Designer Label Fashion

I have new best handbags like Lily Allen has new best friends. Not for me the classic but slightly battered black quilted Chanel, handed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter, only leaving the family to be sent off for a brush up and revamp every generation (do they end up like the old broom - “I’ve had this broom for 25 years, and in that time it’s had five new heads and five new handles”?).

No, I flit from bag to bag, and designer to designer, as my mood and my outfit takes me. (Sarah’s money saving tip: it may sound like I spend a fortune on designer bags - I don’t, as I see one I love, then swoon over it for a couple of days wondering whether to buy it and live on beans for  two months, by which time I have got bored with that bag and moved on to the next one. And so the cycle continues, without ever disturbing my bank account while leaving me feeling smug at my bag-related ontrendness.)

Anyway my current bag crush is this pretty plaid Derby Yasmin large tote bag from Vivienne Westwood Accessories - with a green, purple and pink plaid pattern, and over the arm carry handles, this large tote also has gold orb studs on the base and the handles. The tote is lined with an orb print fabric and there is a phone pouch and zipped pocket. Vivienne Westwood large plaid tote is £333 and measure 40cm by 33cm by 18cm. Buy it now at My Wardrobe.

This pretty and colourful Vivienne Westwood Accessories plaid bag also makes a change from the admittedly stylish but (whisper it) rather gloomy designer bags currently doing the rounds - black, grey, tan, brown, with the occasional splash of purple or red. (Note to bag designers - we know autumn during a recession is dull and miserable, we don’t need you reminding us).

Heels are great - super sexy, glamorous, height-adding and with brilliant optical illusional properties if you have enormous feet like me (feet in high heels never look massive). Sadly many styles are also fabulously impractical if you have to actually walk anywhere (I have probably spent more being rescued by black cabs when sporting luscious heels than I have on the actual shoes themselves).

So what about flat shoes? <stops typing to pick up fainting designer-heel-loving friend off floor at first frightening mention of FLAT SHOES>

Okay, so flats may not be as full-on glamorous as a pair of embellished stillettos but they are perfect for running around the city, particularly in summer - without the grubby toe syndrome that sandals and flipflops cause, and ideal when the weather goes from sunshine to torrential rain in the blink of an eye. Oh, and they hide all those plaster-covered heels and toes caused by wearing those new designer summer sandals for the first time. They are also super-cute.

So if you are after some flat shoes here are some of my favourites from the range of designer ballet flats and designer loafers around this season. Or check out Matches Fashion’s fabulous designer shoe ranges here.

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Just because it’s 2am and you’re waiting for a night bus doesn’t mean you can let your fashion guard down! And you don’t have to accept crippling post-party stiletto agony either.

These are the famous Lanvin travel ballerinas in pink or blue - perfect for getting home after a night out in heels, without losing any designer points. Or slip into them during your holiday flight (we all pray for an upgrade to Business Class but they’d certainly bring some style to the - whisper it - Economy cabin too). These Lanvin travel ballerinas be folded up and kept in their drawstring bag, then just pop them in your handbag or hand luggage. See the rest of the post, below, for pictures and more info.

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Knightsbridge and Bond Street can be scary. Those eye-watering prices! The skinny women, who don’t realise there’s a recession on! Now you can stay one step ahead of the dangers of Central London designer shopping… with this gorgeous camouflage handbag from Chloe, £1335 at Matches.

(I say gorgeous, and it is - though if it is camouflage presumably no one else can actually see it? Won’t they assume it’s a pot plant, or a small tree?)

Visit the Matches Fashion website to buy this Chloe camouflage shoulder bag or see below for more information and picture.

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There is a god. And she wants you to have some gorgeous shiny new shoes - and maybe a new bag too, with 30% off! Designer website My Wardrobe is offering 30% off designer handbags and designer shoes until Midnight on 25 May 2009. Just use the My Wardrobe voucher code Bagsshoes30 at the checkout to take advantage of their Bags and Shoes Extravaganza.

With designer handbags by Mulberry, D&G Dolce & Gabbana, Antik Batik, Anya Hindmarch, See by Chloe, Botkier, Lulu Guinness among others, and designer shoes by Georgina Goodman, Terry de Havilland, See by Chloe, Paul and Joe Sister, Ugg Australia, Katia Lombardo, Ash, Pedro Garcia and more, there’ll be something there for you.

Visit My Wardrobe now for the Bags and Shoes Extravaganza and get 30% off - or see below for our favourites.

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It must be, oooh, a couple of weeks at least since I last blogged about shoes. No wonder I have been feeling under the weather. I won’t leave it so long next time. Anyway, Kurt Geiger have launched their summer sale - with up to 30% off! So check out Kurt Geiger designer shoes, flats and boots from the Kurt Geiger Carvela Solea, and KG ranges, Nicole Farhi, French Connection, Ted Baker, Marc by Marc Jacobs and more. Or browse my favourites, below.

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Handbags & Gladrags sell handbags and accessories from top designers including Lulu Guiness, Just Cavelli, Billy Bag, Nina Campbell Cosmetic and more. Now you can enjoy 10 percent off all non-sale items on the Handbags and Gladrags website. Just use voucher code H49 at the Handbags & Gladrags checkout. But hurry as it runs out on 30 April 2009.

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Matches Fashion is calling them Marc Jacob’s homage to Coco Chanel - and these stunning quilted handbags in black, navy blue, and purple, plus this cute black purse, certainly manage to blend classic design with fashion-forward styling and colour. With prices from £135 (ooh!) to £1,365 (ouch), we can all have a bit of designer quilting.

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Kurt Geiger have done it again - after bringing back their gorgeous Fashionistas shoe range, they’re now offering up to 30% off some of their other funkiest and eye-catching shoe styles.
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Stella McCartney isn’t the only one doing nautical fashion this season - Cath Kidston, queen of cute clothes, bags and home accessories, has some funky nautical and boat print bags from saddles bags to satchels to book bags to make-up purses.
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