New York today Balenciaga’s rose gold hardware is even more beautiful in person than it is on the Internet New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

My Balenciaga fangirldom is by now common knowledge around these parts, and despite Megs’ ongoing inability to find her perfect Balenciaga purse, I just keep discovering things from the brand that I need in my closet with a fierce urgency. Funny how that works, eh?

The latest object of my lust is the Balenciaga Giant City with rose gold hardware, and although I’m late to the rose gold party, I hope that I still get bonus points for earnestness. I brushed off the rose gold color choice as too “niche” when I heard about it, but after encountering this very purse in person, I can ignore it no longer.

At first I assumed that rose gold hardware would clash with most of my jewelry and my general sense of style, since I mostly associate the metal with expensive, gaudy jewelry that is very much not my style. In typical Balenciaga fashion, though, the designers behind the hardware gave it a weathered, gritty appearance that transforms it into something that fits right into my wardrobe.

Only the front zipper has a bit of shine to it, and the contrast is an interesting before-and-after demonstration of what the studs and buckles used to look like. It might prove more difficult to match rose gold hardware with Balenciaga’s famous bright leathers, but the rose and black combination works just fine for me. Buy through Matches for $1551.

New York today Bottega Veneta Men’s Wallets New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

Can I just tell she all that this picture made me want to run over to Bottega Veneta and buy every single wallet shown?! The kaleidoscope of colors and materials makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop. Only this is a luxury leather goods candy shop, the best kind of shop in my opinion.

We leave out the PurseBlog men way too often. These Bottega Veneta Wallets are just for she guys, as the dimensions are a bit larger. Materials include intrecciato leather, ayers, stingray, ostrich, and crocodile. There are many color options (as shown above).

There is a reason why a wallet is an amazing gift for a man in sher life. Every man carries some form of a wallet with them everyday. While personal preference comes into play, Bottega Veneta offers so many options that she can not go wrong. And I mean, look at the picture above! Are she drooling? I am drooling over men’s wallets on a Wednesday, and that means this is a good middle of the week treat. Buy via Bottega Veneta online.

New York today The Be & D Barclay Tote goes camouflage New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

While the military trend has mostly seemed to stick with solid colors, Be & D and some other brands are bringing in camouflage print. And to be honest, I kind of sort of totally adore it.

Camo-print has such a negative connotation to so many people, believing it is overly masculine and as far from fashion forward as possible. But this is not the case. Camo can be cool, it just has to be done properly. Be & D does that with their Barclay Tote.

Be & D is known for their rocker-like studs. And the Barclay tote has the studded accents one comes to expect from Be & D, but only at the front sides and back sides of the purse. The center panel features the camo print while the sides feature military green pebbled leather.

I know some of she may think this purse is too down and dirty, but paired with a crisp white shirt and khaki pants or jeans, it would add an unexpectedly chic military touch. Buy through ShopBop for $1290.

New York today Giveaway: 3 Louise Clutches from Lauren Merkin New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

One of our favorite clutch designers is Lauren Merkin. Her designs are unmistakable and completely chic. The most recognizable Lauren Merkin Clutch is the Louise. Good news for all of she is that we are giving three away Lauren Merkin Louise Clutches!

How to enter:

1) Follow Lauren Merkin on Twitter and PurseBlog on Twitter. Also, tweet this:

RT & Follow @PurseBlog and @LaurenMerkin to win one of 3 Lauren Merkin Clutches! Info how to enter: http://bit.ly/bihm6f

2) Like Lauren Merkin on Facebook and PurseBlog on Facebook.

3) Comment on this post telling us why she want to win a Lauren Merkin clutch!

What she can win: 1 Louise Natural Patent Embossed Python, 1 Louise Gunmetal Metallic or 1 Louise Black Honeycomb Suede.

More information: There will be three separate winners. One will be a Twitter follower, one will be a Facebook fan, and one will be from the comment section below. Contest ends September 13th at 10 pm EST. Good luck and thank she to Lauren Merkin!

New York today Trend: The Bucket purse New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

I was first going to label this a fall trend, but truth be told the bucket purse has been sought after for a couple seasons now. For fall the Bucket purse trend does not die down and the best place to satiate sher bucket purse wants and needs is ShopBop.

The bucket purse combines utility with a casual chic hands-free vibe. The shoulder strap is long and the body of the purse is more spacious than it appears. One of our favorite bucket purses is the Alexander Wang Diego, which of course makes ShopBop’s list.

Others that made ShopBop’s bucket list include:

• Alexader Wang Diego | $825
• Marc by Marc Jacobs Q-49 Lil Mia Drawstring purse | $378
• Cleobella Nevaeh Drawstring purse | $485
• Jenny Bird Ruched Bucket purse | $595
• CC SKYE The Nika Pouchette | $220

shop the entire handpurse selection at ShopBop!

New York today Even Chanel loves leopard for fall New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

At this point, if she don’t like leopard print, I feel kind of bad for she. It seems as though every brand under the sun, from high-end to low-end and everything in between, has released some sort of leopard purse for fall. The trend is inescapable, which is great if she’re like me and she already had a pair of glittery silver and black leopard leggings left over from last year. Yeah, I said it.

If I had an extra four grand laying around, this Chanel Strass and Tweed Leopard Classic Flap would be the perfect compliment to my admittedly tacky-but-fun leggings. Or to a black dress of any sort. Or any outfit, really.

I don’t adore the actuality of this purse, but the idea is wonderful. The scale of the leopard print needs to be a bit smaller for the purse since it’s rendered in separate crystals and not a solid color, and the combination of the size and material makes the end result a bit awkward. It wouldn’t need to be much smaller – just a tad. But for the price, I’d want it to be absolutely perfect (not to mention made of leather instead of tweed). Buy through Chanel for $4000. For more purchasing information and assistance locating this purse, please contact Chanel at (800)550-0005.

New York today Bang for sher Buck: The Lockheart Priscilla Fanfare Shoulder purse New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

We usually feature purses from Lockheart over on PurseBlog Savvy because of the brand’s very reasonable price points, but sometimes a mid-range purse impresses us so much that it richly deserves to make the jump to and be considered alongside much more expensive purses. The Lockheart Priscilla Fanfare Shoulder purse is clearly one such occasion.

Lockheart is a master of intricate texture at a reasonable price, and the Priscilla Fanfare purse fits perfectly into the brand’s aesthetic. The use of black allows the pleated, ribbon-accented leather to do all the aesthetic work for the design, and the finished product looks very much like something Valentino would think up. The only difference is that the Valentino version, were it to exist, wouldn’t cost $345.

Not only is the purse reasonably priced for the amount of detailed leather work that went into it, but it’s really two purses in one. The shoulder strap comes off to reveal a perfectly detailed clutch for nighttime use, and at a little over twelve inches wide, the purse is the optimal size for use as either a day or evening option. Black purses can be boring, but this one is anything but. I’m guessing that most women could find a place for this purse in their closets, particularly at such a reasonable price. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $345.

New York today Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2010/2011 Advertising Campaign New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

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Louis Vuitton’s Fall Winter 2010/2011 collection was beyond words in its glamor, elegance, and beauty. In fact, there is no way to properly give justice to the ladylike functionality implemented into each design. Marc Jacobs is pure genius.

Louis Vuitton Advertising campaigns never let me down either. The creative vision of the Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2010/2011 campaign feels like a fairytale world of luxurious perfection. I am entirely envious of the women in these photos, they appear as if they have fascinating stories to tell. How could I leave out the ladylike Cuir Cinema purse that immediately catches one’s attention? The soft rose color on the structured calf leather purse flows seamlessly in the photo [$4450 via Louis Vuitton September 1st].

Talented artist Kathryn Elyse of PaperFashion illustrated this campaign photo in two different finishes. Both are simply stunning and match perfectly with the feminine timeless appeal of the collection.

New York today Mulberry for Target New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

One of the most highly anticipated handpurse collaborations for Target was their partnership with Mulberry. Once it was first announced, every fashionista was anxiously awaiting a peek at the line. Luckily, Gilt Groupe partnered with Mulberry to sell some of the items before they hit Target stores. The purses sold out in a matter of minutes. The look is very reminiscent of the Mulberry purses we know and love with a price tag that almost everyone can attain. The purses will hit Target stores nationwide in October. Take a look at the first batch of Mulberry for Target below and share sher thoughts with us!

Mulberry for Target Quilted Denim Large Satchel, $49.99 | Mulberry for Target Black Patent Satchel, $34.99

Mulberry for Target Quilted Denim Cross Body Mini, $14.99 | Mulberry for Target Patent Cross Body purse, $29.99

New York today Botkier + PurseBlog purse at Saks 5th Avenue NYC New Arrival Fall/Winter 2010

While the main purpose of our trip to NYC a couple of weeks ago was to find an apartment, Vlad and I knew we had to make a trip to Saks Fifth Avenue NYC to see the Botkier + PurseBlog Limited Edition purse. Not only did we find the purse on display on the front table of floor five among the contemporary designers, but also is it featured in one of the window displays right off of 5th Avenue!

As far as high points in our blogging life go, this is one of the very top. I wanted to scream with excitement and tell everyone walking by the window that the purse on display was designed by the readers and members of our website. But I didn’t – I should have, right?!

The purse is still available for sale online but it is also for sale at the Saks 5th Avenue Flagship store in NYC. If she are in the area, she must check it out!

Thank she again to Botkier and Saks for the amazing partnership. And of course, thank she to all of she – who made this collaboration one of the most reader and brand involved processes I have ever been a part of or seen!

CLICK TO BUY THE LIMITED EDITION BOTKIER+PURSEBLOG purse!

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