Tag Archives: purses

Never Grow Up with PLOOSH Animal Purses

PLOOSH animal purses

On the first day of New York Fashion Week, I sat next to two people at the Meskita show carrying the cutest hippo purses. They turned out to be Sasha Iastremska and Yuriy Zubarev, the founders of the PLOOSH Luxury Toy Collection – a line of fab adult animal purses for risk-taking fashionistas who refuse to grow up. When you were a kid, you never left home without your favorite stuffed animal. Now, PLOOSH purses can bring you the same joy and comfort that your favorite teddy bear gave you so long ago.

The collection centered around giving adults the opportunity to relive their childhoods while exploring their fun, free-spirited personal style, first came onto the accessories scene during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim in Miami in 2013. Each line features various versions of handcrafted, enchanting and sophisticated hippo and elephant handbags.

PLOOSH purses are are made solely with genuine leather imported from Italy and decorated with Swarovski crystals. Each handbag is one-of-a-kind. The PLOOSH DownTowN collection released in 2014 offers edgier, more accessible animal purses made with relaxed fabrics and faux leathers. The collections are sold at luxury retailers such as Henri Bendel along with boutiques and e-boutiques throughout the United States.

As a child at heart, I love the notion of playful luxury. But, what I love most about these adorably chic purses is that they are total conversation starters. I want one so bad!

PLOOSH Purses

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The Neon Cambridge Satchel

I’m all about in your face fashion.  So for me, there’s nothing like a bag that pops out at you in a crowd.  Or one that draws immediate interest in the wearer.  That’s why I’m fascinated by the neon Cambridge Satchel.  I especially adore how they seem to jump out at you off a dark-colored outfit.

Bold enough to turn heads and big enough to fit an iPad along with the rest of your essentials comfortably, a neon Cambridge Satchel is perfect for a busy fashion blogger on the go.  Plus, they are semi-affordable and secure enough to carry on the streets of New York with their sophisticated flaps and straps.  I guess this is yet another element of British fashion that has caught my eye.  Even if you aren’t the neon type, it’s simple to find a less loud and equally stylish satchel lovingly handmade in Britain.

Satchel Shopping:

ABC Family’s Jane By Design Style Challenge #3

For Round Three of my Jane By Design Style Challenge, I was told to go into my closet and find a purse that best represents me in a way that conveys the very essence of who I am. Having had a passion for purses from an early age, I fully embraced this challenge.   According to Gray Chandler Murray, “You can judge a person based on the purse they carry.  A sloppy bag shows the world that you are a disheveled mess, very likely in need of group therapy.  A matronly purse says you are uptight, humorless and quite possibly spending your nights alone, with only your cat for company.  But the right bag represents you better than any other accessory can. The right bag reveals the best aspects of your personality, winning you affection and admiration wherever you go.”  I for one completely agree.  That’s why the purse I chose out of my extensive collection is more than just a purse to me, it’s a companion.

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but purses are a girl’s soulmate. I bought this lovely Coach handbag at a Florida outlet right before my last semester of college when I was trying to put together a more sophisticated wardrobe.  Nearly three years later, it still looks like new.  When I graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Advertising in May 2009, that bag was with me on every interview, apartment hunt, and subway ride.  During that turbulent time, it became the only constant thing in my life.  I’ll always be grateful for the purse that kept me stylish and sane when I first moved to New York.  Since I wear a lot of purple, it goes with almost everything in my wardrobe.

Share the bag that best represents you on the Jane By Design Facebook Page.  In order to up my chances of getting my blog mentioned on the show, be sure to say Aspiring Socialite sent you.   Tune into the premiere of Jane By Design on ABC Family Tuesday Jan. 3rd at 9/8c!

The Ultimate Holiday Handbags


Handbags make me happy and so do holidays. Even more than most socialites, I have a thing for handbags. I think of them as works of art that you carry with you always. Therefore, you need a separate designer purse for every occasion and/or day of the week. Since much of Alexander McQueen’s insanely crazy designs came from a dark place, I suggest going with a McQueen for Halloween. The designer and the holiday go together so well that they rhyme.

Now that you have a Halloween handbag that may even be shaped like or include a skull, it’s time to find a nice festive bag to bring along to all the holiday parties you are bound to be invited to. I love this preppy red plaid Dooney & Bourke Tartan Barrel Satchel ($178) available at both Macy’s and Lord & Taylor. Its colors are so festive that it serves as a holiday ornament all on its own. Having been an ugly duckling in my life, I love the Dooney & Bourke signature swan.

This Alexander McQueen Dagger Skull Pony Clutch is a little pricier at $1595, but is so stylish it’s scary! Frighteningly fabulous!

Accessorizing with Emm Kuo


As you can see, I’ve had an incredibly fashionable weekend. Yesterday, my friend Ashley who you may know as @CocktailChic and I, ventured over to the home of accessories designer, Emm Kuo, to view some of her incredibly crafted designs. Here I am pictured left with Emm herself trying on my favorite piece in her collection, the Westbourne Grove Satchel Black Python. Emm is holding one of her gorgeous No. 5 On the Bund portfolio clutches, perfect for a night out on the town.

I may be a strict vegetarian, but after seeing this collection, I have a huge craving for a python bag.  Emm Kuo prides herself on using the highest quality materials in her designs and it shows.  She’s also an incredibly well-traveled designer who has lived all over the world. Every design is named after a street she lived on. Since I tend to gravitate toward London fashion, it’s no surprise that I’m obsessed with the Westbourne Grove Satchel.  Look for Emm Kuo designs are Intermix and at various upscale boutiques throughout the U.S. and abroad.

The new love of my life!! Like all of Emm Kuo’s designer goods, the Westbourne Grove Satchel is incredibly spacious yet compact enough to carry effortlessly all around the city.

More and more bags!!