Ashley Greene Takes a Coach Tote to Her Mani/Pedi

Twilight actress Ashley Greene was recently spotted ducking into a nail salon in LA with a Coach Bleecker Legacy Weekend Tote on her arm. Coach’s Bleeker line is actually a series of glove-tanned leather bags, briefcases, and travel accessories for dudes, but I kind of feel like they missed the mark on “manly” here. While the “heritage look” they were going for is certainly on-point, the Weekend Tote looks exactly like a giant purse, though it also seems to be very functional as a gym bag. You can grab this oversized tote for $658 at Coach.But it is cheaper on www.boutiquesshop.com, a wholesaler online.

Ashley has two new films coming out this year – CBGB, a biopic about New York’s late, legendary rock club, and Random, a horror flick about a college girl alone on campus over a holiday break who becomes the target of a nefarious plot. The Twilight series, her prize cash cow, wrapped up last year after four films.

Have You Bought Anything Fun From The Sales

We’ve spent the past few days in a frenzy of markdowns, seasonal sales and coupon codes, and now that we feel like we’ve scoured every corner of the Internet for great discount handbags, we figured that it was time to take a breather and see where things stand right now. Based on the rate at which the most lust-worthy designer bags have been disappearing from the sale pages of retailers left and right, we know that someone out there, possibly several someones, is buying things, and we want to hear about it.

As for me, I’ve been hedging my bets and watching this Gucci Leather and Chael Handbags. For me, sales are always the time that I jump on something a little bit fun and different, and a bag that combines white leather, bright leopard print and tiger-striped faux raffia definitely fits that description. At 40% off, it comes out at an easy-on-the-wallet price of $480, but I can’t help but wonder if it’ll get a second markdown if I wait just a bit longer. Of course, that’s also a good way to miss out on a great deal, so I might go ahead and pull the trigger on this cute summer shoulder bag. It’s still up in the air.

Also, which sale has been your favorite? I’m partial to the Barneys sale because of the store’s great assortment of designers, but if you’re looking for the biggest selection overall, www.boutiquesshop.com seems to be where it’s at. Contemporary your thing? Nordstrom and ShopBop killing it. The most well-edited selection? Gotta be Net-a-Porter.

Jimmy Choo zodiac thing is totally happening

Are you in the market for a handmade, highly expensive piece of art that doubles as a clutch and allows onlookers a small peek into the condition of your psyche, or at the very least, into your opinion of yourself? Well, you’re in luck. We’ve mentioned Jimmy Choo’s recent collaboration with pop artist Rob Pruitt before, but somehow, we neglected to highlight the Jimmy Choo x Robb Pruitt Limited Edition Angel and Devil Crystal Minaudieres, which cost $15,000 apiece, until now. Our deepest apologies for the oversight.

At this point, you might be asking how one arrives at a $15,000 price tag for a cute cartoon clutch. That’s a valid question, and here’s the reasoning that Choo provides: The angel and devil are hand-covered in crystals, signed by the artist (whose famous work generally sells for quite a pretty penny), and are individually numbered. Only 14 pieces of each version were made, so for a collector of Pruitt’s work, the cash investment perhaps makes sense. And even at 15 grand, these bags are a lot less expensive than the $55k pill-bedazzled bags that Damien Hirst decorated for The Row.

If you’re so inclined, both versions can be pre-ordered via www.boutiquesshop.com. So which are you – angel or devil?

Many Bags Colletion of Emma Watson

I have an Emma Watson close-encounter story, and although it’s not a very good one, I’m going to take this opportunity to tell it anyway. Over the winter, on a very snowy day, a friend and I decided to trek to Barneys to shop for some shoes and stave off cabin fever in the bad weather. The place wasn’t nearly as packed as it normally would be on a Saturday, and we took advantage of the opportunity to try on a bunch of ridiculous shoes and amuse ourselves. There are Gucci bags, Louis Vuitton handbags, Hermers. Amidst the footwear fervor, I looked up to realize that I was standing next to Emma, both of us eyeing adjacent pairs of Manolos.

Watson was dressing casually, in jeans and a sweater, and I did my best impression of an unimpressed New Yorker and didn’t say anything to her. She was quiet, by herself and utterly polite to store staff while she was still within earshot. See? Told you it wasn’t a very good story, but still, it gave me the impression that Emma’s a quite normal girl, which is always a nice thing to find out about a famous person. Now that she’s getting ready to star in the much-hyped flick The Bling Ring, it seemed only right that Emma get her own thorough examination of her bags collection. We only wish that our photo agency tailed Emma more regularly so that we could show you more.

Refined Alexander Wang Handbags and Fur Boxing Gloves

At an Alexander Wang show, there’s always the accessory. In the past, it’s been things as varied as leather handkerchiefs and clutches shaped like old, deflated footballs, and this year, at the Alexander Wang Fall 2013 show, it was fur boxing gloves. Can you carry a handbag and wear fur boxing gloves simultaneously? That’s for magazine stylists to decide over the next few months, I suppose.

As we all know, Wang is set to make the leap to Balenciaga this season, and this collection, his most mature yet, seemed to be an effort to make a statement that he’s ready for the task. And who knows, maybe he is. The accordion-like handbags that went down the runway had an interesting, outsized take on structure that wouldn’t be out of place on a Nicholas Ghesquiere runway, even though they pose the same functional issues that many of Ghesquiere’s Balenciaga runway bags also caused. As chic and spare as rigid slate haircalf looks on this shape, how do you carry it in real life? (The answer, of course, is probably “with a shoulder strap that’s been excluded from the runway version.”)

Preview Gucci Woman Fall Winter 2013

For the past few seasons, Frida Giannini, Creative Director of Gucci, has brought the house back to the forefront of our minds. With a steely yet sexy combination, Gucci Fall 2013 focuses on constructed silhouettes with femme fatale touches on every accessory. The color scheme is deep and sultry, including wine, rust, moss green and cerulean blue. With great attention paid to detail, the accessories steal the show (along with the evening wear).

Shiny calfskin and exotic skins, including python and crocodile, create structured bags with archival locks which give a retro hint. Many know Gucci for its iconic bamboo handle, and this detail comes back in two styles and proportions as a focus for fall. This collection is strong, and I expect to continue seeing Gucci handbags step up, which means more of us will be stepping up to purchase as well.

Reese Witherspoon picks up groceries with a Fendi bag

Here’s Reese Witherspoon shopping at a Whole Foods in LA (where the daytime lighting is strangely perfect), carrying a paper bag of fresh flowers and other goodies in one arm and an orange Fendi 2Jours Tote on the other. I suddenly have a fiendish urge to buy something orange. This Italian leather shopper is available in eight different colorways and can be bought for $2,260 at Nordstrom. Reese’s bag collection tends to be particularly high-end; you can check out her many Givenchys, Fendis, and Saint Laurents in “The Many Bags of Reese Witherspoon”!

I’m not a hardcore Reese Witherspoon fan, but I really have to give her props for this one thing: her “I know I’m being stalked by paparazzi” face is the best in Hollywood. Many celebs have made a career out of ignoring the paps completely, while others at least attempt to treat them like human beings, but Reese’s face just turns partially to stone in the face of any paparazzo, and she’s always wearing a smirk that says “I make more money just by signing on for one movie than you’ll ever see in your entire lifetime.” Or at least, that’s how I read it.

Louis Vuitton’s value dips 12% from last year, Prada gains 63%

The last time we mentioned Louis Vuitton’s exclusivity problem, you guys had a lot to say, and much of it was demonstrative of the challenges that Vuitton faces going forward – how does a company whose incredibly recognizable logo bags have become ubiquitous maintain its air of exclusivity for top-tier customers? And if those top-tier customers leave, will customers at the lower tiers go looking for their little slice of luxury elsewhere? Is this a problem that Louis Vuitton has waited too long to fix? Based on the double-digit dip that the company’s value took last year, things could be better at LVMH’s flagship brand.

The Millward Brown BrandZ Top 100 (which sounds made up, but is not) ranks the 100 most valuable luxury companies in the world every year based on their total value, and although Louis Vuitton is still at the top of that list, the brand is down 12% year on year. Given that Louis Vuitton acknowledges it has an image problem, it’s probably not an unexpected dip, but worrisome all the same for a conglomerate with a handbag brand as its backbone. Meanwhile, competitors Prada and Gucci surged 63% and 48%, respectively. According to Business of Fashion, the stark difference in the performance of the three brands can be pinned on the fact that Gucci and Prada “are better managing the trade-off between exclusivity and affordability.”

The performance of Gucci in particular might show a way forward for Louis Vuitton – the company has put increased emphasis on its fine leather and exotic offerings in recent years, including some of the most expensive pieces available on the mass market today, while still offering plenty of recognizable, logo-covered canvas handbags and accessories for entry-level customers. Vuitton’s strategy includes both expanding its upper-echelon offerings and increasing prices across the board to discourage “downmarket” customers from coming on board and scaring away the apparently very sensitive rich folks, and only time will tell if it’s too little, too late.

In the meantime, tell us – the top four luxury brands are Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci and Prada, in that order. If you had to bet on one long-term, which would it be?

LaToya Jackson totes her furry friend in Louis Vuitton

It’s only the best for any pooch that travels with LaToya Jackson. Here she is coming out of a hotel in New York, carrying her adorable Pomeranian in a Louis Vuitton Dog Carrier. (Sadly, there’s no “first class” for celeb dogs in cargo. Though I suspect this fluffy baby gets her own seat on the plane.) If there’s a toy dog in your life that appreciates high-end luxury, you can purchase this carrier from the Louis Vuitton website for $2,430.

We can’t put a solid ID on LaToya’s Louis Vuitton tote, but we’re guessing it’s a vintage design that’s no longer made. The patina on the leather trim would certainly seem to indicate that LaToya’s had this bag in her collection for a fairly long time. Fortunately for all LV fans, those signature monograms never fade (with proper care). Louis Vuitton handbags experts, feel free to weigh in with your best guesses!

Kris Jenner Has A Chanel Hula Hoop Bag

When Chanel trotted the full-size Chanel Hula Hoop Flap Bag on the runways for Chanel Spring 2013, they insisted this showpiece wouldn't be available for purchase. But after an unexpectedly warm reception to the idea, they made a few anyways, along with a more wearable, wranglable mini version. The bag you see here is a chic black mini version of the Chanel Hula Hoop Flap Bag, on the arm of Kris Jenner in NYC. This bag, surprisingly, looks a lot less gimmicky and cartoonish in all-black, though it seems to lose some of its hoop-like integrity when weighed down with a modest amount of personal belongings. These bags are currently nowhere to be found, but you can shop an authentic selection of vintage and pre-owned Chanel at Portero.

Truth be told, I’m highly surprised Kris Jenner hasn't been spotted accidentally hooping innocent by-standers with the full size version of this bag on either coast. She loves black and white, she loves high-end bags, and she loves making headlines. (And I definitely saw her eyeing one on the last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.) Could you see yourself carrying this kooky version of Chanel’s signature Flap Bag?