handbags

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Rafe New York by Rafe Totengco for Target

Rafe Totengco has made every budget fashionista’s dream come true. He has designed a stylish, yet affordable line for Target.  The Rafe for Target line is priced to sell between $19.99-$49.99
whereas his regular line retails between $200-$600. Big difference!

The Rafe (pronounced “RAH-fee") handbag line at Target is available for a limited time and is selling out fast! Get one while you can. 

Rafe has a blog, here’s an excerpt from his post on his new line for Target:

Can I tell you… about Rafe For Target? Seems my limited edition collaboration with the mass retailer has made a lot of news, and I just wanted to chime in about it.

Doing this limited, capsule collection wasn’t a quick decision on my part, but I have to say that the current climate of high end designers doing similar lines for mass retailers definitely helped me decide to do it. Karl Lagerfeld for H&M comes to mind first, but so many highly respected names have done it as well: Victor & Rolf and Stella McCartney have done it for H&M too, and Uniqlo is coming up with a few formidable designers for its upcoming season. Even in the Target stable, we have Paul & Joe, Behnaz Sarafpour, Luella Bartley, Tara Jarmon, Isaac Mizrahi, Thomas O’brien, and Tord Boontje, a prestigious group I am proud to be part of. - Rafe Totengco (Can I tell You...)

Not all reviews of the bags are glowing… The Budget Fashionista says the bags are not the best quality and $40 bucks is a bit much to spend for a pleather handbag of questionable quality. and The Fashionist says they look cheap and dated.

We’ll let you be the judge. Find Rafe at a Target near you or check them out online

Thank You Thank You Thank You

I got a present in the mail today.  A very unexpected present at that.

It’s from Spooles.  You know, the purse company.  What? You’ve never heard of Spooles? It’s pronounced “spoo-lees” - easy. Well, the owner of Spooles is a client of mine and we’ve been working on a project and some marketing stuff.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The beautiful bag is a thank you for the consulting work I have done for her.  I have to say though that I think I got the better end of the bargain because I love this purse. Have I told you how much I love presents? Well, this wasn’t just any present.  It’s baby pink super soft suede with a metallic silver leather strap that’s embellished with rose pink Swarovski crystals and silver studs. To say it’s “ME” is an understatement.  After I stopped jumping up and down (and screaming) I had to run to share it with you.

Bigger pictures after the jump....

Let’s Go Sailing…

You know if I bought this handbag I’d want a yacht to go with it. But if I had the money for a yacht, I know I’d want a more expensive purse than this one.

There’s something about this adorable cableknit purse that makes me want to get out my capris, sailor tee, preppy slip-ons and go sailing. I think it’s the pink and blue striped ribbon. It’s cute enough for everyday wear, but it’s not blah or boring.

A Little Sparkle and a Lot of Pizzazz

The bronze Charm and Luck braided strap crossbody bag is a must have for every savvy chick this spring.  This metallic leather bag features a handwoven, Swarovski crystal studded strap which was inspired by the confetti thrown at Mardi Gras.

And did we mention that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this awesome purse goes to Hurricane Katrina Relief? So you get a great bag and others get help, sounds like a good trade to me.

If Kimora Has This Bag, So Should YOU!

But who the heck cares what Kimora Lee has, right? I love it because it’s BEAUTIFUL!!!! It makes my heart go pitter patter and I feel all mushy inside when I see this beautiful Versace metallic leather bag. Just look at the details, oh my goodness.. it’s a piece of art.

“Versace glamour is truly exemplified by the dazzling richness of monogrammed silk jacquard, metallic gold leather and gold metal hardware on this phenomenal bag. Show-stopping details like a gold-mirrored Medusa plaque and Versace-engraved locks add undeniable luxury and style.”

The bad news: I can’t find it online instock anywhere.  The sort of good news: I found it in cache via Google at eLuxury.