All it takes is confidant European man to pull of a woman’s it bag.

The Sartorialist was out and about for Men.Style.com during Men’s fashion week and snapped some men carrying some very fashionable it bags. The Yves Saint Laurent Muse and the silver Louis Vuitton Alma Miroir bag.

Do you love it or hate it?

(image source)

Put a mark on your Spring 2008 calendar. Why? Because that is when the first Stella McCartney for LeSportsac collection is set to launch.

LeSportsac and Stella announced plans to design a collection of limited edition travel bags, luggage, and baby accessories.

“LeSportsac has a strong history in making iconic non-leather goods and this is a unique opportunity for Stella McCartney to address a new category of accessories for the busy woman of today,” said Marco Bizzarri, CEO and president of Stella McCartney, in a statement.

The mother of one will design lightweight and multi-purpose collections that incorporate innovative elements of design focusing on travel accessories with an emphasis on baby. With 30 – 40 styles to debut in 2008 and a bag averaging $200 to $250, we should start saving now.

According to The Daily, “McCartney’s designs for LeSportsac collection will carry the same ethics as the designer’s current luxury non-leather accessories collection that was launched in Fall 2006.”

So does that mean they will be leather free?

The Stella McCartney for LeSportsac collection will be available in high-end department stores, Stella McCartney boutiques, LeSportsac stores, and online.

It’s time for a new regular feature to the SASSYBELLA.com blog. So here’s Luxe to Less. Where you can pay a lot, some, or a little.

I thought I’d kick it off with one on bow clutches. Just because I love bows - I have way too many ribbons it’s not funny, thin, thick, and all the colours of the rainbow.

So do you want to pay £387.23 for the Chloe gold bow clutch (left). With the black crinkled leather and gold bow with black sitching, it’s definitely that will hold you in good instead or many different outfits for the next season or two.

There is also the Felix Rey Lola Satin Rollover Clutch going for $230.00 (middle). Sleek and sophisticated in satin, you could take it for a glam walk down a red carpet, or use it to dress up jeans for a night out.

Or finally, for only £15, you can pick up a ruched soft bow clutch from ASOS.com (right) with a smaller bow on the right hand side. The shape is slightly retro, and the ruched black leather is very now. So if you love the bow trend - for now - who needs to spend a few hundred dollars!

Personally, I love the Chloe clutch - why? it’s got a pretty bow and it’s Chloe daaaarling

Are you too old at 33? Let me rephrase. Are you too old to front a beauty brand which is aimed at young (and sometimes impressionable) girls?

Well apparently Rimmel has been secret holding castings to find a replacement for Kate Moss who turned 33 recently.

“Age catches up with everyone-even Kate. But she hasn’t been told anything by Rimmel. At 33 she’s getting on in terms of modelling. And she recently moaned about her face, saying she needed Botox,” a source was quoted by the Newsoftheworld, as saying.

“Rimmel is a range for the younger market so that worried them. Now bosses are looking for younger models who can give the brand a fresh approach. Girls have been contacted in secret,” he added.

Kate became the face of Rimmel in 2001, and they didn’t cancel her contract when it was revealed that she took cocaine. Which turned out to be a smart move because Kate came back with a vengeance bigger than ever.

Apparently she is now in talks to launch her own make-up range. Because we need more.

(source)

A designer honored, a celebrity shoe and bag designer, and a former supermodel expands  lingerie empire

• Alber Elbaz, creative director at Lanvin, has been awarded Legion of Honor with France’s prestigious Chavelier de la Légion d’Honneur. According to a Lanvin spokeswoman, Elbaz will be surrounded by close friends and his coworkers when he is pinned. “He was proud and proud for all the people working with him at Team Lanvin,” the spokesman said, adding that Elbaz spent most of his holiday not on vacation, but rather, sketching his pre-fall and fall collections.
• Victoria Beckham to design shoes and bags in a $10 million dollar deal – though it’s small change compared to David Beckham’s deal with LA Galaxy. According to the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Victoria’s a real stickler for detail so everything will be perfect. Her shoes will as sexy as Christian Louboutin’s – there’s a huge buzz about them over here.”
• Elle Macpherson has launched a new range of underwear called Elle Macpherson Intimates Boudoir, which she hopes will help women get in touch with their sensuous side. It will feature quarter-cup bras and suspender belts with two suites of lingerie – one in store in time for Valentine’s Day and the second in April.

Watch out Elizabeth Hurley, Carolyn Murphy, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liya Kebede and Anja Rubik, there’s a new girl in town.Well in the Estee Lauder advertising campaigns.

Aerin Lauder, Senior Vice President, Creative Director, Estee Lauder, announced that they have signed American model Hilary Rhoda as a new face of Estee Lauder.

“Hilary is one of fashion’s brightest stars,” said Ms. Lauder. “Her sophisticated all-American look has captivated the attention of the fashion and beauty world in a very short time. Hilary is perfect for Estee Lauder.”

Hilary will be featured in advertising campaigns for skincare and makeup beginning August 2007.

Within weeks of moving to New York, Hilary traveled to Paris for the Spring/Summer 2006 Collections which proved to be the turning point in her career. There she was personally cast by Balenciaga’s Nicholas Ghesquiere to appear in his show which officially landed her on the radar screen of fashion’s leaders. She was subsequently featured in that season’s top fashion shows, editorials, as well as the Balenciaga ad campaign photographed by David Sims.

According to Estee Lauder, Hilary will be joining Estee Lauder’s current models - Elizabeth Hurley, Carolyn Murphy, Liya Kebede, Gwyneth Paltrow and Anja Rubik in the brand in various global advertising campaigns.

Looks like they were looking for a younger face, but then why not use Anja? The Beautiful fragrance advertising campaigns were so gorgeous that I want to look like that whenever I get married! And that’s saying a lot because I don’t even know when that might happen.

Read the rest of this entry »

Marilyn Monroe said she slept in Chanel No. 5, so maybe the Singapore luxury condominium developer CDL hopes that she would have slept in their condo’s if she were alive by replicating the latest Chanel No 5 advertisements.

Sure imitation is the purest form of flattery, but imitating the Chanel No 5 ads staring Nicole Kidman to promote a condo project could be going a bit far.

What do you think?

(source)

If you’re like me and your invite to New York fashion week got lost in the mail (theory has it my invitations, plane ticket and free hotel accommodation must have all gotten lost together in transit – damn).

Well you could always say you were at a fashion week show by sheer proximity.

Zoom Zoom have created this fantastic interactive map which pin points where each show is going to be held, as well as colour coding them by colour.

If you’re a fast talker you could find yourself rubbing shoulders with some of fashions finest. If not at least you will have a head start trying to hail a cab to get to the next destination to try all over again.

I have spent hours watching catwalk videos on YouTube, the most recent was the the Elie Saab 2007 Haute Couture show. It’s so beautiful, I wish I could wear one the dresses - just once.

Then afterwards check out the amazing set (and clothes) at the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall 07 show.

Part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 are online now.