As for the LV Mahina, I will concede that the bag itself has all the trappings of a classic. The comfortable hobo shape and drop on the top of the bag appeals to my practical side. I do like the sumptuous size and appreciate the meticulous etchings of the LV Monogram Denim on the leather. The Mahina style does make it different than the dreadful original monogram but unfortunately, it is still a bag full of monograms which we do not like. I ask myself why they don¡¯t just make their bags in plain leather, but then again, I am not their customer and that is why they will never try to appeal to my taste.

With Valentine¡¯s Day nearing, various designers are giving us great gift ideas with their romantic, girlie filled-with-hearts handbags.

Gucci have several lovely ones in their ¡°Joy Medium Boston¡± range.

Pictured is the Beige/Ebony GG with hearts, green/red/green signature web, brown leather and dark gold leather trim. It has double handles, zip top closure, D ring detail and inside pocket. It also has a very cute, detachable, heart charm, and comes with light gold hardware. It measures 12.6¡åL x 6.7¡åW x 8.7¡åH

3 other Gucci Boston handbags with hearts all over them are also available, some nicer than others:

This Gucci ¡®Joy¡¯ handbag is white with a bunch of red/green/red hearts all over it. It has a red leather trip, detachable heart charm, and light gold hardware. It measures 12.6¡åL x 6.7¡åW x 8.7¡åH. It costs $695 and is available at Gucci.com.

This Beige/Ebony GG plus has large dark gold, platinum, and gold guccissima leather hearts, it has a detachable heart charm as well, and features light gold hardware. It measures 12.6¡åL x 6.7¡åW x 8.7¡åH and costs $730.

I think If you love these two babies, you also can have a look at chloe paraty bags and Chloe paddington Handbags.

Christian Louboutin Pumps are more than pretty, they are outstanding design pieces of women footwear fashions. They are very popular, in fact they may be the most sought after shoe models. Without doubt, they are bought by many hi-so celebs. And with reasons. Wearing them make them even more glamorous¡­

My wife swears that the ¡®Christian Louboutin Pumps¡® are certainly the coolest ones available in the world of footwear fashion. If she could, she would buy all of them at once. I have to restrict her to empty my credit cards .

Christian Louboutin is perhaps the most famous french shoe designer today, born 1963 in Paris, the city of fashion.

One of the big fans of Christian Louboutin shoes is the celebrity and singer Mariah Carey as well as the movie star Angelina Jolie. It seems also that Britney Spears wears his patented leather shoes.

Even Oprah Winfrey was so impressed with his collections that she showed some of his designs in one of her ¡®Oprah Winfrey¡¯ shows.

That certainly means something.

Christian Louboutin has only a few boutiques on its own in the States but by watching his yearly rising popularity there seems no end of it.

Lightinthebags.co.uk distribute 7 star (the highest quality grade) replica hand bags, cheap replica bags.

We also have MBT shoes, Nike air max shoes.

The status handbag of the summer will cut its season short because of a little legal skirmish involving the protection of intellectual property rights.
Hermes of Paris Tuesday agreed to settle its lawsuit against designer-retailer Steven Stolman over the sale of ¡°Jelly Kelly¡± handbags. In a July 31 statement, Hermes had called the Jelly Kellys ¡°cheap rubber knockoff copies of the Birkin bag,¡± which the French luxury-goods firm has produced for 20 years.
¡°The parties have resolved the lawsuit by agreeing to have Mr. Stolman permanently enjoined by the court from ever selling or accepting or fulfilling any orders for the knock-off Birkin bags,¡± said attorney Joseph C. Giaconda of the Manhattan law firm Kirkland & Ellis, which represents Hermes of Paris.
¡°We reached a settlement to our mutual satisfaction,¡± Stolman said. ¡°We are no longer selling the bags.¡±
In early July, Stolman, principally known for his patterned fabric clothing for women, started selling the Jelly Kelly bag, an Italian-made rubberized plastic version of the Hermes Birkin handbag.
The handbags, produced in bright colors, made their debut at Stolman¡¯s Southampton, N.Y., boutique. The Jelly Kellys were an immediate hit, with shipments sold out within days and a waiting list for subsequent shipments. Though the bags also were available at stores in New York City, Long Island and Los Angeles, Stolman became the principal source, stocking them in depth and selling them at a high volume.
In response to the mania for the summery satchels, Stolman added the Jelly Kelly to his merchandise mix at his Palm Beach boutique. The small shipment of bags to his island shop also quickly sold out.
Stolman also sold them at his boutique on Manhattan¡¯s Upper East Side and through his Internet site.
Mention of the Jelly Kelly phenomenon in The New York Times, Time magazine and the Palm Beach Daily News only widened the audience for the bags.
The $145 rubberized plastic bag, though it name refers to another iconic handbag Hermes produces, is an homage of sorts to the Hermes Birkin bag.
Prices for the Birkin, a handbag made in limited quantities by Hermes craftsmen in France, start at about $5,600.
Hermes filed a lawsuit July 30 at Federal Court in Central Islip, N.Y., seeking an immediate restraining order for Stolman to cease bag sales, with which he complied. The injunction also sought unspecified damages from Stolman and a permanent court order against Stolman¡¯s further sales or shipments of the Jelly Kelly bag.
¡°Many of the other stores that have been contacted by Hermes have agreed to cease all sales and orders for the bag in question, including Henri Bendel in Manhattan,¡± Giaconda said. ¡°Mr. Stolman was the first and most visible person to sell these bags, and therefore became our initial target with regard to this specific knock-off of the Birkin.
¡°This is not the first time a Birkin has been copied, and it is also not the first time Hermes has put a stop to it. We are very serious about protecting the company¡¯s intellectual property rights.¡±
Hermes also is pursuing action against the Italian manufacturer of the bags, Giaconda said. Further terms of the settlement reached in court Tuesday were not revealed.

THIS weekend, on a flight from Los Angeles to London, Catherine Zeta Jones and Elizabeth Hurley bumped into each other in first class replica prada handbags . Naturally Britain's two most dazzling exports since Liz Taylor are already well acquainted, but had they never met, these girls would have had a head start on two men in the same position. Everything that Hurley needed to know about Zeta Jones was perched right there at the Welsh actress's feet replica handbags. And all Zeta Jones could hope to discover about Hurley was sitting next to her, tucked between the Hurley legs and the cushioned armrest. I refer, of course, to the Say it all Bag, a status giveaway on a par with your postcode and the car you drive, but capable of conveying infinitely more information than either.

 Even the most committed fashion-watchers are tired of hearing that accessories are huge and that logos are back in a way that would have made Coco Chanel blush. But the Say it all Bag is something else.

 This is not about the must-have bauble of the season. This isn't even to do with fashion. No. This is about personal branding. This year the status bag ranks alongside the connected multimillionaire boyfriend, the happening agent, the special relationship with the designer and the cosmetics contract, as the girl-atthe-top's best friend. A Rolex doesn't cut it any more.

 Jewellery is only for parties, christian louboutin and it could be borrowed.

 Whereas a bag, well, a bag says it all if you want it to.

 When Zeta Jones boarded the jumbo jet carrying a Louis Vuitton patent-red holdall, stamped with the LV monogram, she was making the equivalent of a prepared statement to the Press that would have roughly gone as follows: "I would like the world to know that, having at one time been Mick Hucknall's girlfriend and fond of a lacey minidress and a night at Stringfellows, I am now a bona-fide member of the celebrity jet set, chic, fabulously wealthy, engaged to one of the Hollywood establishment, a guest at the White House ...

replica dior handbags: yes"> "Louis Vuitton, my choice of label, has the dual benefit of being one of the oldest established design houses and, in recent years, one of the hippest. This bag says class and fashion savvy (it's the new bowlingbag shape) and money (£565), which is how I think of myself. I keep company with the likes of Prince Charles (you will remember I sat next to him at the Versace/De Beers party this time last year) as well as top models and actresses, and that is what this bag tells you. I'm slick, sophisticated and on the button."

 If the LV holdall is the jet setter's jet-settiest accessory (bar the Lear) then what about Hurley's GG bucket bag in the original GG canvas with the green-red-green stripe? The answer is that while Zeta Jones is luscious and expensive and hot - like her juicy-fruit glossy bag - Hurley's image is more classic It Girl.

 Her particular Gucci bag isn't named after Jackie Onassis or Bridget Bardot, but it still looks like the kind of bag Jackie or Bridget would have worn. It's an icon bag, a bag with oodles of style. Like Grace Kelly or Jane Birkin, who both had Hermes bags named after them, Liz is the kind of girl who will, one day, have a bag bearing her name. (In fact, since the GG bucket doesn't have a name yet, why hang about? It's the right combination of chic and casual, and it's a sporty £330. It's got to be the Liz.) Zeta Jones, notwithstanding the glamour, is more likely to have a yacht named after her.

 It's not just that bags have become status-loaded, they're also, once again, a crucial part of the successful girl-about-town's armoury.

 By now we were all expecting to have ditched the handbag altogether and to be getting along nicely with the equivalent of a condom pocket.

 For the past couple of summers we've been sporting "hands-free" bags - worn like money belts or gun holsters or oxygen tanks or tucked in under the armpit - to go with our hands-free, cockroach-sized Nokias.

 The status bag is a finger wagged in the face of the functional lifestyle, proof positive that there are girls, like Zeta Jones and Hurley, who have far more important things than practicality to think about, especially when they are travelling. Well, they're not getting on the Tube, are they? And they are going to be photographed in the most fashionable environment of them all - the arrivals hall. Why do you think British Airways has come up with that TV ad with everyone from Churchill to Jerry Hall queuing for their gate?

 Because airports are now cooler than limos.

 There is nothing more indicative of a fabulously rich lifestyle than being permanently in transit, getting ushered through the upper-class, fast-track sect- ions of airports in your dark glasses with a bag just big enough for your valium, lip gloss and dummy.

 SO the current infatuation with money, and the kind of lifestyle that goes with a Lear jet, has put the status bag right up there on the rich girls' list of essentials and with it comes a carry-itupfront respect. (Note the way Zeta Jones and Hurley made their grand exit from Heathrow, each with a sloppy utility bag slung around the back while their bags of choice were firmly clasped in one hand, just ahead of them, where we could get a good look at who'd got what). Never mind the man on your arm, if you're really going places it's the bag you need to concentrate on.

LOAD-DATE: May 17, 2000

LANGUAGE: English

GRAPHIC: 1)LEFT, CATHERINE ZETA JONES, CARRIES LOUIS VUITTON, 565, AND LIZ HURLEY SPORTS GUCCI'S GGBUCKET BAG, 330, ON ARRIVAL AT HEATHROW 2)DAY ONE: MARTINE MCCUTCHEON WITH LOUIS VUITTON PATENT-LEATHER BAG, 585 3)THREE DAYS LATER: LOUIS VUITTON SHOPPER, 585, AND DOCUMENT WALLET, 1654)FOUR DAYS LATER: HERM S KELLY MOO BAG, APPROX 2,500 5)TWO MONTHS LATER: LOUIS VUITTON BAG, 325

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

"Louis Vuitton kabang (bag)? " a young woman timidly asks one of the Korean men standing outside a store along the main strip of Itaewon, Seoul.

replica chanel handbags; TEXT-INDENT: 18pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan">The young woman, who would only give her name as Min-jung, is in search of the "super" fake designer bags which South Korea is infamous for. The so-called "super fakes" or Triple Class A designer bags, which are such perfect imitations of the originals that there are reports that some luxury stores have failed to distinguish the fake from the originals.

At the Louis Vuitton store in Myong-dong, several women reverently gaze at the plush gold-trimmed, leather handbags. Well-dressed sales ladies are on hand to assist customers willing to pay several million won for christian louboutin this season's must-have handbags.

On the streets of Seoul, it seems every other woman is carrying a designer bag by Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Chanel. Whether it's real or fake, only the trained eye would know.

Luxury goods or "Myongpum" is big business in Korea, whether it's the real thing or a very good counterfeit. If Itaewon is known for its super fake designer bags, the shopping district of Chongdam-dong and Apkujong-dong is known for having its own Rodeo Drive of luxury designer stores.

Korea's so-called luxury market worth is estimated at between 4 trillion to 12 trillion won. If the booming counterfeit market is added, its value jumps even more.

Fakes that look real

Twenty-nine-year-old Min-jung can admits replica hermes handbags she is addicted to buying copies of designer bags. She said she is easily enticed to buy these bags after seeing pictures of Hollywood celebrities like Mischa Barton or Lindsay Lohan toting the latest Gucci or Chanel bags.

Min-jung said she recently bought a fake Louis Vuitton denim bag after seeing actress Kim Tae-hee carrying an original in one of the Korean fashion magazines. The China-made fake denim bag just cost her around 60,000 won. The original costs over a million won.

"I wanted it because it looks so cool and trendy. But I can't afford the real thing, so I just go for the copy," she said. She used to buy bags with brands such MCM, but quickly realized that when she goes abroad no one knows the brand.

Min-jung accompanied this reporter to buy a fake designer bag in Itaewon. After asking around for Louis Vuitton bags, one of the men asks her to follow him to a hidden, air-conditioned room in the back streets of Itaewon, which is a hideaway for the super fake designer bags.

Once inside the room, the man, who introduced himself as Park, brings out a thick Japanese catalog of designer bags, mostly from Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel. There are pages and pages of possibly every bag these designers have made, plus the latest ones from Paris and New York.

When asked what is the most popular bag, he points to the iconic Louis Vuitton Speedy bag. "When you walk wholesale replica handbags around the street, you see almost everyone carrying this bag," Park said.

He has two kinds of Speedy bags, one made in China and another made in Korea. The China copy, he said, is a good enough copy but there are flaws that can be easily spotted. On the other hand, the Korea-made copy is almost an exact copy of the original one, and naturally, is more expensive.

Placed side-by-side, you can notice the differences between the Chinese copy and the Korean copy. Park points out the leather used for the handles of the Chinese copy are "not good," and looks too shiny and new. Even the brown LV canvas material looks stiffer.

Upon closer look at the Korean copy, small details such as the stitching show loose threads. Min-jung, who already owns an original Speedy, notes the only difference she can spot is the punch hole on the zipper pull, which is slightly bigger than the original one.

To further convince his customers, Park points out the Korean copy has an authentic-looking numerical code stamped inside the bag.

The Chinese copy costs 65,000 won, while the Korean copy costs 100,000 won. It may seem a lot of money to pay for a fake bag, but Min-jung said she got her original Speedy bag for almost $800 in the U.S.

"I won't buy another original Vuitton bag because everyone has these fakes. I can't even tell which one is real," she said. She also doesn't see anything wrong with having a designer copy, since she thinks almost every Korean woman has at least one.

Park said the most expensive fake bag is probably the Hermes Birkin bag, which retails for as much as 450,000 won. He claims the designer copy makes use of real Italian leather. The price of the original Birkin bag starts at $6,000, but can easily go up to the $10,000 or $20,000 range depending on the material.

Besides, the original Birkin bag is one of the most notoriously difficult bags to get. Anyone who wants to get the Hermes bag, which was named after British actress Jane Birkin, has to get on a waiting list for more than 2 years.

Park notes 60 percent of his customers are Japanese, who buy a lot of designer bags. Many Japanese tourists often come to Korea to shop, especially for these designer copies.

However, he noted there are also a lot of Koreans who love to buy the fake designer bags. "Most of them already have original Louis Vuitton bags, but they still buy the fake ones," he said.

When Real Turns Fake

In Itaewon, buyers are told up front that these counterfeit designer bags are "triple class A," or as close to the quality of an original as one can get. But everyone knows, no matter how good quality, a fake is, after all, still a fake.

Across the river, the trendy Chongdam-dong district was shocked with the revelation that a luxury watch brand called "Vincent & Co," turned out to be a fake. Far from being a luxury Swiss-made watch worn by British royalty, it turned out the watch was made in Korea and manufactured with Chinese parts. It was sold from 3 million won to nearly 100 million won.

It was all the brainchild of a Korean-American businessman named Phillip Lee. Lee created the Vincent & Co. brand, and succeeded in creating enough hype to legitimize the brand and make it one of the most sought-after watches among the wealthy.

Karen Kim, a 30-year old housewife, noted shoppers could have easily found out the truth about Vincent & Co if they had only "googled" the brand. "This is why I don't trust some of these new brands I read about. I only buy the known designer brands like Gucci or Louis Vuitton. Looking at some of the brands in Korea, they may pretend to be a foreign brand but I can check it on the Internet to see if it's true or not," she said.

When one searches the Vincent & Co. brand on Google, the site that comes up is the company's slick Web site which is under construction. There was no other English-language information or news articles about the so-called luxury brand.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK) has expressed alarm at the rampant counterfeit goods and copyright piracy in Korea. The EU's intellectual property rights committee (IPR) had criticized Korea for failing to crack down on piracy of luxury brands. Among the EUCCK members are European luxury goods makers such as Gucci, Burberry and Chanel.

In an editorial published in the group's newsletter, IPR Committee Chairman Peter F. Thewlis said the EUCCK has failed to notice the effective protection of IPR by the Korean authorities.

"Korea ranked 6th among the OECD countries for having the largest Internet piracy rate in 2005 and the lack of IPR protection in Korea has been mentioned as a stumbling block between the EU and the U.S. during bilateral trade negotiations with Korea. Industries are still seeing massive losses in the market, losses of revenue to governments and losses of revenue to those who are creating and developing new designs or technology opportunities for the future," Thewlis said.

Thewlis said Korean authorities should strictly enforce laws regarding intellectual property rights. "The EUCCK recognize that Korea has expanded its efforts, but there are still critical deficiencies in IPR enforcement. Korea has time and time again expressed their eagerness to become the Hub of Northeast Asia, but in order to achieve this goal, emphasis must be placed not only on enacting IP laws, but also on making certain those laws are effectively enforced," he said.

shanghai

China's largest city impresses Mr Michael Ma, owner of the IndoChine Group of restaurants and bars, with the way it uses new lighting technology.

'I remember seeing a whole building being

lit up like one big LED (light-emitting diodes) screen. There was a lot of excitement and diversity evoked.'

Such lighting uses semi-conductor micro-chips.

He felt the lighting gave the city a fantastic, vibrant and modern feel.

Mr Clement Lee, CEO of LifeBrandz, which operates Ministry of Sound and The Cannery at Clarke Quay, highlighted The

Bund area alongside the Huangpu River.

The buildings and the river place are all beautifully awash with coloured lights, some neon signs and video screens, he says.

tokyo

Mr Andrew Ing, chief operating officer of megaclub St James Power Station, cites the main junction in Shibuya, saying: 'When you're standing there, you can feel the vibrance of the area, with the billboards and neon signs. It is a very colourful place.'

Mr Michel Lu, owner of Hacienda at Tanglin Village and Superfamous at Chulia Street, prefers the Roppongi Hills area where Louis Vuitton and other flagship stores are located.

'The lighting there is nice ? upmarket, exciting, but not cheesy.

It is very stylishly done,' he says.

las vegas

Mr Dennis Foo, CEO of St James Power Station, says this famous city in the desert is one of the best-lit because every casino has some form of lighting, billboard or running lights.

'There is even a beautifully lit replica of the Eiffel Tower,' he says, adding: 'The fantastic fountain show in front of Bellagio (hotel and casino) is a clever mix of light and water effects.

It's unforgettable.'

paris

IndoChine's Mr Ma notes that although there must be lighting restrictions because of the numerous old buildings, the city is still beautifully lit.

'The streetlights use the old type of gas lamps which look very nice and unique, and the old buildings have been brightened up and given a new look,' he says

Mr Deen Shahul, president of the Association of Entertainment Organisations, says: 'I was on a cruise and we saw that even the underside of a bridge was well lit up. The Eiffel Tower also has new lighting, and the whole city is just so beautiful and romantic.'

new york

Who can go past Times Square? Certainly not St James' Mr Ing, who says it left a big impression because of its colourful and creative billboards and huge videos screens and signs.

The countdown parties held yearly there, with their amazing lighting effects, also rated highly with him.

The state-of-the-art lighting also went down well with Mr Arthur Tay, managing director of the SUTL Group which owns the ONE?15 Marina Club in Sentosa Cove.

The Big Apple's streets full of eye-catching lights and signboards shone out for him.

I AM still reeling from a week of celebrations to honour my birthday in which I have been thoroughly spoilt.

 I've been pampered from head to toe, had expensive gifts lavished on me, and it all culminated on Saturday (my birthday), in dinner for ten at the trendy Moroccan-themed restaurant, Momo's.

 Having reached the grand old age of 23, the celebrations have certainly helped take my mind off the ageing process (I won't mention that I've stocked up on heavy-duty wrinkle creams -Estee Lauder makes a great one called Resilience).

 On Wednesday, I was treated to a sumptuous lunch at the Michelin-star rated Stefano Cavallini at the Halkin Hotel, Belgravia, a favourite among fashion insiders.

 It gave me the chance to unwrap the first of my presents - a spectacular white diamante miniature notebook and pen by American designer-to-the-stars Judith Leiber.

 Now all I need is the matching lipstick holder at $295 to complete my set of handbag delights . . .

 Later that day, Guy Laroche held a little cocktail get-together at its newly refurbished boutique on Bond Street, to present its latest collection by designer Alber Elbaz.

 Moving on along Bond Street, I simply couldn't resist the new Louis Vuitton megastore.

 Having had a sneak preview of

 their fashion and accessory lines (designed by Marc Jacobs), I made a beeline for the patent pastel handbags (with my very generous mother in tow).

 Finally, decked out in one of my favourite party dresses - a totally transparent lace number by Christian Lacroix - I settled in at Momo's, surrounded by my closest friends.

 The only hitch: a bright spotlight above my head which highlighted my split ends - and what was beneath my dress, too.

 It was only after much pleading that the waiters agreed to turn down the lighting and I could uncross my arms to eat in comfort.

 The grand finale was my magnificent birthday cake . . . a replica of my Daily Mail column.

 Who says you can't have your cake and eat it, too?

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Welcome to Shop-Suey Boutique, where you will find the hottest handbags and accessories of the season! Our designer inspired handbags are affordable and fashionable for every woman who wants to wear the most cutting-edge fashions. We also carry chic sunglasses, necklaces, bracelets, earring, and belts, so you will be perfectly accessorized for everyday life. Be sure to check out our stylish Blog along with the "As Seen In" section to find out which magazines have been talking about Shop-Suey Boutique. We'll see you on the runway!

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Two bicycle-riding robbers escaped with a handbag containing $ 400,000 after threatening a pursuing off-duty policeman with what appeared to be a pistol in Fanling yesterday.

 One robber pointed a handgun or a replica at the unarmed sergeant from about a metre away, ordering him to stop the chase, Chief Inspector Eddie Lee Loy of Tai Po police station said.

 An air and land search failed to find the culprits.

 "We believe the two robbers are mainlanders because they spoke Putonghua in the incident ... we do not rule out the possibility that it was an inside job," Chief Inspector Lee said.

 The robbery happened when a man struck a 44-year-old woman on the head with a water pipe outside the Fanling branch of Bank of China in San Wan Road shortly before 9am.

 Police said the victim had been waiting for the bank to open. It is understood the money was to be deposited to settle the recent purchase of a mainland house.

 The attacker dropped the pipe and fled on a bicycle with the handbag containing the cash and a mobile phone.

 The bleeding victim cried for help, alerting the 47-year-old off-duty officer, who borrowed a bicycle from a passerby and gave chase. The policeman, who is attached to the anti-triad unit of Tuen Mun police station, did not have his service revolver with him. After an 11km pursuit, the robber went into a subway outside Dawning Views in Yat Ming Road.  "Another culprit who was riding a bicycle appeared and intercepted our officer," Chief Inspector Lee said.

 "The culprit threatened the officer with what appeared to be a pistol ordering him to stop the chase. The two raiders then fled with the handbag."

 Heavily-armed officers mounted a huge search and a Government Flying Service helicopter was called in.

 Roadblocks were set up and officers on patrol alerted, but no trace of the men was found.

 The victim was treated for head injuries at North District Hospital.

 In a separate case, a policeman arrested another bicycle-riding robber who stole a handbag from a woman in Town Park Road South in Yuen Long at 3pm.

 The suspect, 39, confronted the victim, 33, and threatened her with a cutter before fleeing with her handbag. After a brief chase, the officer caught the suspect in Ma Tin Road.

 Police said the robber wrestled with the officer but was overpowered. The handbag was recovered at the scene.