As one of the most influential designers of our time, Miuccia Prada has seen many of her designs badly reinterpreted and/or knocked-off at budget-friendly stores like Express, Forever21, and H + M.

And like any trend ripped straight from the runway, Prada's fall '07 stampede of ombré handbags and accessories are just now starting to see their influence in more affordable forms a year after they first debuted.

Much like Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld is completely unaware that our economy sucks, the dollars is fairly weak, and people aren't buying expensive booty like they use to.

But what's fashion without all of the craziness and extravagance? Boring, of course.

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there. In order to find out more about just what makes all of these creative types tick, we present to you an ongoing segment called Indie Designer Interviews.

Today's interview is with Indian-born artist Sowmya Parigi. She creates hand-painted, eco-friendly jute handbags, wine caddies, diaper bags and more, available online at her website SVA Creations.

We're aren't sure whether is was before or after enrolling in the fake fashion design school that she attends every week on MTV's hit reality how The Hills, but somewhere in between taping episodes Lauren Conrad began to fancy herself as a real-life bonafide designer.

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there. In order to find out more about just what makes all of these creative types tick, we present to you an ongoing segment called Indie Designer Interviews.

Today's interview is with handbag designer Joanna Baker of Jobie Boutique, a line of handcrafted bags perfect for women of any age. Joanna creates hobos, satchels, wristlets and cosmetic cases using high-quality, classic materials such as leather and suede paired with cotton canvas in timeless prints like paisley and houndstooth.

A couple of weeks ago, the Takashi Murakami - Louis Vuitton exhibit opened at the Brooklyn Museum with a swoon-worthy party and a stellar performance by Kanye West.

But before guests could enter the swanky shin-dig, they were greeted by street vendors hawking Louis Vuitton's new "monogramoflauge" -- a combination of camouflage and Murakami's famous monogram print -- as well as other logo bags and wallets.

Recession, schmession. We're not tightening our belts for any looming economic downturn.

Er, rather, we're not tightening the straps on our handbags.

When it comes to handbags, some of us seem to live in an alternate universe where there is no such thing as "budget." Forbes has picked out this (and next) season's "It" bags - those bags for which we won't be shy about taking out a second mortgage on our homes.

Ever since the TLC craze died down sometime in the mid 90's, we haven't seen a whole lot of the girls. Obviously there was Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes' tragic death in a car accident. But aside from bad news, they've been flying under the radar. The group has had a few major musical projects since then, but nothing too popular. So it looks like Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas decided to try something new. She's now designing handbags.

Guess what fashionistas on a budget?

Gryson's affordable line of cool handbags is now available at Target stores and online. The bags come equipped with the designer's signature weaving and braided handles. Plus, the neutral color palette chosen for this line will allow everyone to pick the tote or satchel that they like best without having to worry if it will go with the majority of the items in their wardrobe.

Last Week, Target announced that the bright young thing known as Richard Chai -- who helped launch Marc by Marc, revived TSE and won a Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award -- would be the next designer for Target's ever-popular GO! International line.

And now they're spilling the beans about who's throwing down on the accessories side of things this summer:

Monica Botkier will be the next renowned designer launching a limited-edition capsule collection with the mass retailer. The Botkier for Target collection will be available at select Target stores nationwide and at Target.com July 21 through Sept. 14, 2008, which means it will follow the upcoming Gryson for Target collection.

The New York babe is known for her motor-cycle inspired handbags, so anybody who hearts quality leather and metal zippers is in for a real treat.

In three words: I am excited! My first major handbag purchase was a black leather Botkier tote that I still love and carry to this very day. Monica's pieces are so well-made and I'm sure that her line with Target is going to be nothing short of amazing -- and inexpensive.

The reviews are in. The Fergie for Kipling line has released it's Spring '08 collection of handbags and they aren't bad at all. I actually didn't know she had her own line, but for some reason it really doesn't surprise me.

The theme of this season seems to be dice. Each zipper has a little tiny figurine with a cute dice pattern. The colors are bold, bright and daring -- just what you would expect of a Fergie line. I think her fans will really love these bags. They show off the Duchess' true style. The handbags are definitely made for a fashionista who doesn't take herself too seriously. Fergie seems like a celeb who has fun with style and it looks like she really had fun designing these bags.

To give you an idea of the price, the Show Off Red Satchel will run you $108. That's not all that bad! Browse through the gallery to check out the bags. If you decide you want to buy one, you can find them over on EBags!


Via Fergie Freak.

I'm a big fan of all of the amazing independent designers out there. In an effort to get inside the mind of the indie designer and find out just what makes all of these creative types tick, I present to you an ongoing segment I call Indie Designer Interviews. Today's interview is with the designer behind Oh So Retro, a line of fun handmade handbags, wallets and accessories.

Tell me a little about your work. I'm Adrienne, a seamstress turned designer hailing from Winnipeg, Canada. As my chosen business name implies, I am a fan of all things vintage and retro from furniture to dishes to textiles and books. I collect a little bit of everything and am always on the look out for vintage stock to incorporate into my designs. I do all of my sewing on a vintage Singer sewing machine from the 1950s which can prove challenging at times but things were made to keep back then. I try to incorporate that mentality in my own designs, to create something that is visually pleasing yet still functional enough to use everyday.

How did you get started running your own business? I started Oh So Retro back in 2004 as a vintage clothing boutique. I had been sewing my own clothing for years before that and took that knowledge into my reselling business by altering vintage clothing and doing custom sewing jobs. I began making matching bags out of the salvaged fabric from floor length gowns and much-too-small tweed skirts and soon enough the bags started outselling the clothing! I knew I was on to something good, and worked on creating my own line of bags and accessories. I was selling well from my own website and did some local consignment but things really took off for me once I started selling on Etsy.com. I'm really happy to have found my home on there.

Who are your favorite designers? The Vintage Zoo does some amazing things with her own brand of vintage + handmade clothing. Nice Face makes the cutest tunics I have ever seen. SRB Designs by Miss Bohl designs the most gorgeous clothing. I want everything.

What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? It`s hard to be fashionable in the winter, but I try! Right now I`m loving skinny jeans and tunics paired up with bolero sweaters for a little extra warmth. I love flat shoes and I have an amazing pair of mary jane flats from Stops And Starts. I've been using a lot of extra large shoulder bags and still wear my over sized Jackie O sun glasses. I`m very simple when it comes to make up, just a touch of mascara and lip gloss. I use a great lip gloss from The Plaid Mushroom. Thanks to her I've not had chapped lips once this winter!

Know of a favorite independent handbag designer that you'd love to see recognized and rewarded for their work? Let them know about the open call for entries for the Second Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards, sponsored by Handbag Designer 101. The categories for this competition are Best Student Made Handbag, Best Handmade Handbag, Most Socially Responsible Handbag, Best Green Handbag, Audience-Selected Handbag, and Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design. There are some great prizes up for grabs for the winning designers, including a free booth at the MAGIC accessories tradeshow in Las Vegas this August, an apprenticeship with the Henri Bendel accessory design team and more.

Okay, okay, so chances are that you're probably not a handbag designer, but maybe you're just a lover of purses? Handbag Designer 101 is still a great resource you can use to read interviews with up and coming bag designers, stay up to date on the latest trends in handbags, chat about your handbag must-haves, get your celebrity bag watch fix and find out about handbag related events and deals.

Speaking of deals on handbags, I just got word from my friends at Accessory Bug about their special discount offer for spring. Get 10% off on any order through April 30, 2008 by using coupon code spring08 at checkout. They've got the infamous "I'm not a plastic bag" handbag in four different color choices, plus a huge selection of clutches, hobos, totes, wristlets and other accessories.

The following is part of an ongoing segment I call Indie Designer Interviews.

Tell me a little about yourself and your company. I'm Wendy, the owner, operator, designer, model, seamstress, copy editor, accountant, ad rep, pin pusher, house keeper, material sourcing researcher, etc. of Moop. Moop is a small company (myself and my husband) devoted to well designed and fabricated handmade bags. We're working really hard to grow Moop into something that will last a long long time. I feel like I'm in a unique position to take advantage of the attention and energy surrounding Moop to keep this going with a focus on sustainability (80% of every bag comes from up-cycled materials left over from major manufacturers and fabric wholesalers) and fair labor (as we grow we're committed to keeping things here in house, not outsourcing to fabricators).

How did you get started as a designer? I started this business before I knew it would even be a business. I was a teenage single mom looking for a way to make clothes for my kid that didn't look like every other kid on the block, so I bought a sewing machine and taught myself to make things. 10 years later, armed with two degrees (a BFA and an MFA), a husband, a lovely 10 year old girl, a cat named Mouse and a really big sewing machine, I started Moop with one pretty alright bag. That bag has since become a really great bag..refined, honed, modern, understated and really well made.

Who are your favorite designers? I love Built by Wendy (there's no relation). Last season she had this cotton ripstop shift dress that I was completely in love with. I finally decided to order one, only to find they were sold out in my size and every size close to it. I've been thinking of it ever since. So, maybe in a weird way, that dress influenced some bags. I work a lot with ripstop. I love the subtlety of the grid.

For anyone who has picked up a fashion glossy in the past six months, this shouldn't come as a surprise to you:

Spring 2008 is about three and only three key trends: bold colors, florals, and, well.... did I say color?

From the model's lips at Louis Vuitton that resembled a Skittles bag to the constructed floral military armor at Balenciaga, fashion's most directional designers all had bright hues on the brain this season.

And while most of us won't be able to snag one of those adorable harlequin dresses from Miu Miu (like me), these slick patent clutches from Poppy Couture will allow anyone to buy into this very vibrant trend without having to skip a rent payment or two.

How chic are these? The oversized clutches come in assortment of fun colors and can be easily transitioned from day to night. Which makes their $450 price tag a little bit easier to swallow.

Ladies, trust me, you'll be a vision in a white summer dress and this arm candy on your side.

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