Custom Design

One of my favorite things about The Rachel Zoe Project is that it’s such a nice palate cleanser after the nastiness of Real Housewives of New Jersey on Monday nights. It’s light, it’s fun and it’s filled with famous people and beautiful clothes. If ever there was a reality TV no-brainer, this show is it.

Last night, we got more cameos from gigantic fashion names like Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Brian Atwood and Francisco Costa. There were beautiful gowns and runway footway clips and sparkles by the gallon. I died. Literally.

In case you were wondering, virtually no time has passed since we last left our intrepid band of fashion girls and gays. Rachel and her husband were still at Fashion Week, this time trying to find Oscar dresses from her slew of clients who will be attending the awards show. Just like last year, Rodger and Rachel’s anniversary falls in the middle of Fashion Week and Oscar season, and Rodger is still pouting about it.

BUT! He would have to be pouty at the Oscar de la Renta show, because that’s where they were headed first and Oscar waits for no man. De la Renta himself made an extended cameo to talk with Rachel, and then we got to see some of the glorious looks that Rachel wanted for the red carpet. And, of course, they were phenomenal. It’s de la Renta, people, of course they were. No other American designer does straightforward glamour like he does, and straightforward glamour is what the Academy Awards require.

Next they were on to Michael Kors (Or as I used to refer to him, Princess Michael Kors. Pour a little out for the lost homies.), but not before a tragic traffic jam made the gang late for their front row seats. Of course Rachel can run in her sky-high stiletto platforms, though, just like any fashionista worth her weight in cashmere. I half expected her to sprint the last ten blocks from the car service, but the segment from the street to the doors was all we saw. Sadly, those doors were already closed- the show was in progress.

She didn’t get to sit front row like she usually does, but she did wedge her way as far into standing room as she possibly could, thereby raising the ire of at least one fellow standing-room watcher who didn’t recognize her (and how could you not recognize Rachel Zoe at Fashion Week?) and got bit mouthy. Rachel was apparently pretty meek to her face, but once she was leaving with Rodger and Brad, she let the frustration out with a little dig about how Michael would want her to shove others aside, at which point Brad went into full-on “bitchy queen” mode and said that at least Rachel didn’t buy his clothes on sale at Saks.

I may be in the minority, but I loved that totally snotty, holier-than-thou moment. I don’t want to believe that these people are nice and courteous all of the time – part of the magic of the fashion industry is that it’s a bit cutthroat and nasty. THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT FUN. Or, alternately, that’s what makes it a total nightmare if you’re a much, much nicer person than I am. Rachel and Brad clearly aren’t, which is why I like them so much. Brad apologized for the remark on Twitter during the show, admitting that he buys a ton of stuff on sale and loves to shop at Saks, but I needed no apology. I don’t watch reality tv to see people being polite and reasonable – I watch it in hopes that Rachel will one day take off a tranny shoe and beat someone with it.

Next, it was time for Rachel to meet with Brian Atwood to discuss his designs and a shoe on which she’s collaborating with him. First of all, Brian Atwood is totally hot. Like, dreamboat. Gimme. Second of all…well, there is no second of all. The only thing that I remember is that Brian Atwood is hot.

While this was going on, Rodger was shopping for a lingerie gift for Rachel with the aid of her sister. They went to Kiki de Montparnasse, which is probably one of the most luxurious, sexiest brands in the world, and bought a boring black negligee without much imagination to it. Rachel’s sister giggled like an idiot the entire time, particularly when the vibrator came out, and Rodger looked like he had stumbled into the seventh circle of hell (which is apparently populated with gross girly things that remind him of sex with girls, which is also gross). There was some highly regrettable talk of a French maid outfit, but let’s never speak of it again. By the end, I wanted to punch the entire scene in the face. Note to Rodger: getting giggly and awkward and skeeved out in a high-end lingerie store is not helping the whole “Straight Dudebro Rodger” thing you’re trying to make happen.

Naturally, Brad wasn’t just lounging about amid his collection of bow ties while shoe-designing and embarrassing lingerie-shopping were happening, he was doing his job. At a fashion show. Because his job is awesome. He went to see Derek Lam and look for white dresses for Cameron Diaz’s Oscar moment (white is totally a thing among the Zoe crew) and found a perfect candidate. He also wore a totally amazing pair of Buddy Holly glasses to the show that I simply MUST OWN, so if you know where they’re from, holla at ya girl.

But Fashion Week isn’t just for watching – oh no, this year Rachel would be a part of a QVC fashion show with her low-priced line for the channel. Speaking of totally amazing: the sequined zebra tunic that Rachel wore to the show? I died a little bit inside. How do you find vintage sequins on that level with no snags and nothing missing? The mind, it reels.

Oh, right, the show. It was kind of a weird mash-up between fashion show and QVC broadcast with Vanessa Williams hosting, and when Rodger and Brad called to order a vest from backstage, the operator didn’t believe that it was really them and hung up. I wonder if she watched the show last night and had a little bit of a panic attack. Either way, it seemed like Rachel’s line sold very well – some people are VERY COMMITTED to their TV shopping.

The next day, it was Rodger and Rachel’s anniversary and they got a surprise DVD in the mail from Rachel’s assistant of their honeymoon videos from 1998. It was kind of adorable, and also a reminder that these people were actual, normal folks before Rachel was Rachel Zoe ™. When it was time to exchange gifts, Rachel got herself (from Rodger) a pair of rose gold and diamond handcuffs (but not sexytime handcuffs – cool bracelet handcuffs) and gave him a ring, and Rodger presented her with the lingerie. She sort of liked the negligee but didn’t so much love the thong, and I can’t really blame her for the following reasons:

1. Getting lingerie is kind of annoying to a lot of women.
2. Buying fashion for a Fashion Person is a waste of time, since half the fun of being a Fashion Person is finding things and buying them. The other half of the fun is trying them on in your bedroom when no one is looking.

No one even bothers buying me clothes or clothing-related items anymore since my taste is so specific, and I can only imagine that the same should be true a hundred times over for someone like Rachel Zoe – she picks clothes for a living, don’t try to pick them for her. Rodger also had a mystery box with which he hoped to do better, and he managed to hit a total home run: a custom-designed Rachel Zoe Barbie Doll. Ok, so this also wasn’t the best way to make the Straight Dudebro Rodger thing happen, but at least it made Rachel happy.

She apparently has a Barbie obsession, and Rodger picked actual clothes and accessories from her closet to shrink down to doll-size for the Barbie. Rachel was floored, and I have to admit, that’s kind of a cool present (not to mention a thoughtful one). I’m not an overwhelming fan of Rodger’s increased presence in this season, but watching people open gifts is oddly exciting. You get to enjoy some of the surprise vicariously.

After the anniversary moment, Donna Karan’s fashion show was next with a bunch of celebrities (Demi Moore, Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon) in attendance. Karan’s show is always beautiful, and the preponderance of black and grey made me absolutely happy. Rodger was still sort of pouting about the whole lack of an anniversary thing, and that got old really quickly – fashion is her job. It pays both their bills. You can’t reschedule Fashion Week. Can you tell I’m not a big anniversary person?

Speaking of unnecessary interpersonal drama, the show cut immediately to Brad talking a bit more smack about Taylor and whether or not she would be at any of the shows. Of course she will be, she works in fashion. She got fired from a job, not banished from the industry. Also, we got a bit more awkward talk about Rachel and whether or not she’s going to have babies when her sister sat down to have “the talk” with her, which I assume has already happened a dozen times.

Rachel still doesn’t seem all that jazzed about the idea of having children and she’s afraid that her career will suffer if she does. To that, I say more power to her. If she doesn’t want kids, she shouldn’t have them. If she wants her career to be first, she should own that. Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean she has to have children in order to be right or whole, and it’d be nice if people stopped trying to pressure her into it. It’s not helpful or productive, and it just gives us anxiety. I just wish everyone would get off of our backs, JEEZ. Ahem.

Thankfully, we got back to the fashion quickly after that. It was time for the biggest show of New York Fashion Week, MARC JACOBS! Rodger was clearly not as enthusiastic about the show or about the amount of hairspray that Rachel was wearing, but they both managed to get into the car (with Brad for comic relief) and make it to Marc’s show. Naturally it was amazing, and Rodger finally got his precious alone time at dinner afterward. I’ve never seen a man so obsessed with anniversaries – aren’t they supposed to be the half of the couple who forgets all about it?

Fashion disaster wasn’t far behind, however. The next morning, Rachel was informed that that Oscar stage would be white and that women attending were being asked to choose another color for their gowns, which screws up the entire plan for Cameron Diaz (and for Brad’s big moment with that Derek Lam dress from earlier in the show). Fret not, however, because the Marchesa presentation was next and it’s always full of red carpet wear. And of course, look six from Marchesa was the standout dress of the week for Rachel.

If the dress looked familiar to you, it should: Sandra Bullock wore it to win her Oscar for The Blind Side. I guess we’ll see the drama of Rachel losing the dress next week…

Original post by Amanda Mull

Most people who follow fashion know the Chanel signatures very well: black, ivory, bouclé, suits, camellias, black, ivory. Rinse, repeat. Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring 2010 haute couture collection of graphic white and silver was a significant departure from the Chanel aesthetic that we have all come to expect, and his Chanel Fall/Winter 2010 Haute Couture collection is yet another giant step into new territory.

The most startling things about this collection were the surprising choices in color and proportion. Normally Chanel’s color palette is very predictable, but these clothes were rendered in the very un-Chanel shades of maroon, gold, navy and brown. Proportion was primarily at play in the collection’s suits and coats – abbreviated jackets were paired with below-the-knee flared skirts, coats were often boxy and straight or puffed to comical proportions. As always with Chanel couture, the real fireworks started after the show’s halfway point, where somewhat odd suits and jackets gave way to beading and embroidery so intricate and masterful that an in-person viewing would surely be required in order to appreciate the skill of the work in full. In the end, this collection should be counted as a bold achievement on the part of Lagerfeld and his team even if the suits and coats looked to hold it back at times.

Photos via Style.com

Original post by Amanda Mull

In December of 2009 I was introduced to PaperFashion. It was love at first sight.
Katie Rodgers, the illustrator behind the site, fuses her love of fashion with her skilled artistic touch to create one-of-a-kind watercolor pieces. Her work is unlike anything I had seen before, and I was immediately drawn to it. After I saw her pieces, I also learned she does customize art. We wanted to add a fresh new touch to PurseBlog, whether it be on our Twitter page, Facebook Page, website, or all of the above, and Katie was perfect for the job.

Katie came up with two original PurseBlog illustrations combining our logo along with a fashion sketch. Check out what Katie of PaperFashion came up with and tell us your favorite!

The second illustration is one of my most coveted looks from Alexander Wang’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection! Love everything about it and love it paired with our logo. Can you name the bag in each drawing?

Check out more of Katie’s work at PaperFashion!

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

I know I am not alone in complaining about my lack of closet space and desire for a much larger closet to organize my handbags and wardrobe. Every one of you reading this website may have felt this way at one point before (or still feel that way).

Tracy Hutson is one of the original style consultants on the show Extreme Makeover Home Edition. And she was always one of my favorites, pulling together finishing touches to give the transformed homes the “homey” feeling while remaining completely stylish. Tracy has teamed up with QVC to release a line of home accent pieces, the Love Where You Live Collection, to integrate her style into items for your home. Luckily, I was able to chat with Tracy Hutson on how to keep a tidy closet. Read her tips and thoughts below!

A common complaint among women is lack of closet space, not everyone has a Carrie Bradshaw closet. What simple steps can be taken to make the most out of your closet space?

Tracy: Who wouldn’t want to have CB’s closet! There are several things that can help achieve maximum closet space. Take a look at where your problem areas are. Are your clothes so packed in it’s hard to see what you have? Doubling your hanging rods is easy and inexpensive. Is your coveted shoe collection taking over the floor? Adding extra shelving always comes in handy to display the goods. The Photo on the box trick is a must! It really does save a lot of time and heartache. Also, storing your last season’s clothes elsewhere really frees up a ton of space. A friend in New York swears by the space bags, found at spacebag.com – genius! Just slide those sweaters and pea-coats under your bed until next winter! Also, hangers are a great space saver if they are all the same they fit nicely together. My faves are the bamboo hangers at bgreenhangers.com.

As you know, we are a website for the designer handbag obsessed. Do you have tips on storage for handbags and where to store them in a small closet?

T: My favorite thing to use is hat boxes. You can find them in amazing colors and patterns and they stack beautifully! There are a lot of designer bags that come with a cloth protection bag – add a few decorative hooks and the drawstrings make them easy to hang. You want their vessels to be attractive so even if you put them in storage boxes, make sure they are pretty ones. Check out the decorative nesting boxes from my new Nest collection by Tracy Hutson available at QVC.com.

Overall, what is most important when organizing and keeping a tidy and clean closet space?

T: Respect the space and what it holds. Take the time to hang up your things after a “I have nothing to wear frenzy!”. Separate your wardrobe into sections. There are a couple of directions to go here – Separate daytime (work/play) from your night out on the town wardrobe, or separate your entire wardrobe by color. This has a big visual impact and makes staying organized quite fun! As a designer, I say make this space special with decorative elements. Why not use this as an excuse for some much needed glamor!

Let’s start with the doors: If you are not fortunate enough to have a walk-in closet and the doors are taking up unnecessary space, take them off!! I think drapes are a great way to bring in a luxurious texture and this will create more space. I love the ready made drapes at silktradingco.com (Sidlee in blue/cream is YUMMY!). Also, paint your closet and unexpected color. Think of colors that can get you started on the right foot. Sunshine yellow, aquamarine, or a persimmon would be great in a small space, then punch up the shelving and trim in a high gloss one shade darker. Wallpaper is great in small spaces and gives a big impact if you are feeling adventurous, but don’t stop there, change the light fixture and hardware too!

What are your top three products to help with organization in a closet space?

T: Storage boxes, decorative hooks and bamboo hangers. If you have flat surfaces, I highly recommend displaying your jewelry on trays—like in a boutique. Seeing what you own makes you wear it more. The nesting trays from my QVC collection are perfect for this. You can use the large tray on your coffee table for candles, the medium tray on a nightstand for perfume bottles, and the small one in the closet for jewelry display.

What does your closet look like? What designer bags could we find in it?

T: I just moved, so it’s still coming together. I painted my closet a fabulous turquoise color with crisp white shelving, and added some chic crystal hardware! My wardrobe consists mostly of jeans, girlie tops and shoes. The designer bags that you will find in my closet are a mixture of new and vintage – Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, and I have a thing for Valentino clutches. My favorite is a magenta python…oh to be a girl is so much fun! Happy organizing!

Shop the Tracy Hutson Love Where You Live Collection at QVC!

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

For about three minutes in my life, I was under the impression that Carine Roitfeld, Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue, loved PurseBlog. That ended up being short-lived, for after Carine Roitfeld followed us on Twitter, she quickly unfollowed. Clearly it was a follow mishap. The mouse-clicked-on-the-wrong-button kind of follow.

You see, having a designer, editor, or important person follow you on Twitter means they take a liking to what you and your tweets have to offer (that is unless they follow anyone that follows them, which I never understand). For one short second I thought, “WOW, Carine Roitfeld loves us!” There was a lot of excitement. Carine is only following a select handful of people, and somehow, by accidental mouse clicking, we became one of them. I’ll take an accidental follow from one of the most influential women in the fashion industry any day.

Vlad would like me to add that her inherent degree of awesomeness is enhanced for naming her son Vladimir who is a photographer. Vladimir wants the other Vladimir to be his new best friend.

So thank you Carine for making my day by following us, even if only for a few seconds. You are an icon and shaped the way the world views fashion. Follow Carine on Twitter and while you are at it follow us on Twitter too!

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

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!

Original post by Shannon Mahoney

After the faux-fur-on-ice (literally) escapades of Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2010 collection, it was hard to predict the direction in which Karl Lagerfeld would go for his next collection, Chanel Cruise 2011. Well, after the collection’s presentation in Saint-Tropez, we know that Kaiser Karl has his mind planted firmly in the Riviera of the 60s and 70s. Models arrived to the show by speedboat and Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick, graced the runways to give the show some retro cred (it also doesn’t hurt that Georgia May looks like Brigitte Bardot. Startlingly so.)

The clothes recreated the era fantastically, even though a few pieces would probably have best been left in the time period from whence they came. Most of them, however, were a welcome contrast to the version of the 60s that graced fall runways – tailored, traditional, neutral. The flowing, flowered caftans, jumpsuits and crocheted overlays had a distinct flower-child appeal, and they look utterly appropriate for the cruise crowd: airy, light and perfect for the deck of a yacht. If you like what you see, order early, though – the Kate Hudsons fo the world will likely buy the entire collection out from under you.

All images courtesy of Style.com

Original post by Amanda Mull

First of all: oops. I goofed. Between having surgery and trying to keep up with the various global Fashion Weeks for a month, I forgot to write about one of the biggest handbag brands in the world, Prada. My bad. So let’s pretend like we’re still in the thick of Milan Fashion Week and discuss went went on at the Prada show, ok? Please, no one tell Miuccia that we’re late.

I’m always relatively down on Prada bags, mostly because I think that the brand makes enough money and has enough creative ability to do way better. They make great basics, but beyond that, things tend to go a little off the rails. I’d link you to some of those examples, but you probably already know what I’m talking about all too well. Well, it looks like I’m going to be a lot happier with the brand in six months’ time, and hopefully that means that you all will be too.

Instead of the transparent vinyl and questionably bedazzled closures that we saw from the brand’s last major collection, this line of bags was much more subdued and mature. There were three types on display: first, a small shoulder bag in patent leather with contrasting trim at the strap and closure, with lines that were reminiscent of the 60s aesthetic that we saw throughout most of the major collections. Then there were a few non-leather satchels in muted multicolor prints. Finally, the best bags of the show were hewn of sumptuous woven leather, proving once and for all that it’s possible to do high-end weaving without aping Bottega Veneta. Sign me up for one of those immediately, if not sooner.

Alright, feel free to go back to remembering that Milan Fashion Week ended like two weeks ago.

Photos via Style.com.

Original post by Amanda Mull

If you just can’t stop looking at the haunting pictures of Alexander McQueen’s final collection, I’ve got a little Friday treat for you. Originally posted by the crew at Fashionista, the video shows details of not only the clothing, but also the shoes, bags and accessories that are on display at McQueen’s buyer display in Paris. As expected, the tailoring and finishing are impeccable.

Video via Fashionista.com.

Original post by Amanda Mull

If there is a more haunting experience in fashion than watching Alexander McQueen’s posthumous Fall/Winter 2010 presentation to a very small group of fashion’s glitterati, I can’t imagine what it would be. Presented in an ornate salon owned by the brand’s parent company, the partial collection of 16 looks was brilliant, as we all knew it would be. It was also, in part, something totally unexpected: angelic.

The collection was inspired by 16th centurty painter Hieronymus Bosch, among other artists, who specialized in religious interpretation and commentary. Some of the patterns actually contained computerized and re-worked prints from the original artwork, including the Bosch masterpiece “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Outside of the professed inspiration, however, it’s difficult to not ascribe a more personal and tragic meaning to the stylized angel wings that several models sported. Indeed, there were otherworldly aspects to many of the looks – pure while, gilded feathers. Perhaps the most pointed reference was in the show’s final look, a golden jacket that could have been made of wings, fluted at the floor by gobs of beaded white tulle.

But this collection was anything but one-note. Alongside the angelic whites were brocaded and beaded dresses in hues of red and gold, plus digitally printed short dresses, seemingly a continuation of the previous season’s much-lauded Plato’s Atlantis collection. The show displayed only a fraction of what McQueen had probably completed, but even in its abbreviated length, it not only demonstrated the designer’s unmatched technical prowess, creativity, and mastery of the female form, but also rendered in stark relief the stunning loss that the fashion industry and the world at large has suffered in McQueen’s death.

Original post by Amanda Mull