OBSESSION: Hermes Birkin Bag

The holy grail of handbags: The Hermes Birkin Bag. This is the thing dreams are made of, exclusive, expensive, and the epitome of luxury and craftsmanship. So it's really no surprise it's an object of obsession for most fashionphiles, hell there are books written on obtaining this prized bag. All those wonderful qualities of the Birkin bag mentioned earlier are actually negative for us who are unable to drop five figures for a bag, even if we were able to track one down.

Now that I have your fashion sense tingling I suggest to you the Birkin-alternatives. NOT knock-offs! Rather designer bags that reference or pay homage to the Birkin. I'm not talking back alley bags, no these can be seen on celebrities like Mary-Kate Olsen and Kirstie Alley, and they can be found at your nearest Nordstrom, Henri Bendel, etc. The designers I'm talking about Marco Tagliaferri, Liebeskind, and Leah and Bliss to name a few. You can get the idea by checking the images at the bottom of the post....happy shopping

And now for the Birkin alternatives.....you be the judge...

TREND: Menswear inspired shoes

The Fall season is like the play-offs for the fashion obsessed. It's that time of year when everything seems new, shops are filled with the must have pieces, sidewalks tend to morph into runways and the Vogue September issue becomes the survival guide for life...okay maybe it’s not that serious but you get the picture.

You guessed it, I'm officially over summer and counting down the days 'till the air gets cooler and the leaves change color. Aside from the change of season, there’s the FASHION. Sure we got a taste of it during fashion week but, there seems to be something shiny and new to lust after every week as we get closer to autumn. This year the Menswear inspiration continues and what better way to incorporate the trend into your wardrobe then through your accessories, specifically SHOES. At this point I shouldn't even be calling this a trend as it seems here to stay, so get on board and get ready to invest. There's much to choose from; loafers, monk straps, chunky heels, wedges...my picks....

Men's Style: The Clutch

Let's not forget about the fashionable guys...that's right the clutch craze has translated into the men's market as well. Just a few of my favorites from the runway to the street:

Clutches, pouches and wristlets...oh my!

MUST HAVE ACCESSORY....I know it's nothing new or inventive but it is relevant. The fashion elite have been sporting theirs since Spring and now the trend is spreading; this Fall is all about the clutch. From the very luxe labels such as Prada to the edgier Alexander Wang, clutches pouches and wristlets dominated the Fall 11' runways.

The best part about stashing your tote and breaking out the clutch is this INDIVIDUALITY. Theres really no wrong way to do the hand-held trend it's all a matter of preferance maybe you have a lot to carry okay great go with the oversized Prada Nappa Gauffre, want some color sure snag the Jill Sander pouch....whatever your style the options are endless, well see for yourself...

Label Love: Hakaan

Hakaan Yildrim the 39 year old Turkish designer is the superstar of the fashion industry for the moment. With only a few years behind his namesake label Hakaan has a strong following Corine Roitfield and Kate Moss just to name a few. It's easy to see why success has fallen on the designer his clothes are like architechture/art for the body sleek and sculpted- It's less about trends and more about well made clothing and interesting details.