Every once in a while, amidst the dark and dreary news related to the recession, lost homes, jobs and a plummet of public and private investments in short- and long-term art, talent, and people as a whole, there are several days that shine like Window No. 25 of the Christmas advent calendar. Sales – first cut, then the second cut and then clearance.

Eons ago, I wouldn’t even bother, because I knew that my choice picks of that season were gone. Oftentimes those gleaming little glazed palladium feet of the distressed patent satchel never got an opportunity to graze the dusted wooden surfaces of department store shelves as sales associates’ waitlists were filled to the curled edges with eager and wild-eyed “It” Bag-mongering consumers. Fast forward to 2008, I picked up a YSL Muse Two in patent and pony hair for less than $500. The large size. To fashion houses, the game turned to Survival of the Fittest, to some consumers, “OCD” had a whole new meaning while (more…)

The great things in life always come as a double-edged sword. Just like a very pricey piece of buttery lambskin from your favorite fashion house.

When selecting the right handbag for you…

• Practical will usually mean not as attractive as the unpractical
• Gilded chain straps are heavier than leather straps, but canvas will pill
• The less you invest in it, the more you’ll be OK with throwing it on the floor
• The good ones will always be followed by impostors, but to acquire the original oftentimes painstaking effort
• You will get irked if you find yourself caring more for your bag than convenient. For example, how many times did you glance at your Birkin to see if its corners are touching your car when you open the door?

You want it all? You must bend over backwards to maintain it. And cest the vie.

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The other day, I was strolling through South Coast Plaza when I stopped in my tracks, and grabbed DH’s hand to pull him into the Bally store. For those of you who aren’t purse fanatics, Bally has only recently caught the eye of fashion mavens, now earning the title by some as the "biggest fashion turnaround in the century." And apparently, the snagging of Brian Atwood is one of the most talked-about awe-inspiring forces behind the Big Bally Revolution. So I heard.

I heard, but now, I saw. Big, black and glossy, with rich tortoise-lucite handles and wonderfully thick and smooshy was an amazing…

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You know that you have political capital when even the fashion houses are jumping on the bandwagon to help Obama mavens celebrate the inauguration.  Designers like Tory Burch and Zac Posen are offering ways to make this event collectible and stylish.

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I had a very interesting customer service experience today.

Not being very familiar with the service at Burberry, I had thought that High-End Retail Branding 101 and the education course on the Experience Imperative for high-end fashion retailers selling disproportionately priced objects-of-desire was so last decade, so to speak.  Apparently, it’s not. For some, the need is is very prevalent today, and the difference between brands that are profiting and brands that aren’t in this very grim economy is as clear as it is cold in Chicago today (so I hear, with the -40 degree windchill factor).

I’m not sure how certain companies think they can sell a handbag for $2,000, or a coat for $1,500, without selling the customer on the idea of the experience. This is the Experience of being an owner of a product from a certain fashion house with a distinct character. This ownership experience has three facets, somewhat like the Designer Fashion Trinity of High-end Retail Imperatives – customer service experience, quality experience, and exclusivity experience. They are all different but all inter-related, and all very necessary. For example, you can’t be high-end and charge $2,000 bucks a pop for a cowhide leather handbag studded with strange iron objects without having your sales associates being able to tell the story behind the bag, the inspiration behind the design and why it’s so significant. And make you feel special at the same time (and since you’re special and the bag is special, you are meant to be).

I’m a sucker for stories.

My husband always teases me about (more…)