designer selected by Handbag Designer 101 and Bag, Borrow or Steal voters, based on finalists of the preliminary judging panel

Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design:
Best executed handbag overall in style and design

- Bags must be under designer's own label
- Bags must be unique in their overall style and design

Deadline: All entries must be received by 11:59pm on April 18, 2008.
Entries submitted without full information filled out will be disqualified.

Contact Handbag Designer 101 at their website for more details.

Spring Savings are in the Air at eFashionHouse.com, Plus Site Welcomes Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner

eFashionHouse.com ushers in spring with new arrivals, savings up to 50% and adds three new handbag designers - Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner.

Sky Valley, CA (PRWEB) March 26, 2008 -- After months of winter fashion accessories, spring is finally on its way and eFashionHouse.com celebrates with savings of 25-70% on the latest trends in designer handbags. Committed to offering shoppers the best online prices for purses, eFashionHouse.com, named Best of the Web by People StyleWatch for below retail priced designer handbags and recognized by About.com as the top of three online retailers of off-priced Chanel, just added hundreds of new designer handbags from Marc Jacobs, Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Anya Hindmarch, Isabelle Fiore, Coach, Tano and many more top designers, just in time for spring. The site also added three new designer fashion brands - Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner - to its huge selection of designer handbags for even more savings.

"We are excited to add Melie Bianco, Murval and Elaine Turner handbags because the handbag demand has changed from including not only the big designer names to now welcoming other chic designers with more affordable prices," said Anna Miller, eFashionHouse Owner. "Regardless of the Economy, women still want to buy themselves a new purse, and making affordable prices available online is the purpose of eFashionHouse where you do not have to spend a fortune to carry a new quality designer handbag."

With all purses priced under $100, both Melie Bianco and Murval are known for their trendy styles and amazing prices. A favorite among fashion editors, Melie Bianco has been featured in an array of magazines, like Marie Claire, People, Cosmopolitan and Self, because it is "chic and affordable" line (prices range from $30-$75) features funky and wearable styles perfect for the trendy fashionista. Another brand that is known for offering the look of couture without the high price, French company MURVAL was created by two sisters, Muriel and Valerie, who recognized the need for fashionable accessories at accessible prices. With its bags costing less than $50, MURVAL comes out with two collections a year and despite the low price points scores high among the fashion crowd.

Though not in the under $100 category, Dallas-based fashion designer Elaine Turner is still considered a bargain since her line features the finest embossed exotic leathers and signature painted grass cloth bags. Elaine Turner quickly rose to the ranks of the fashion It Bag and the brands popularity continues to grow because of its distinct and creative approach to classic looks in handbags and accessories.

Shoppers who crave the more luxurious designer handbag names can still look forward to savings and shop for the latest trends because eFashionHouse.com has it all. Some of the featured handbag styles available at a discount are:

• Marc Jacobs Patchwork Lou bag - 35% off retail
  
• Moschino Patent Leather Brownie bag - 28% off retail
  
• Anya Hindmarch Neeson bag - 20% off retail
  
• Chloe Bay Bag - 31% off retail
  
• Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Bag - 21% off retail
  
• Chanel Small Caviar Tote - 22% off retail
  
• Isabella Fiore Puff Enough Satchel - 15% off retail

In addition to the discounted prices, shoppers can receive an additional 10 percent discount using coupon code OFF10 when making a purchase from the eFashionHouse Sale Section. Plus, budget conscious fashionistas can always take advantage of the eFashionHouse.com layaway plan which allows shoppers to pay over time.

About eFashionHouse.com
Anna Miller is the President of i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. She operates the website http://www.efashionhouse.com/ and sells high-end authentic designer handbags and accessories at off-retail prices. eFashionHouse.com was named Best of the Web by People Magazine StyleWatch for Discount Designer Handbags and Purses. eFashionHouse.com should not be confused with any other website selling a similar product or using a similar name. EfashionHouse.com is the home of five fashion ecommerce stores: BrandsBoutique, LuxuryVintage, DesignersLA, ItalysOutlet, and ValueBags. Anna is considered an Internet Pioneer and Ecommerce Entrepreneur. She has been reselling Designer Merchandise online since the early 90's. eFashionHouse.com has an extensive Press Page and a Fashion Blog Network. Visit the site for more details.

eFashionHouse - PRWeb Press Release Group

Interested in an EFH Layaway Plan? You can put anything on layaway.
Read about the EFH Layaway here: eFashionHouse.com Layaway Program

A Designer Handbag Shows Good Taste

Fendi Yellow Baguette

A designer handbag shows good taste, well at least this is the commonly held wisdom of many women today. Many women in fact consider a handbag to be a necessary part of their outfit, no matter what the occasion. A handbag from Gucci, or Coach or one of the other brand names that screams quality and individuality can definitely attract the attention of fashion conscious women, and many of them are quite particular about the type of handbags they will carry.

Coach Monogram Designer Handbags

Dooney & Bourke Designer Handbag Style DN451 Banana Bag

Prada, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Dior, and Dooney and Burke are just a few of the quality handbags that have soared in popularity in the past few years. These designer handbags are in fact so popular that used handbags go for a pretty penny when sold through online auctions. Many who buy these handbags however still consider them to be bargains, especially when compared to the prices of new designer handbags.

GUCCI designer handbags cream canvas and brown leather tote 162429

Many ladies who are looking for bargains in the way of designer handbags check out various web sites including online auctions. Others find that half the fun of purchasing a bargain handbag lies in finding it in person in the physical world, leading them to haunt thrift stores, flea markets and charity auctions in their home towns. Whatever the source, however, finding a good deal on a handbag is certainly on the mind of many women.

New Is Best, Of Course
Of course, most of these women would prefer to pick up a new designer handbag for the special occasion mentioned. And best of all, many of them would simply like to receive one as a gift. If you have a special woman in your life, and you'd like to find a gift for her that will truly make a lasting and very positive impression, then consider a handbag, as a nice designer handbag can be the perfect give to show that you care.

PRADA backpack BZ0020 designer handbag

The Perfect Pair - Black & White Designer Handbags

There's nothing more constant than black and white fashion accessories. No matter what you wear or how you feel, something in black or white fits the look and the mood. Just like peanut butter and jelly, black and white prevail when it comes to fashion. No matter what't happening in the fashion scene, you can always depend upon black and white. Your little black dress is complimented by a black and white bag. Your white summer frock is easily accented with a black or white accessory. We believe in versatility, color and style. But, when it comes to the bare necessities we recommend black and white anytime of the year and anywhere you go. Black and white designer handbags make a statement and the right impression.

Visit these links to see a variety of designer handbags with price-points we can smile about... you can't afford not to take a look!

Click here for Bally Handbags - A whole new collection just added of Bally designer handbags and accessories at very affordable price points. Bally leather tote bags, handbags and shoulder bags. Plus, a group of small Bally leather goods include wallets, pouches and travel accessories.

Click here for Melie Bianco Handbags - A variety of synthetic leather handbags in styles, colors and designs everyone loves. Melie Bianco takes the best from the best and makes handbags we can afford.

Click here for MURVAL Handbags - The new Spring Collection just added just-in-time and just for you. Check it out. New arrivals added weekly. Directly from Paris, the Murval quilted collection is a designer winner.

Save this link ..... new items arriving throughout the coming weeks.

KOOBA handbags - Best prices online!

If you love Kooba and don't want to pay full price, here's a deal you can't pass up! KOOBA designer handbags Carrie silver tote designer purses. Large panel tote with magnetic top closure. Open and lined pockets on both sides of purse. Chain handles with shiny nickel hardware. Fully lined interior with two cell phone pockets a zip pocket with metal Kooba pull tab and a dog clip. Measures approximately 17.5 W x 14 H with a 5 inch depth. The chain straps measure about 24 inches long with an 8 inch drop.

Fashion merry-go-round at Chanel show in Paris

CHANEL designer handbags black lambskin leather figure eight small tote designer purses

from Guardian Co UK

PARIS, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Karl Lagerfeld unveiled a Chanel woman for the 21st century on Friday to a front row filled with A-list stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Kanye West and Claudia Schiffer. In a spectacular setting in the Grand Palais, the maestro of French fashion who has already shown his own label collection this week, transformed the catwalk into a fairground with a giant carousel as the centrepiece. But in the place of fairground horses there were Chanel's signature details -- quilted handbags, camellias and pearls. Lagerfeld, who sent models down the catwalk in a sleek, modern variations of Chanel's traditional suit, said he decided to put the house's historical motifs on to the carousel so he could play more freely with the clothes.

"The basis of Chanel is still very French, we had all the symbols typical of Chanel: the camellia, the buttons, the pearls, the handbag, everything. But in the show there was almost nothing, just one small handbag, because fashion has to change," Lagerfeld told Reuters Television after the show.

Like his own name collection shown earlier this week, Lagerfeld chose a restrained, largely monochrome palette for fall 2008, but played with length and texture. Slimline long skirts -- emerging as a trend for next season after making appearances in New York and Milan -- also played a part, in Chanel's signature woven weave set off with dress coats that were short in the front but fell long in the back. The back-to-front contrast was a theme down the model's two-tone hosiery which was white at the front and black behind. Overall, it was savvily commercial. Accessories played a big part with belts on almost every skirt suit and clunky-heeled shoes so high some models had difficulty walking. At the end of the show, the carousel started to turn and Lagerfeld himself appeared, impenetrable in his dark glasses and high white collar, to lead the models out. (Reporting by Rachel Sanderson; Editing by Jon Boyle)

---------------------------------

Lagerfeld's seamless twist on classic Chanel
Jess Cartner-Morley, Fashion Editor in Paris
from Guardian Co UK

To watch today's Chanel show at Paris Fashion Week was to observe a designer at the top of his game. After 25 years at the label, Karl Lagerfeld has become quite dazzling at endlessly reinventing fashion, while simultaneously reinforcing the brand. The unrivalled dominance of the quilted, chain-strap 2.55 handbag amongst the attendees at this week's catwalk shows, is testament to the far-reaching desirability of the Chanel name. The show was a gentle riff on the iconic status of Chanel's most recognisable looks: the jacket, the pearls, the pump.

Fendi & Hermes Handbags & Accessories Sale

FENDI B.Mix Handbags
Rock your accessory wardrobe with Fendi B.Mix—a modern collection of fine handbags that mixes Fendi’s two iconic “FF” logos – the “Zucchino” and the “Zucca,” and spins them into the new got-to-have it graphic. It’s timeless Fendi style reinterpreted for a new generation with bold logos, fashion colors, and must-have metallic.

HERMÈS
Since 1837, Hermès has been selling much more than just meticulously crafted objects, made from the most luxurious, extravagant materials. Hermès creates, merchandises, and sells "dreams." Hermès' ability to be a still point in a changing world is a critical point of distinction. Hermès is about "evolution, not revolution, " keeping traditions and breaking them, balancing new and old, staid, and stylish. Hermes handbags, especially Birkin and Kelly bags, are such a classical beauty. They are timeless and will always be in-style. They are elegant, sophisticated and classy. A real luxury.Here are some celebrities carrying Hermes bags.

A respectful debut at Valentino

VALENTINO designer handbags bronze folds bag with black patent leather designer purses

Alessandra Facchinetti's first show has a whisper of the new designer's ideas

By Suzy Menkes

PARIS: With a feminine, fresh and pretty collection, utterly respectful to Valentino, Alessandra Facchinetti jumped the first fashion hurdle on Thursday. The Italian designer, 35, was wise enough to lower the bar by sending her multi-button bandbox coats and ruffled party dresses out in the daylight on a flat runway with a curving path. There were even flat ballerina shoes with narrow pants to emphasize the generational change.

Giancarlo Giammetti, who was Valentino's right hand for 45 years, was overcome with emotion as he rushed backstage.

"It was an interesting vision of Valentino - she respected a master," said Giammetti afterwards, composing his words carefully, but adding, "It looked pretty and modern."

That was the verdict of the actresses, lined up in the front row where Valentino's ladies once sat.

"She had huge shoes to fill and she paid homage - the fabrics were gorgeous and I loved the shots of red," said the "X-Men" and "Ugly Betty" star Rebecca Romijn, statuesque in black. She was referring to Facchinetti's use of "Valentino red" for slender evening dresses which, if they lacked the va-va-voom of the maestro's red carpet glamour, had a light-handed ease.

And so it was with the show. Facchinetti whispered through the collection, adding just (but only just) enough of her own ideas in the rounding out of a skirt, the lightly constricting curve of a cape coat and a honeycomb effect as original decoration. Apart from a dash of absinthe green, the hues were also gentle, with the palest blue/gray, like rain-washed sky, for tops and skirts that created the effect of a dress.

Absent was the intense of decorative detail that Valentino put into everything from jewelry to fancy footwear. Thick hose and two-tone shoes was the new way to go. And so it should be. It is not just that Valentino's era of glossy perfection is over (think now of un-done buns of hair) but Facchinetti's role is to turn the designer into a brand. A belt with a shiny buckle was a little too obvious a logo for the new look.

But the time for trashing veteran names, rather than celebrating all they have brought to fashion, is so last century. Facchinetti, with her gentle take on femininity, got it right for the first time out.

"It was steeped in the spirit of Valentino, yet with her own touch - and it was very pretty," said Marisa Berenson, picking out, as did two other potential clients, a black coat with pink frills bursting through sleek tailoring - something for ladies who call themselves women.

Suzy Menkes is fashion editor at the International Herald Tribune

A Lot of Tommy

from Apparel News

Tommy Hilfiger Group will open a four-floor, 22,000-square-foot flagship store in New York on Fifth Avenue—between 53rd and 54th streets—in November. The space previously housed a Fortunoff store, which occupied the site since the late 1970s. The store will showcase every product category under the Tommy Hilfiger–brand umbrella, including the runway collection, menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, tailored apparel, footwear, accessories, home décor and the Hilfiger Denim collection. “We have established an important retail presence throughout the world in cities such as London, Paris, Milan, Moscow, Shanghai and Sao Paulo,” said Fred Gehring, chief executive officer of the Tommy Hilfiger Group. “Yet we were missing a real global anchor in New York City, the home of our brand, for quite some time.”

A handbag? That will be £23,484

BOTTEGA VENETA handbags extra-large Veneta bag
designer purse brown intreciatto woven leather designer handbag

John Elliott and Laura Myers

STAND by for handbags at dawn. Status-conscious women are fuelling a boom in demand for designer bags that has pushed up the most ostentatious items to prices above that of a Mercedes car. The top-priced “arm-wear” includes a Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork bag costing £23,484, followed by a Fendi bag made from chinchilla and sable and priced at £20,000. More budget-minded buyers could opt for a crocodile-skin Carolyn from Marc Jacobs for £13,000 or Valextra’s Carla, made of alligator hide and priced at £11,160.

The bag frenzy has taken off in the past few years and is not confined to the highest end of the price range. Selfridges, the department store chain, reports that the average price tag on designer handbags at its shops has risen by 55% to about £850 since 2005. Fashion experts say women are increasingly seeking “bragging rights” through owning a handbag that will be the envy of their peers.

Francesca Marotta, a 32-year-old fashion designer from west London, said: “I know a lot of women who will starve to get a handbag. I’ve got a lot of friends like that.” For many, bags have replaced the craze for high-priced shoes from designers such as Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. Some retailers insist owning a bag costing more than £1,000 can make financial sense to middle-class women — they may scrimp on clothing, but the same expensive bag can be carried daily, adding a touch of glamour to different outfits.

Items such as the Tribute Patchwork, made from cut-up bits of 15 handbags from Louis Vuitton’s ranges and incorporating rare feathers and alligator skin, serve as flagships for the new trend. Only one of these bags will be available in Britain, according to the fashion house. Its cost is nearly £3,000 higher than the £20,630 tag for a Mercedes C 180 K Coupé SE. Abigail Rainer, a fashion executive at Harrods, said: “Historically, English women were quite mean about handbags — now we’ve got into it. It’s an investment and a status symbol. Python-skin bags have become quite a mainstream thing, and £1,000 is pretty average.”

Lorna Rhodes, 30, a make-up artist who owns more than 200 handbags, said: “When I wear a designer bag, the way I walk is different, the way I feel is different. It makes me feel good to have a designer bag.”

Chanels bag art swings into Asia

A mobile Chanel art container at Star Ferry Car Park in Hong Kong.

Chanels mobile art container unveiled last week in Hong Kong introduces a radically new idea: a rare homage in the art world to designer handbags.

Handbags are mobile items used for carrying things so the format of the show, also quite rare, is appropriate. The exhibition is on display at the Star Ferry car park beside the harbor. The original idea came from Chanels creative chief, Karl Lagerfield. Fashion and luxury are taxes of vanity. We are now returning these taxes to the artists and architects, said Lagerfield, describing Chanels frequent collaborations with artists at last years Venice Biennale as an act of social obligation. The mobile pavilion that sits on top of the Star Ferry terminal building is a white, organic, shell-like landmark made of fiberglass. It was designed by award-winning architect Zaha Hadid to look like a UFO.

Karl Largerfields quilted bag is the inspiration for the mobile art show. Provided by the organizers The concept evolved from Hadids trademark spiral designs, a concept the Iraqi-born architect used for Metronymic Landscape, a recent project for a fashion complex in Seouls Dongdaemun earlier this year. The pavilion in Hong Kong houses installations by 20 cutting-edge international artists, including Yoko Ono, Pierre et Gilles and Korean artist Lee Bul.

Each worked on ideas inspired by Chanels quilted handbags,
the brands emblematic product for decades.

Ono has invited visitors to write their wishes on a Wishing Tree in the main hall. At the end of the show, the wishes will be sent to the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland as part of the artists project for the multimedia art movement Fluxus. Lee Bul presented a monumental sculpture crowned with hundreds of reassembled bags and chains. Blue Noses, the Russian art collective, mocked the fashion worlds obsession for bags in sketches depicting a post-apocalyptic world of fashion in Fifty Years after Our Common Era, or Handbags Revolt.

An installation by Korean artist Lee Bul inside the pavilion. Provided by the organizers. Chanels partnership with artists is not the industrys first to mix fashion and art. The contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami came up with a handbag motif for Louis Vuitton, and Pierre Huyghe designed a changing room for Dior. But the show resonates because it renews the spirit of fashion legend Coco Chanel, who based her design concepts on exchanges with artists like Picasso and Igor Stravinksy.

The show in Hong Kong ends on April 5 and then travels to Tokyo, New York, London, Moscow and Paris. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

By Park Soo-mee Staff Reporter

All about LANVIN

LANVIN designer handbags tall black napa leather tote
kentucky bag shoulder bag designer purse.

A perfect find for the designer purse connoisseur. A tall black patent leather trimmed with black grain leather. Double rolled and stitched straps. Fully lined. Inside pocket. LANVIN silver and gold tone medallion hangs off one side of the handle. Black leather strapping completely around the top of the bag and down front and backside. Adjustable notches can be used to change the size of the bag. The Lanvin Kentucky bag measures about 14 x 13 x 5 inches with double straps about 20 inches each. The drop is about 8 inches. The Lanvin bag is called the Kentucky bag. It is constructed of calf veau verni. This model has been handcrafted with the most natural leathers and treated in order to respect their authenticity. The irregular aspect is inherited from the natural beauty of this leather.Guaranteed authentic. Comes with sleeper bag.

Lanvin is a Paris clothing label founded by Jeanne Lanvin. Jeanne Lanvin was born in 1847 and died in 1946. She was a French fashion designer and the founder of the Lanvin fashion house. Lanvin became known for her mother and daughter outfits and exquisite robes de style as well as her modern and global approach to the fashion industry. Lanvin was the eldest of 11 children. At age 16 she was an apprentice milliner at Madame Felix in Paris then trained at dressmaker Talbot and 1889 set up as a milliner at 22 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore. The House of Lanvin is one of the most famous Paris design houses of our time.

the designers
Madame Jeanne Lanvin's active fashion career spanned 50 years from the 1890's up to the New Look just after World War II. In 1867 Jeanne Lanvin was born in Brittany, France. She was the eldest of 10 children of a pair of Breton concierges. She first trained as a dressmaker at a house called Talbot and then as a milliner. In 1890 she opened a millinery shop in the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. While making hats, she also made dresses for a younger sister and her daughter. Lanvin's clothes came to the attention of other mothers with daughters, who asked her to make dresses for them, so in 1909 Jeanne began making dresses for sale and her reputation grew. As can be seen from the pictures of the clothes she made, she made no distinction between women's and children's wear, the youthfulness of both being an important aspect of 20th century fashion. Demand by young women for her clothes, persuaded Jeanne Lanvin to open a couture house selling mother-daughter garments. Paul Iribe, the famous illustrator, created the Logo for the house of Lanvin, from a drawing by Jeanne of the bond between mother and daughter. Her daughter became the Comtesse de Polignac, and continued to wear her mother's beautiful gowns. In 1913 Lanvin created her famous "robes de style" based on 18th century designs. These small waisted, full skirted dresses remained popular for many years and were fore-runners of the New Look which Dior brought out just after World War II. In 1914 influenced by orientalism, she turned to exotic evening wear in Eastern-style velvets and satins. During the 20's Lanvin made a simple Chemise dress which later became the basic outline for the twenties. Over the following years, she introduced several interesting developments. In 1921 a Riviera collection introduced Aztec embroidery. In 1922 a Breton suit appeared in the Lanvin collection. This comprised a gently gathered skirt, a short braided jacket with lots of small buttons and a big white organdie collar turning down over a red satin bow. A sailor hat topped the outfit. In 1926 a menswear division was opened by Lanvin, and so she became the first couturier to dress whole families. Her branches were opened in Nice, Cannes and Biarritz. Jeanne Lanvin dressed film actresses like Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich and Yvonne Printemps in the 20's and 30's. She also had clients like the Queens of Italy and Roumania, and English princesses. The house of Lanvin, like all other houses, suffered throughout the 2nd World War, although she kept designing. In 1946, Jeanne Lanvin died at the age of 79. Her daughter Marie-Blanche took over the running of the house, till she herself died in 1958.

the label
Antonio del Castillo, a Spanish designer, joined Lanvin as designer in 1950 and returned the house to great success. He remained until 1962. In 1963 Jules-Francois Crahay, a Belgian designer, took over the reins of the house, and remained till 1984. In 1982 Maryll Lanvin, the third generation of the Lanvin family, started designing for the house. The Cosmetic giant L'Oreal acquired the house of Lanvin in 1990 and has appointed several designers thereafter. During the 90's in addition to presenting his own collections, Claude Montana has also been designing for Lanvin. Giorgio Armani also designed for a while. From 1997 to 2001 Christina Ortiz was the chief designer for haute couture. From 1997 to 2001 Lanvin's ready-to-wear collections were being designed by ex-Versace, ex-Herve Leger designer Ocimar Versolato. In August 2001 an investor group led by Shaw Lan Wang, a Taiwanese media baroness, took over the house of Lanvin. They appointed Israeli-born designer Elber Albaz as the new creative director of Lanvin. His first collection was Fall 2002. In October 2001, the house of Lanvin announced the appointment of Alber Elbaz as the new creative director. His first collection was Fall 2002. Alber has become much beloved by Lanvin clientele. He uses not only black, or the white he chose when Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons asked him to participate in her London store, but also vivid satins in parakeet green or fuchsia, or a bright red trench coat. He says that his boss offers him freedom and respect so that he can mix sportswear with couture grace, comfort with elegance.

the look
Her work was easily recognizable by her skilful use of embroidery, and her fine craftsmanship. She used a particular shade of blue so often, that it came to be called "Lanvin Blue". For Jeanne Lanvin, women were meant to wear clothes of unabashed feminity, in colours that were pretty, and whose shapes had a "young girl" look. She set the mood with narrow empire-wasted dresses and long trailing sleeves. The fabrics that she used were silk, taffeta, velvet, silk chiffon, organza, lace, tulle, etc. She used a lot of free-flowing ribbons, ruffles, flowers, lace, mirrors, etc., and liked ornamentation like applique, couching, quilting, parallel stitching,

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