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In 1997, Marc Jacobs became Louis Vuitton’s artistic director and, slapping the traditional LV monogram over anything from Lurex to patent leather, he made handbags cool, lustworthy, youthful and aspirational.
Today, our "it" bags have abundant pockets for the multifaceted modern woman – often casually cool like the Chloe Bay bag or brandished with luxury-status bling, like the Miu Miu metallic Patchwork. Most prominent are the oversized offerings – think the Alexander McQueen Novak at 38cm wide, or the Chloe Edith. Germaine Greer proposes in The Whole Woman that the large tote might be linked to notions of burden. And it makes sense.
Celebrities lug around their hefty sacs with an expression of determination and sense of endurance, as if they were lugging 1000 responsibilities along with a swollen sense of importance. Another reason for their size is that they dwarf the wearer. Today’s bloated bags reveal how thin is in.
"But there’s something also to be said about the increasingly complex lifestyles we lead and the corresponding size of our handbags," says Amber. "[On] any given day, a woman might need to transport a laptop,Cheap Christian Louboutin, gym gear, cosmetics, baby essentials and comfortable shoes all in one bag, so the bigger the better." Their larger size also helps justify bags’ hefty price tags. Today, bags don’t just contain money, they speak money. Five years ago, you might have spent up to $500 on a fancy bag, but now everyday people are spending thousands on attaining the right bag. So much so, we’ve actually driven the market. British Vogue reported that between 2000 and 2005 handbag sales in that country increased by 146 per cent, while outerwear sales increased by only 12 per cent. The more expensive a bag, the more exclusive it becomes. Take the Louis Vuitton 2007 Tribute Patchwork. These limited edition bags, at about $AU60,000 each, sold swiftly despite being made up of 15 different Louis Vuitton patterns sewn together.
The bag never exposed us, or our consumerism, so candidly as the recent Chanel Perspex bag and the Oscar de la Renta Transparent Clutch – bags like these are designed to show off personal belongings inside. These bags represent the freedom that was denied women of the 17th century who were forced to conceal bags under layers of skirts and undergarments.
So while the big bold "it" bag of today might fuel consumerism and our obsession with image, it still says a lot about our emancipation and our individual style.
 

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Only three stores but results equally positive for the Middle East where the beginnings are showing very high average transactions. For its part, the Bon Marche has achieved an excellent first half with improved sales and profitability by renovation of its fashion segment and increased international customers at Sephora.
China for the second half of 2007, DFS will continue its growth in Asia. Our efforts are aimed at making stores more attractive for customers that are more diversified in terms of geographic origin, knowledge of brands and service requirements in order to take full advantage of the growth in Chinese tourists. We’re working on the construction of the Galleria de Macao that will open in 2008 and renovating the gallerias in Hong Kong.
As for Sephora we’ll take full advantage of the end of the year to continue to profitably growth the brand,Christian Louboutin Sale, the policy of exclusive products and innovative services (inaudible) we really want the shopping experience in our stores to be unique and very different from that of our peers. The pace of opening stores will be more sustained on high potential markets, notably France, the United States and China. Simultaneously we’re making our beginning from new markets such as Turkey, Croatia and the Emirates. Over now to Christophe.
CHRISTOPHE NAVARRE, PRESIDENT, WINES AND SPIRITS, MOET-HENNESSY LOUIS VUITTON: Thank you, Tony, and now a few details about Moet-Hennessy, the revenues stood at EUR1.314 billion, up 8% compared to last year. The organic growth, i.e. on a like-for-like basis is 13%. This is giving the past four years where Moet-Hennessy recorded a double-digit organic growth, 12%, which is rather unusual in the wines and spirits industry. Of course, this preformance confirms our optimism for our guidance to the end of 2007.
We said this earlier on, the operating margins on Moet-Hennessy is the highest in the industry. At the end of June we stood at almost 30%, which confirms the decisions we are looking for Moet-Hennessy the one luxury wines and spirits company. Now if we look at the highlights of this year we find that except for Belvedere all our brands and up and this reflects our strategic determination to promote all our portfolio not just the champagne and Hennessy cognac brandy. But a few words about Belvedere because of course we took over sales of Belvedere after we bought back the brand in U.S. on 29 June of this year, which means that there were two months when sales stopped.
But in terms of sales we’re looking at shipments, i.e. shipments to the American market but the actual supply to our customers was not interrupted because of course we had stock available at our distributors’ warehouses and the two brands still showed a positive figure.

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In 1997, Marc Jacobs became Louis Vuitton’s artistic director and, slapping the traditional LV monogram over anything from Lurex to patent leather, he made handbags cool, lustworthy, youthful and aspirational.
Today, our "it" bags have abundant pockets for the multifaceted modern woman – often casually cool like the Chloe Bay bag or brandished with luxury-status bling, like the Miu Miu metallic Patchwork. Most prominent are the oversized offerings – think the Alexander McQueen Novak at 38cm wide, or the Chloe Edith. Germaine Greer proposes in The Whole Woman that the large tote might be linked to notions of burden. And it makes sense.
Celebrities lug around their hefty sacs with an expression of determination and sense of endurance, as if they were lugging 1000 responsibilities along with a swollen sense of importance. Another reason for their size is that they dwarf the wearer. Today’s bloated bags reveal how thin is in.
"But there’s something also to be said about the increasingly complex lifestyles we lead and the corresponding size of our handbags,&quot,Christian Louboutin Sale; says Amber. "[On] any given day, a woman might need to transport a laptop, gym gear, cosmetics, baby essentials and comfortable shoes all in one bag, so the bigger the better." Their larger size also helps justify bags’ hefty price tags. Today, bags don’t just contain money, they speak money. Five years ago, you might have spent up to $500 on a fancy bag, but now everyday people are spending thousands on attaining the right bag. So much so, we’ve actually driven the market. British Vogue reported that between 2000 and 2005 handbag sales in that country increased by 146 per cent, while outerwear sales increased by only 12 per cent. The more expensive a bag, the more exclusive it becomes. Take the Louis Vuitton 2007 Tribute Patchwork. These limited edition bags, at about $AU60,000 each, sold swiftly despite being made up of 15 different Louis Vuitton patterns sewn together.
The bag never exposed us, or our consumerism, so candidly as the recent Chanel Perspex bag and the Oscar de la Renta Transparent Clutch – bags like these are designed to show off personal belongings inside. These bags represent the freedom that was denied women of the 17th century who were forced to conceal bags under layers of skirts and undergarments.
So while the big bold "it" bag of today might fuel consumerism and our obsession with image, it still says a lot about our emancipation and our individual style.
 

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"I asked Oscar dela Renta to make this light brown evening gown for me. He’s one of my favorite designers.   I wore this for a Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Awards show. I plan to wear it again."
TOPS
"I got this white embroidered halter top during my trip to Hawaii in February. I love its color and bohemian  look. I like the way it hangs on my body-not too tight but not too loose, either.
"My favorite T-shirt says: ‘I love my bag and dog.’ This T-shirt says it all about me. I really love  my dogs, even though I have asthma."
JEANS AND SKIRTS
"I hardly wear jeans. I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to find the right pair. That’s why  when I got hold of this Ultra-low rise from Gap, I couldn’t let go.
"On the other hand, I’m a skirt and shorts lover. I like them in denim fabric. I get most of them from Top   Shop and Zara. Not only are they comfy, they’re also very stylish."
SHOES
"My current favorite is a pair of white high-heeled slip-ons from Gucci. I could wear it with almost anything.  It’s great during summer. This is only a month old.
"My black Prada pair is a gift from Echo. I call them my outstanding black heels. I saw this at the Prada store   in Greenbelt. I wanted to get them for myself but he insisted on buying for me. I was experiencing one of the most  difficult times in my life when Echo gave this to me. There was this negative talk going around … Echo said this  should remind me to keep walking proudly.
"This pair of brown boots was very hard to find. It took me a whole day of walking through the busy streets of  Hong Kong. It’s made of soft leather and the style is unique.
"MKNY provides most of my slippers and sneakers. This pair of slippers is very comfy. I use it whenever I’m  on the set of ‘Panday.’ I wear rubber shoes when I want to go really casual, ‘yung walang  pakialam."
BAGS
"I love bags, like this one black leather number from Dior, though I don’t use it often. I save it for very  special events. I feel it attracts too much attention.
"The one I use frequently is this blue leather Luis Vuitton. It can go with anything, especially jeans. Another &nbsp,Christian Louboutin Pumps; favorite is this brown Luella bag that I got in San Francisco. I think this brand is not sold locally yet. I first saw  this from Hollywood actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Sienna Miller.
"I’m guilty of spending a lot on bags. I made a promise to Tita Angeli that I won’t buy anymore  bags-even though they’re tax deductible. To girls who love bags but are on a tight budget, make sure you get sturdy  ones. That way, you don’t have to buy a lot. Guess and Girbaud are not too expensive."

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The three-quarter-length topper coat, often back-belted, is easy fitting enough to wear over a jacket.
Textures are an important to fabrics as color.  They vary from boucle and poodle cloth to ribbing, rippling, shiny sat in and panne velvet.  Rarely does a costume have one color and texture scheme but rather a mix of many.
Leather is light, supple and used even more frequently than normal for Italy.
The Italian collections have their stars, worthy competitors of the French.  Georgio Armani is the leader of the military look.  His broad-shouldered, high-neckline jackets and coats are expected to be influential.  Giannin Versace and the Basile collections received buyer praise as well.
Tai and Rosita Missoni’s knit collection masters new textures and color combinations in soft dress shapes, jackets, sweaters and coats.  Missoni makes Italy the front runner in the knitwear business.
Italy excels at furs both in design and technical mastery and the current Christian louboutin collection is the best of them.
The Christian louboutins – there are five sisters in the business plus designer Karl Lagerfeld – put a strong emphasis on what Carla Christian louboutin calls the "forgotten furs," including squirrel, weasel, mole and ferret.  In their high-fashion collection, squirrel was used for a sweeping tiered cape with toes that had the effect of fringe.
"I can think of a dozen customers, including one in Washington, for that, said David Wolfe of Neiman-Marcus as the mannequin passed him on the runway.  Also applauded by Wolfe and others were the basketweave and lacy effects achieved in beaver that gave it the light quality of a supple wool or silk.
The same type of technical savvy applies to the way the Italians use leather, particularly in the unlined suedes at Mario Valentino.  "Every season their leathers are softer and better," says Kal Ruttenstein of Bloomingdale’s, who particularly liked the ostrich-stamped leather at Basile and the shearlings at Armani.
The new crop of clothes takes on a new set of accessories.  Shawls again, gloves, belts of all sorts, small hats, small shoulder bags (replacing the clutch) and colored pantyhose, sometimes worn with rolled down socks and flat shoes, are all essentials, in the eyes of Kathleen Klausner of Bergdorf-Goodman who was wearing 20 ("my entire collection") antique Chinese bracelets.
"Even if I got nothing else out of the trip I would learn a great deal from the way they present their shows," says Saks’ Saltzman.  Most of the designers hire more than 40 models for each show (many of them from New York).  Callaghan used 47, Armani 50.  Each idea is presented with a hugh cluster of models going down the runway at one time, all with variations of a particular look.  Even if the look itself isn’t so hot,Christian Shoes, the display is impressive and usually brings great applause.

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Christian louboutin, with its penchant for furs, has always identified itself with winter fashion. But in recent years a combination of an anti-fur climate and milder weather has made Silvia Venturini,Christian Louboutin Sale, daughter of one of the five Christian louboutin sisters and creative director of the label, change the label’s fashion course. The winter collection presented Thursday was no exception.
Rather than smothering her winter man in animal skins, Silvia delicately enveloped him in soft sequined capes and jackets with fashionable three-quarter sleeves. When the fabric looked like fur, it was actually mohair. And what looked wooly was in truth strands of fur delicately knit together. The over-all feel was precious, almost couture.
"Menswear is only meant to thrive in a classic straight jacket. This collection is about breaking the mystique," Silvia said.
The Byblos collection on Thursday, the last day of the Italian menswear preview fall-winter collections, touched on many of the trends shown this week.
For starters, the collection was all in black and white, emblematic of this round of fashion, in search of sobriety. White shirt, black tie and conservative footwear complete the look.
In the sportswear department, Byblos had lots of homespun high collared bulky sweaters, as well as long underwear as outerwear, both trends which have shown up in many collections.
Byblos favored the blazer over the suit, another leitmotif of the winter collections. These jackets are often in shiny fabric, at times with a velvet or silk lapel. The idea of using Tuxedo motifs such as silk bands up the sides of trousers for daytime is another winter innovation.
Byblos did not dip into the gold and silver which has drenched most of current catwalk, but he caught the current logo mania, which along with Christian louboutin showed up at Biagiotti, Gucci, Valentino and Prada.
Leather wear for next winter is less biker and more country, with quilting a favorite workmanship. Simple, almost old-fashioned jeans make a come back. Leather pants are out, as is the use of luxury skins like crocodile for bags and shoes.
The single most popular item also featured at Byblos is the three-quarter jacket either sporty and belted at the waist, or in classic overcoat style.
Elegant evening wear makes a huge return, from the traditional tuxedo and dinner jacket to the super-sophisticated white tie and tails.
Frida Giannini, the new hot designer for Gucci, had no problem summing up next year’s winter look. "It’s very James Bond," she decreed.

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 Both of these strips are more relaxed in feeling than tony Montenapoleone.
On Corso Buenos Aires, a common-man-or-woman avenue filled with grandmothers and baby strollers, there are shops like Bellissima, an Italian version of Hit or Miss, and Prenatal, a cross between Benetton and The Gap for Kids. There’s a Marina Rinaldi, offering elegant clothing for large-size women. There are jewelry stores,Christian Louboutin Shoes, shoe stores, bookstores, men’s clothing stores and several department stores, including Standa and Upim. The best concentration of shopping is between the cross streets of San Grigorio and Via Francesco Redi.
On Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, a must-stop is the Fiorucci warehouse, which is a colorful shopping experience, offering everything – housewares, clothing and even toys – all in electric colors. It’s a nice place to buy gifts, though you should check the labels twice if you’re looking for something made in Italy.
An afternoon on Corso Buenos Aires or Corso Vittorio Emmanuele and you will probably notice a difference between Italian shopping strips and equivalent malls in the United States. In general, mid-range stores seem to offer higher quality merchandise. Chances are good that $ 50 will buy something more than just decent.
Perhaps the greatest difference, though, is the wider selection of styles and stores. Yes, it’s true that The Body Shop and Footlocker both have stores on Buenos Aires and Vittorio Emanuele. But even so, the streets manage to avoid that cookie-cutter Gap-Banana Republic feel that pervades every American mall. There’s not as much overkill here, and this a weary American shopper may appreciate more than anything else.
If visiting the serious stores begins to wear you down, consider ending your day in Navigli. South of Porta Ticinese, Navagli is riddled with canals (well, there’s one at least), and bears a resemblance to Venice and Greenwich Village in the evenings, when young Italians jam the neighborhood’s bars and restaurants. On the last Sunday of the month, there are flea markets here, open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rest of the time there are funky junk shops, secondhand stores and tiny boutiques selling relatively inexpensive handmade jewelry.
In Navagli, you can also have your tarot cards read or your astrological chart done, since the area is popular with soothsayers. Indeed, this may be an appropriate ending for your shopping spree, since undoubtedly your most pressing question will be if there’s money in your future.
 

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"We were both taken by an idea of an ‘inside-out’ vacation or weekend house," said Sandell. "The house twists around itself to create a small enclosed courtyard, making it both exposed and closed to the surrounding nature."
Inside were sleek home furnishings, such as modernist sofas by B&B Italia to catch the flicks on the video screens all over the rooms. The small rooms were spare but had everything you need, said Brule, from a fur throw to a free-standing, smooth stone tub. The house was outfitted by Bang & Olufsen with the latest in techno gizmos — including audio systems that memorize 200 titles and hold 60 radio stations.
The show proved so hot with crowds of the 250,000 international design faithful gathered to catch a whiff of the newest trends that the magazine’s editors decided to mount it again in London in September as part of the 100% Design 1999 show. They currently are looking for a New York venue. Wallpaper readers can see more in the July/August issue.
"This was not about gilt," said New York designer Vladimir Kagan, who saw the exhibit in Milan. "It was geared to people who know what nice things are, can afford nice things, but don’t want to brag about it. Ostentatiousness is dangerous."
Is this brand of luxury destined to go global? Brule says he already has had calls from developers in Colorado looking for the plans.
"I think one of the most important qualities of the house is its sense of scale,"said Brule. &quot,Christian Louboutin discount;A 1990’s house doesn’t have to be a monster house with a quadruple garage and five bedrooms."
Brule thinks monster houses one day will be divided up into apartments, much like the large Regency houses in London have been.
At Wallpaper’s miniature villa, this visitor was asked to leave her shoes by the door. In traditional Scandinavian style, guests were offered stylish felt slippers to slip on as they padded around so as not to muck up the white paint on the wood floors.
It felt luxurious.
 Simple but luxurious: The little weekend house commissioned by the British magazine Wallpaper.

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They played "Anchors Aweigh," the Marine Corps anthem, parade music and even taps at the Italian designer fall fashion shows here this week in an attempt to recruit converts to a military look.
After four days of showings, though, some American buyers weren’t sure they wanted to sign up.
This is round one of a three-part trek for the American’s to review and possibly buy their European imports for fall.  The Paris shows start next week, and some buyers will detour to Florence and London before congregating in New York in late April for the American designer presentations.
Where the buyers seemed to turn against the stand-straight military look is with its khaki colors.  It’s not the American military tan that is, in fact, selling well in Washington and elsewhere.The khaki the Italian designers use is straight from their own uniforms, naturally, and has a greenish tone to it.
"The Italians have always loved the color but it turns me off," says Ellin Saltzman of Saks Fifth Avenue."
"I don’t know of any woman to whom it is becoming," Saks Jandel’s Val Cook adds.
"Fortunately, the designers offer an alternative," says Neal Fox of I. Magnin, and he is opting for burgundy in many cases.
Many buyers have been told to think twice before placing orders, too.&nbsp,Christian Louboutin Pumps; Higher prices and a weaker dollar have made buying riskier than ever.  "I’ve told my buyers to be very conscious of how prices will be when they (the clothes) land in the States," says Fox.
The Italians have ingenious ways to soften their military scheme.  Satin blouses, smocking, shawls, bright color accents and soft skirts will look better than Sam Browne belts, berets and military insignia used in some of the shows.
Since many American designers are on the same wavelength for next fall, it is likely that some new trends will start to take hold.  Among them:
Broad shoulders and a long lean look that remains roomy and unconfining but not as big and billowy as styles in the stores now.  Jackets are a focal point of the whole look and range from bellboy and Air Force jacket lengths to long skinny styles.  Shoulder pads, epaulets, tucking give broad shoulders to coats as well.
Pants for day return, now tapered to the hem for day and evening.  Pants often were shown under dresses.

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There was a time when glamour north of Watford was epitomised by Bet Lynch: all leopard-skin coat and no knickers. Or Lily Savage’s pastiche in a six-foot wig and stilettoes. But the late Nineties has seen the rise of a new social phenomenon: the It Girl Up North. The kind of woman who has money, glitz and a wardrobe the size of a small holding in Cheshire.
&nbsp,Cheap Christian Louboutin;Meet Jeanette, Nyree, Davinia and Georgina. These are the girls who play hard and spend hard. Manchester and surrounding Cheshire are their playground, the designer shops their Meccas, the plush bars and restaurants their watering-holes. You can see them eating (well, nibbling), drinking and shopping in Mancunian hotspots, groomed within an inch of their lives, with their best sides ready for any passing press photographer.
 Unlike the Tara Palmer-Tomkinsons of this world – whose family has long- standing links with the Royals – their money is more likely to be new than old. But in every other respect they’re the Northern branch of the It Girl brigade. Spend a day with these women and it comes as no surprise to learn that the Victoria Wine store in Cheshire’s Alderley Edge sells more champagne than any other branch in the country.
 Davinia Taylor’s father is so rich (he made a mint in toilet roll) he bought her the original lyrics to Hey Jude. Davinia is the Tamara Beckwith of the north. Like TB, she’s dated wild boys – her affair with footballer Ryan Giggs ended when they had a violent row in a bar – and has had her share of fame. She played the rumbustious blonde Jude Cunningham in Hollyoaks until she got the chop for apparently failing to make the early starts.  (If this feels like deja vu, then you need look no further than Ms Beckwith who, it is said, dropped The Big Breakfast because she couldn’t get out of bed.)
 Then there’s Georgina Cohen, whose father is a DIY chainstore millionaire and whose mother owns a fashion shop in wealthy north Cheshire. Georgina works as a researcher in television and insists she makes her own money.  But how many researchers do you know who can afford Christian louboutin?
 Jeanette Lanz-Bergin has no such pretensions. Twenty-nine years old, she is a sort of northern Caprice who thinks nothing of flying over to New York to pre-empt the Gucci rush. Jeanette’s father is a chief engineer for Swiss Air (a relatively modest start for an It Girl, admittedly) but private schooling in Greece and Hong Kong helped her on her way. Long blonde hair, expensively tanned, Mont-Blanc slim, she’s aspiring to land a job. . . in television, of course.

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