Sienna Miller jazzed up a pretty ordinary outfit with the Katherine Kwei Joyce Carry-All in black over the weekend. This bag is a great take on the fringe trend, with leather strips revealing a peek of metallic underneath and tying up neatly in knots at the bottom of the bag. The calf and lambskin bag, $625, is available at Luna Boston.

This is such a realistically doable look – just pair the bag with jeans and a pea coat and you’re channeling Sienna with considerably more ease than some of her red-carpet looks would require.

What to do with all that pumpkin after Halloween? How about nourishing your party-ravaged skin? This pumpkin spread recipe is great for dry skin types.

Honey Pumpkin Spread

5 tablespoons canned organic pumpkin
1 teaspoon agave sweetener
1 tablespoon softened organic butter

Combine everything together and mix well to make a smooth paste. Make sure your face is clean. Spread Honey Pumpkin Spread over your face in an even layer. Rest for 15 minutes. Rinse and enjoy the softened skin.

We got this recipe from Kayla Fioravanti, ARC Registered & Certified Aromatherapist and the Co-founder and Chief Cosmetic Formulator for Essential Wholesale www.essentialwholesale.com. You can find ingredients for lots of home made cosmetics at her site.

If you’re just not the DIY type, try Dermalogica skin prep scrub followed by Dermalogica intensive moisture balance for intense moisturizing.

Oh those Obamas and their firsts. First Lady Michelle Obama is now the first First Lady to pose on the cover of Glamour Magazine for their Women of the Year issue. I’m not as huge a fan of Mobama’s style as some, but I do love her cover look here. A fantastic red dress for the holidays paired with a hot statement necklace is style well done. I even like her hair and the fact that she seems ironic about showing off her arms for the billionth time. But, lest we become confused, Glamour editor Cindi Leive says she didn’t feature Michelle as a style icon, but as an empowering example for women. Calling her mentor in chief is a bit over the top, but not as annoying as hearing about “first dog” Bo’s birthday party. Vom.

It’s nice that the magazine focuses on Michelle’s role as First Female and even includes some White House interns in the photo feature. But don’t worry, they also get her to give readers dating advice. She advises against going for the “cute” guy, if you’re wondering.

The Jimmy Choo for H&M Accessories Collection hits 200 select H&M stores worldwide on November 14. Given the frenzy Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney for H&M caused, the current economic climate pushing high-end designer accessories further out of reach for some and into the unwise expenditure column for others, and the first chance to get one of the biggest names in footwear at an affordable price – I anticipate a feeding frenzy. If I make it out to one of the lucky stores, I’ll know which pair I’m grabbing before I get there.

While the cage heel at right in the picture above is probably my favorite from the collection – so sexy – I’m beginning to question the wearability of the collection and if the styles will be flattering on average women. That stiletto actually seems to have the most delicate ankle detail of any of the shoes – others seen below have even chunkier ankle straps which aren’t attractive on shorter, less slim legs.

To put a thigh high boot (seen in top image) in such a limited collection seems to be playing manipulatively on the current fervor for the trend, rather than serving women the way Jimmy Choo usually does – with classic styles that will stand the test of time. Where is the chic black pump we all need in our wardrobe? Perhaps this is a ploy to get high-end shoppers down into the dregs of H&M since they might not pay $2,000 for Christian Louboutin’s over-the-knee boots, but would probably drop the $200 likely to cap off the price points at H&M.

Handbags don’t fare much better. While leopard print can look luxe at a luxe price point, at a cheap price point it usually looks … cheap. I’m ready to be surprised and impressed, but I also think you can get a similar, cuter style for not much more than the bag at left at Coach (the Madison ocelot pouch, to be exact). I know, the idea is to own a Jimmy Choo instead of a Coach, but what’s the point if it’s the lesser of the two bags?

I sound pretty down on the collection, and maybe that’s because the collection has me down. I was really excited for this, but have been pretty disappointed by the images coming out. Maybe the quality will impress me and I’ll be in line to buy three pairs by 10 a.m. on Nov. 14. But, I just as well may be in bed reading about it on Twitter and all the Web sites likely to live-blog the launch.

[Images: WWD]

Up and coming American fashion designers recognized as nominees by the CFDA/Vogue fashion fund often get their first big media exposure in what is becoming Vogue’s annual editorial featuring the nominees. It’s a great opportunity to get to know the new talent coming out of the U.S. like Sophie Theallet, left with Chanel Iman and Gary Graham, at right with Sasha Pivovarova. All the designers generally get a boost from the nomination, even if they don’t get the Council of Fashion Designer’s of America’s cash prize and mentoring by industry big wigs. At least a handful of names go on to be ones to watch in forthcoming seasons. Who will be this years?

Alabama Chanin designer Natalie Chanin is taking her second stab at the prize after being nominated in 2005 for Project Alabama. Her pieces are crafted by local artisans in Alabama out of organic materials with very green, very sustainable practices – green has only gotten cooler since 2005 so maybe Chanin’s stock will rise as well.

Gary Graham is another of my favorites, as is anyone who takes inspiration from Nancy Spungen (style inspiration – not life inspiration!). With roots on Broadway, Grahams designs do have a theatrical bent I enjoy, as does the man himself it seems.

Not just womenswear designers, the contest also includes two menswear designers, Patrik Ervell and Spurr, jewelry designers like Monique Péan and House of Waris and footwear like Esquivel Shoes.

Check out all the designers in the November issue of Vogue shown at left, and pick who you’ll be rooting for!

Coming very soon from ghd, the new ghd Precious gift set. This stunning set contains a limited edition black and silver ghd IV styler and a ghd travel hair dryer.

The gift set is beautifully packaged in a sparkly ghd gift bag and the styler itself has a classy baroque pattern.

The ghd Precious is now available for pre-order, with delivery expected the last week in October. You can pre-order yours now for £150 in our shop and be one of the first to own this stunning limited edition from ghd.

As with all ghd limited editions, the Precious is sure to sell out fast and is set to be the must have gift this Christmas!

Braids have been big in celebrity hair trends for a while, usually involving a discreet grouping of a few strands off the face. The style grew – both in size and popularity – recently when Alexander Wang featured glamorous, long braids on his Spring 2010 runway and Frederic Fekkai hair stylist Renato Campora quickly adapted the style for Blake Lively at the Emmy Awards. Here he tells us how to get the style.

“Whether it’s a soft and sexy loose braid or a chic and strong braid, you can start out by applying Fekkai Coiff Strong Hold Volume Mousse,” he said. (You could also try GHD Maximize Mousse.)  Campora then applied Fekkai Coiff Extra Control Styling Gel to prep the hair and make it easier to braid. (Another great gel is Matrix GelTrix Strong Hold Gel.)

He then teased all the hair to add dimension to the braid.  By adding some hair extensions, you can create extra length for a more dramatic look. For a classic braid, separate the hair into three parts and secure with clips.  Afterward, braid the entire length and fasten at the end.

Campora finished Blake’s style with Fekkai Coiff Magnifique Ultra-Light Finishing Creme. Try Paul Mitchell Express Style Quick Slip Styling Cream for an alternative.

For more braid inspiration, you could check out Diane Kruger’s Cannes Film Festival Style here, or search for pics of Jennifer Lopez at the VMAs.

The hair at the Caroline Herrera Spring 2010 fashion show was just as detailed and delicately beautiful as the clothing inspired by the intricate forms woven into Japanese baskets.

Hair Stylist Orlando Pita created fine-textured, low twisted chignons with long, delicate strings of seed beads swept throughout strands of the hair.

“We used argan-oil infused Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream to prime the hair and give it a natural-looking, frizz-free texture with a soft hold,” noted Pita.  “The beads were designed to blend subtly through the hair; appearing almost as if they’re embedded in the strands themselves.”

To create the look, Pita misted Moroccanoil Luminous Hair Spray over hair while blow drying each section. He then sectioned off the very front of the hair, from ear to ear, placing a headband with strands of beads at the part, and pulling the front section back over the band, interweaving the strands of beads with the natural hair.

He then gently twisted the beads and hair back into a knot, and twisting it under.