The London Handbag Shopping Centre

Last night, the Real Housewives of Atlanta took Los Angeles!

Well, sort of.

Lisa and Nene went to LA to attend Lisa’s grandmother’s 90th birthday party, which was actually cute and adorable and kind of refreshing when compared to the rest of a reality show that’s based on people that aren’t actually friends going to parties that they’re not actually paying to throw and talking about things that they don’t actually do.

And the other ones did some other things, all of which were more like the second part of the previous sentence than the first. Kim teetered into a recording studio to milk Kandi for all she’s worth and Sheree continued on her Use Your Delusion Tour ‘09 by requesting to ride around in Maybachs while dripping in Tiffany jewelry and thinking that there are competent runway models living in Atlanta (hint: there aren’t).

We continue our dissections of these ladies’ adventures in profanity after the jump.

Before we venture out to California (who knew that Lisa was reppin’ Inglewood?), let’s check in with the others, shall we? Rest assured, they’re not doing anything particularly important.

Kandi, after talking to Kim for what looked like all of 15 minutes, not only invited her to the studio but then wrote a song about her. Well, it’s not really a song about Kim, it’s about her PERCEPTION of Kim, which is an important distinction because it’s more or less diametrically opposed to Kim’s actual personality and behavior. It’s called “I Fly Above,” and it’s meant to tell everyone that Kim and Kandi are too good for your drama!

For someone that’s had such a good career in such a soul-sucking, back-stabbing industry, Kandi’s lack of insight into the people that she surrounds herself with is uncanny. First she’s got That Trifflin’ Fiance, who has six kids by four baby mamas, and who won’t sit down with her mother to assuage her fears about his trifflin’ nature. Not that I think there’s anything he could say to make six kids and four baby mamas sound like it was a good decision. And now, she has latched on to Kim (or, more accurately, Kim has latched on to her), who will suck the life out of anyone with any perceived money and connections until they’re laying on the ground pale, lifeless, and without their cash.

Kim manages to ask Kandi to produce a song for her, one which she refuses to sing on the spot. Don’t worry, though! Kim will get her a copy of it “later.” And she does, over dinner (the restaurant that they go to, Stoney River, is actually pretty decent – I have a couple friends in Athens that are willing to drive to Atlanta just to eat there), wherein she also manages to complain about Nene going to LA with Lisa because, like, they’re not even friends! Ladies, I have a friend like this. She’s insecure, and it makes her crazy to see people in our group of friends make friends with each other because SHE always wants to be the one that’s invited to do everything. Somehow, people having other friends makes her feel like she’s less important. It gets old quick, and it just makes Kim look like a brat. For a moment it seems like Kandi sort of understands that she’s bonkers, but then somehow manages to convince herself that it’s not Kim’s fault, it’s just group drama in general. So what’s the over-under on Kandi realizing that she totally hates Kim? Two episodes?

And then, Sheree. Poor, deluded Sheree. Mercedes-Benz and Tiffany have already decided to sponsor some kind of party in Atlanta, and the organizers apparently thought it a good idea to ask Sheree if she would like to debut her line as part of the festivities. She wasted no time in assuming that that mean the party was going to be FOR her and ALL ABOUT her, so she had some guy who was apparently her ‘representative’ requesting that she be driven to and from the party in a Maybach and Tiffany provide jewels for her to wear for the event. Nevermind that the Maybach probably costs more than her new house. These party planners didn’t seem to be drinkin’ Sheree’s kool-aid, however. Good for them! But she’s going to get them like a fish for it next week. Gosh darnit, she wants her diamonds! She deserves ‘em! In her own weird reality, that is.

An now, California, here we come. Or here Nene and Lisa come. Not me, I’m still in Georgia. As we mentioned, it was Lisa’s grandma’s 90th birthday and they trekked out to the left coast to say hi and possibly undertake the unfortunate task of visiting her brother’s grave for the first time since his death. And the whole thing was adorable and genuine and awesome, and entirely unlike the Real Housewives juggernaut in general. Lisa’s parents seem like they’re great – normal, friendly, smart people. Her dad is Chinese and her mom is from the West Indies (and Nene was three feet taller than both of them, meaning that she’s approximately eight feet tall), and they talked briefly and realistically about growing up as a mixed family in a black neighborhood. Nene and Lisa kept their sunglasses on inside the house, for reason that were never entirely clear.

And they went to the birthday party and there were a bunch of normal people (and they were Asian! Which surprised Nene!), having a normal birthday party, and looking decidedly non-crazy when compared to the likes of Kim and Sheree back home. It was charming, and I mean that in a totally non-sarcastic way. I have no sarcasm for these folks, they seemed wonderful. Lisa and her family went to her brother’s grave afterward and real emotions were had, perhaps for the first time in Real Housewives history (except for maybe that time that Lori quit the OC Housewives because her son got arrested for possession of smack. Again). And it was all very normal, and very unlike this show usually is, in a very good way.

Then they met up with a fabulous, part-Chinese gay guy on their hotel’s rooftop and told him that he should come to Atlanta and meet Dwight. And then they drank copiously, because all of these women drink like fish, even the good ones.

Many of you may be in the mindset that Labor Day brings summer to a close. Not so fast.

Indian summers can last into October or even November.

Although vacations have come and gone and it is time for back-to-school, I’m going to continue enjoying my endless summer. All you need to get in the mindset is the perfect beach attire.

I’ve found a cover-up at my favorite store for beach-y summer luxuries, Calypso. The “Adair” 100% linen dress ($150 at Calypso-celle.com) is delicately embroidered and can be drawn tight at the neckline and sleeves. Complement it with a pair of flat Tory Burch “Devin” thong sandals ($135 at Bloomingdales.com) and a pair of killer statement sunglasses.

In this case I’m sharing a pair of vintage folding Porsche aviators that I own and found for you at Net-a-Porter. I bought my pair three years ago and amazingly found them online today. They fold into a very small pouch and the gold-tone looks great with a tan (real or faux)! These glasses are also a treasure because they fit my ‘bridge-less’ Asian nose. If you are Asian you will know how hard it is to find over-sized sunglasses that fit!

Top off your look with a colorful canvas tote like the “Morning’s Call Tote” ($129.95 at Anthropologie.com) and a wide-brimmed straw hat to shade you from pesky UV rays. I found this 8″ wide sun braid floppy hat for only $24.99 at Marketworks.com. Little touches like lipgloss and jewelry will give you a polished look. The understated Me & Ro 10k multi disc necklace, ($790 at givingtreejewelry.com) will look pretty and delicate around your neck and the “Huge Lips Skinny Hips” lipgloss in Lychee Martini ($20 at Blissworld.com) will keep your lips plumped and shiny but not sticky. The gloss also contains Hoodia, an all-natural appetite suppressant to keep your summer figure looking trim until, say the time Thanksgiving rolls around.

via The Find

Prada has been flying below the radar. Nothing exceptionally amazing and nothing on the other end of the spectrum, exceptionally awful (ok I take that back, remember the Visone tote?!). Nevertheless, for the most part we have been un-phased by Prada.

While we appreciate all of the additions and imagination that goes into making stand apart bags, sometimes we simply want a great and practical staple. This is precisely what the Prada Soft Calf Hobo brings us, exceptional craftsmanship and supple calfskin leather.

There is no reinvention of the wheel here. As much as we are always craving the perfect little black dress, it is imperative we have a classic black bag in our collection. Many opt for Chanel, but this Prada bag is a great everyday bag. There are two side pockets for easy access and a fun luggage tag, which appears to be removable. A snap closure and inside zip pocket finishes this bag off. Dimensions are 13″W X 11″H X 5″D. Buy through Saks for $1495.

I’ve got some good news, kids: we just might make it after all.

Making an even better case that luxury brands need to step up their online game, online sales for July 2009 were up almost 16% from the previous month, and 17% from July 2008, which was before the year’s economic collapse took place. The fastest growing sector? Clothing, shoes and accessories.

Since online sales on the whole are gaining at a steeper rate than those of brick-and-mortar locations, luxury brands look like dinosaurs more than ever for their reluctance to enter a marketplace that could save their businesses. More importantly, sales of luxury goods in particular are down in stores, while the same types of goods are experiencing a bit of a resurgence online, and most of the brands we know and love are poorly equipped to reap the benefits of this rally.

We’ll have a more in-depth look next week at what the slowly recovering economy means for designers and brands, but for now, an increase in consumer confidence and willingness to spend, encouraged by new collections and enticing discounts, means that the brands you love are more likely to live to fight another day and more able to take design risks and fully flush out their vision. But none of that will matter if they can’t get their products placed in a way that makes them enticing to consumers that are increasingly looking to shop online.

I am not ashamed to admit that when I was first becoming enthralled with the fashion world I had the hardest time remembering if it was Valentino bags or Versace bags that I adored/despised. There is a clear difference between the two brands and their styles. To be honest, it saddens me that I have not seen a decent Versace bag in the longest time. But Valentino captivates me. Valentino bags continue to play on femininity and elegance.

Bows and roses have become ubiquitous with Valentino. Both bring forward a delightful touch and Valentino rarely gets it wrong.

Clearly an evening piece, the Valentino Satin Bow Front Clutch brings a bright splash of emerald satin to a stunning bow front clutch. The bow on this bag is different as it shows structure and form. The clutch therefor appears more compact and clean. Simple, clean, girly, and sophisticated. Buy through Net A Porter for $895.