Here’s Selena Gomez, arriving at Heathrow Airport, carrying a Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Bag. She’s in jolly olde London towne this week to drum up a little PR for Spring Breakers, and her new single “Come and Get It.” Yes, that’s right, she’s another singing, dancing, acting, ex-Disney starlet. You can pick up a ruby red version of Selena’s top handle bag for $1,695 at Nordstrom.

Do you ever wonder if celebs could make it through the airport unscathed by the paparazzi if they just carried, oh I don’t know, a JanSport backpack instead of D&G or Chanel? Or maybe if they ditched the oversized designer frames indoors, or during night-time? These are the kind of quandaries that keep me up at night…

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We know you’ve all been waiting with baited breath for the first big sale of the season to launch and signal the start of sale season, and here it is: the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale is on, and in it you’ll find a ton of handbags. In particular, fans of Marc Jacobs, Reed Krakoff, Alexander Wang and Marni will be pleased – the sale includes loads of covetable bags from those brands, plus contemporary stalwarts like Rebecca Minkoff and Kate Spade. As we are wont to do, we’ve sorted through the sale and picked our favorites, which you’ll find after the jump. It won’t offend us if you skip straight to shopping via Nordstrom, though.

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The last time we mentioned Louis Vuitton’s exclusivity problem, you guys had a lot to say, and much of it was demonstrative of the challenges that Vuitton faces going forward – how does a company whose incredibly recognizable logo bags have become ubiquitous maintain its air of exclusivity for top-tier customers? And if those top-tier customers leave, will customers at the lower tiers go looking for their little slice of luxury elsewhere? Is this a problem that Louis Vuitton has waited too long to fix? Based on the double-digit dip that the company’s value took last year, things could be better at LVMH’s flagship brand.

The Millward Brown BrandZ Top 100 (which sounds made up, but is not) ranks the 100 most valuable luxury companies in the world every year based on their total value, and although Louis Vuitton is still at the top of that list, the brand is down 12% year on year. Given that Louis Vuitton acknowledges it has an image problem, it’s probably not an unexpected dip, but worrisome all the same for a conglomerate with a handbag brand as its backbone. Meanwhile, competitors Prada and Gucci surged 63% and 48%, respectively. According to Business of Fashion, the stark difference in the performance of the three brands can be pinned on the fact that Gucci and Prada “are better managing the trade-off between exclusivity and affordability.”

The performance of Gucci in particular might show a way forward for Louis Vuitton – the company has put increased emphasis on its fine leather and exotic offerings in recent years, including some of the most expensive pieces available on the mass market today, while still offering plenty of recognizable, logo-covered canvas handbags and accessories for entry-level customers. Vuitton’s strategy includes both expanding its upper-echelon offerings and increasing prices across the board to discourage “downmarket” customers from coming on board and scaring away the apparently very sensitive rich folks, and only time will tell if it’s too little, too late.

In the meantime, tell us – the top four luxury brands are Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci and Prada, in that order. If you had to bet on one long-term, which would it be?

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I have an Emma Watson close-encounter story, and although it’s not a very good one, I’m going to take this opportunity to tell it anyway. Over the winter, on a very snowy day, a friend and I decided to trek to Barneys to shop for some shoes and stave off cabin fever in the bad weather. The place wasn’t nearly as packed as it normally would be on a Saturday, and we took advantage of the opportunity to try on a bunch of ridiculous shoes and amuse ourselves. Amidst the footwear fervor, I looked up to realize that I was standing next to Emma, both of us eyeing adjacent pairs of Manolos.

Watson was dressing casually, in jeans and a sweater, and I did my best impression of an unimpressed New Yorker and didn’t say anything to her. She was quiet, by herself and utterly polite to store staff while she was still within earshot. See? Told you it wasn’t a very good story, but still, it gave me the impression that Emma’s a quite normal girl, which is always a nice thing to find out about a famous person. Now that she’s getting ready to star in the much-hyped flick The Bling Ring, it seemed only right that Emma get her own thorough examination of her bag collection. We only wish that our photo agency tailed Emma more regularly so that we could show you more.

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Jason Wu’s gorgeous, ladylike read-to-wear collections are always a joy to behold, but I’ve been waiting for the young designer to put out a handbag that really catches my eye. For reasons that are likely obvious, the Jason Wu Jourdan Painted Eel Tote is exactly that bag. Wu’s previous bag collections have been full of pretty, simple pieces that were nice but not bold or modern enough, and this tote solves those problems at one fell swoop.

Before I read the name of the bag, I thought that Wu and his team had simple chosen a geometric colorblocked pattern and run with it. When you look closely, though (or, uh, read the name), you can see that the colorblocking is actually dictated by narrow strips of eel. Eel skin is an under-used exotic, and it imparts a texture that’s subtler than stingray or most types of snakeskin. It also doesn’t boost the price tag as much as those materials, something we all can appreciate.

I’d be interested to see this bag in just black and white, but as it is, the addition of deep violet and gold add a bit of a royal quality to the structured, elegant tote. I’m not sure I love the hanging tag in the middle, but that’s a signature Wu detail that I’ve been skeptical of from the beginning. If you could have this bag in any color combination, what would you pick? If this one’s already idea for you, pick it up for $2,195 via Neiman Marcus.

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It’s only the best for any pooch that travels with LaToya Jackson. Here she is coming out of a hotel in New York, carrying her adorable Pomeranian in a Louis Vuitton Dog Carrier. (Sadly, there’s no “first class” for celeb dogs in cargo. Though I suspect this fluffy baby gets her own seat on the plane.) If there’s a toy dog in your life that appreciates high-end luxury, you can purchase this carrier from the Louis Vuitton website for $2,430.

We can’t put a solid ID on LaToya’s Louis Vuitton tote, but we’re guessing it’s a vintage design that’s no longer made. The patina on the leather trim would certainly seem to indicate that LaToya’s had this bag in her collection for a fairly long time. Fortunately for all LV fans, those signature monograms never fade (with proper care). Louis Vuitton experts, feel free to weigh in with your best guesses!

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I know that the Versus Gold Pin Shoulder Bag isn’t quite Versace, but all I can think when I look at it is how much it owes to that famous Versace dress that Elizabeth Hurley wore to the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere way back in 1994. (Can you believe that’s nearly 20 years ago?) Is there any other immediate association that a fashion lover can have with bold black accented with enormous gold safety pins? I think not. I also can’t think of any who I’d rather see carrying this bag than Liz herself.

Or maybe you’re a little younger than I am, and you remember that particular dress more for Lady Gaga’s turn in the gown than Liz Hurley’s – Gaga would certainly be an appropriate bag mama for this piece. There are others who could pull it off, though – Rihanna, Rita Ora. Mostly singers, now that I think of it – why can singers pull things off that actresses can’t? That’s a debate for another time, though – tell us in the comments who you’d like to see wear this bag.

If you are the person you’d like to see with this purse, pick it up for $715 via SSENSE.

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This summer, there’s only one thing that everyone on the PurseBlog team wants: handbags as bright as the July sunshine. Everything about summer is flush with color – the plants, the sky, the clothes – and this summer, your bag better follow suit or it’ll be left out of the fun (and you along with it). This weekend marks the official start of the season, and if you’re not prepared with a bevy of bright bags at your disposal (and even if you are, everyone always needs another bag), Gilt.com has an absolutely killer selection of kate spade new york bags that are just the pop of color you’ll need, all at below-retail prices that make stocking up the only option.

kate spade new york is a brand made for summer, what with its penchant for color and print, its sense of humor and its many functional-meets-fashionable bags. At the Gilt.com sale, you can do brights in a variety of shapes and sizes – all the way from mini crossbody bags that are perfect for outdoor concerts to the types of totes that are perfect to carry a couple of towels for an afternoon in the park. The sale goes beyond bags to offer a variety of summer-ready clothes, sandals and jewels, but we recommend you concentrate on bright bags first and then pick some other kate spade new york goodies to compliment your new acquisition. Shop quickly, though – the sale starts right now and runs through Tuesday, May 28, at 12:00 PM.

kate spade new york Christy Shoulder Bag
Was $398, now $199 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Cobble Hill Clarke Shoulder Bag
Was $278, now $129 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Flicker Bon Shopper Tote
Was $258, now $149 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Flicker Sophie Tote
Was $298, now $169 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Small Georgina Bag
Was $398, now $229 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Charlotte Street Sylvie Bag
Was $398, now $249 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Brightspot Avenue Sally Crossbody
Was $158, now $119 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Berry Street Tenley Crossbody
Was $168, now $89 via Gilt.com

kate spade new york Maryanne Gold Coast Shoulder Bag
Was $378, now $229 via Gilt.com

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There are a lot of things to admire about Gucci, but today, the thing that strikes me most is the brand’s commitment to interesting hardware. Horse bits, stirrups, bamboo – the Gucci has made a legacy of adorning its bags with interesting signature metal work. For Gucci Fall 2013, the go-to piece seems to be a big, bold, rectangular buckle that’s being referred to as the Gucci Lady Buckle and is often paired with striking jaguar print. (Which simply looks like leopard to me, but sure, we’ll go with Gucci’s story on which big cat it is.)

If that look’s a bit too bold for you, you can also get the elements independently on a black leather version of the Gucci Lady Buckle Tote or a jaguar-print bamboo bag. As always, other brand staples are plentiful in the collection – lush python, logo hardware and Guccissima prints. Check out our favorites from the off-the-runway collection below or shop the full selection via Neiman Marcus!

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I’m currently having something of a love affair with champagne. Because I’m trying to watch my sugar intake, it’s often the beverage I end up ordering at brunch or picking up at parties because it doesn’t require a mixer to be delicious, and now I’m full-on obsessed. Although I’m hardly a wine connoisseur, I feel as though I’ve refined my champagne palate to a point where I can tell the difference between the good stuff and the cheap stuff. That means I’m ready for the Sarah’s Bag Chic Champagne Quilted Shoulder Bag.

I still can’t decide exactly how I feel about this bag, but the gold-plated brass champagne cork that adorns the front certainly telegraphs a particular message – that you’ve arrived and you’re ready to throw back a couple of flutes of bubbly. That’s a message in which I’m always in favor, so even though it feels a little bit random on the otherwise Miu Miu-reminiscent quilted shoulder bag, I can’t be mad at it. After all, a handbag that puts in your drink order on your behalf is quite the innovation. Buy through My Beautiful Dressing for €400.

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