I have decided that Lady Gaga performs makeovers on her Hermes Birkins just for us. She wants the handbag lovers of the world to get a rise out of what she is doing to her bag. And how can you not? Her last Hermes Birkin was taken over by what looked like a Sharpie marker with a message to her Japanese fans.

This Birkin has been taken over with studs, and not just any studs, seemingly sharp studs. The kind of studs that can poke you and get an “Ouch” reaction from your mouth. And when you inspect the bag closely, they are not perfectly set apart, rather tried to be somewhat in pattern but it is a bit of a free-form design.

What I wonder is if Lady Gaga sits in her spacious first class seat as she flies from location to location with a glue gun and a bag of studs working on her handbag-art-project. You know, with anyone else I would be shocked, but this is Lady Gaga. What else can you expect? Her outfits and her entire persona is there for shock value, so at least she is staying true to herself and making sure each and every item she wears gets the attention she is seeking. Oh yea, her shoes look like horse’s hooves… I’m just saying.

What do you think about Lady Gaga customizing her Hermes Birkins?

If you have the ability to read, a functioning internet connection and at least a passing interest in female-focused pop culture, you’ve probably read some truly and utterly scathing reviews of Sex and the City 2. I certainly did before going to see it with my best girlfriend on Saturday night, and when you combine their description of the movie with the residual anger that I’m still having over how face-numbingly awful the first SATC movie was, my expectations were so low as to be almost nonexistent.

And then, a weird thing happened: I sorta liked it. I grinned for almost the entire two-and-a-half hours, laughed out loud on more than a few occasions, and may or may not have gasped something along the lines of “OH MY GOD IT’S THE DIOR NEWSPRINT DRESS” loud enough for several rows of women to turn around and look at me, even though I already knew that particular item was going to be in the film. And it all made me wonder – what were all of those critics so angry about anyway?

Don’t worry, there won’t be any spoilers in my review. I promise.

Let’s be clear: I have an emotional attachment to Sex and the City. I watched the series for the first time in the months before I left home for college and re-watched it dozens more times in the months after. Without the show, I don’t know if I would have made it through my first year away from home or my first real broken heart.

I’ve never met someone that could beat me at Sex and the City trivia, which is a real board game that I actually own. I wrote a 20-page research paper on gender norms in the series for one of my last classes in journalism school, which means that if it hadn’t been for Sex and the City, not only might I not have made it through my freshman year, but I quite literally might not have graduated. The way that the first movie deviated from the heart and intelligence of the show in favor of upping the Sparkly Shoe Factor made me want to punch people (and when I say “people,” I mean Michael Patrick King) in the face.

And, in fairness, there were a few loathsome things about the sequel as well. Those that criticize the film’s run time are correct to do so, as are those that find its Orientalist depiction of Middle Eastern culture offensive and lazy – it was both. The movie, set mostly in a technicolor version of Abu Dhabi that was apparently dreamed up by someone that had never been there, showcased four grown women acting like entitled, xenophobic, slightly racist a-holes and managed to validate almost every Ugly American tourist stereotype except for the old socks-and-sandals trope. If they had managed to scrap most of the trip to the UAE and cut the run time by about 45 minutes, the movie would have been infinitely better.

Parts of it, however, were still pretty great. Grown women talking intelligently to one and other about the changing face of marriage and the difficulties of modern motherhood is still a rare thing in mainstream entertainment, and both of those subjects were central themes in the film, as is the pressure often faced by those women that choose to remain childless. A lot of it may have been covered up at times by hacky slapstick and Charlotte’s inability to stay on her camel, but the serious stuff was all there, just as it would have been during the series. That any of those subjects can make it into a big-budget summer flick is something to which I’ll gladly raise my glass.

Then there’s the fact that, at it’s core, the movie was simply a lot of fun. The clothes were gorgeous (not to mention a very effective commercial for Halston), as we all knew they would be, and there were enough winks to the details of the series that any serious fan could have been easily entertained by them alone. I even like some of the things I knew I shouldn’t have – all four women got up to sing “I am Woman” at an Abu Dhabi karaoke bar and I enjoyed it, no matter how hokey it was. And Liza Minnelli doing a cover of “Single Ladies” with two Liza impersonators as backup dancers? I hope that I one day go to a gay wedding that fabulous. In its best moments, Sex and the City 2 was a high-gloss romp through a certain version of female fantasy land.

Therein lies the problem with the reviews: most of the movie reviewers out there are male. The overwhelming majority of them, in fact. They’re people that don’t have a personal history with these characters like the one that I shared above or the ones that most of you certainly have. There’s no recognition of the emotional significance of a particular Dior dress when they watch the film – it’s just another weird outfit from Patricia Field that seems contrived to a lot of men because it’s not the way that the women in their lives choose to dress. And those are the most reasonable of the critics – I prefer to not even mention the ones that wholeheartedly dismiss “female” problems as petty or movies designed to appeal to women as inherently awful, implying that women aren’t interesting.

As far as I can tell, though, the reason that a lot of male reviewers hated Sex and the City 2 is the exact same reason that a lot of them loved Transformers but I thought it was the worst movie that I’d ever seen in my entire life: Transformers isn’t my fantasy world. Sex and the City 2 isn’t theirs. The difference is that I don’t have the power to call their fantasy stupid in any meaningful way, yet they’ve taken every opportunity to dump on mine and disguise it as critical acuity.

Not that the movie is without major flaws – it’s far from it. I wish that the writers had depicted the women (and the Middle East) in a more positive and truthful way, and I wish that the nuance and guts that were present in the show were more often present in the films. We all know that when movie studios and big budgets get involved, however, things usually end badly, and Sex and the City 2 ended somewhat less badly than I had expected. Here’s to low expectations and pleasant surprises.

And so, it was over. Not the season, I mean. That’s not over until next week. Just the good part of the season.

In the conclusion of Real Housewives of New York City’s three-episode insanity tour of Shutter Island St. John, things became somewhat less insane, and it was sort of sad (the reduction in insanity, not the episode itself). We knew that this storied period in Housewives history had to end, but that doesn’t mean that any of us wanted to see it go. Except for Kelly Bensimon, of course. And probably Jill.

The episode started in St. John once again, where everyone was (perhaps surprisingly) still alive after Kelly’s disaster the previous evening. They have been all still alive, but they weren’t all still there – Kelly sprouted wings and flew off the island like Puff the Magic Dragon (lived by the sea…or she left in a Jeep. Whatev. Choose your own adventure.) during the night, and the four remaining women sat around and talked about how happy they were that Kelly had left them to cartwheel into the ocean and all the way back to New York.

The remaining housewives proceeded to be massaged, do yoga, snorkel, get mani/pedis and lay in the sun. They talked about lots of soft, fuzzy emotions, like how happy Ramona was that they came and how loved she felt! No one told them that feeling things was very 1979 and they all smiled and looked like they were having fun. But if we know one thing, it’s that this trip (and this show) is not supposed to be fun.

“HIIIIIIIIIIIII.”

Jill! Jill is the only person capable of making that noise. She showed up to make everyone’s vacation better and more special, because a little Jill improves everything! My favorite part of the whole scene was the fact that, for a few moments, everyone refused to acknowledge that she and Bobby even existed. They all just stared off into the middle distance and tried to make her disappear by sheer force of will, but since it’s impossible for anyone except Kelly to liquefy people with thoughts, she continued to exist. For a moment, they all regretted that Kelly had gone home.

Instead of getting the warm reception that Jill expects will greet her wherever she goes, Ramona demanded to know why she was there and then Bethenny and Alex both looked like they were going to cry. Sonja, of course, was too drunk to care. No one was talking so Jill kept babbling about St. Barts and the house and pedicures and HI BETHENNY. She finally put her tail between her legs and left, barely in time to avoid the second nervous breakdown of the weekend, this time from Alex.

Jill clearly seemed to think that her presence was the greatest gift that she could give to any of those women, and when Ramona came outside to apologize and explain why she couldn’t stay, all Jill did was complain about the money she spent getting there and how MEAN everyone else was to her and that SHE WAS A GUEST TOO AND SHE WAS GOING TO DO A TAKESIES BACKSIES ON HER FRIENDSHIP WITH RAMONA. AGAIN. Somehow, it never seemed to occur to Jill that no one wanted her there because she had finally done enough to alienate all of her friends. Except LuAnn. But no one cares about LuAnn.

With Jill gone, the remaining vacationers continued at dinner what they had started that morning – talking about how relaxed and happy they felt without Jill, LuAnn and Kelly. They cooed about Bethenny’s baby bump and sonograms and giving the Heimlich Maneuver to poodles, a subject that came up after Kelly’s ghost tried to come back to St. John and choke Ramona to death. Also, they all picked Sonja’s brain for information about penis size.

And the cuteness continued – Alex and Sonja threw a simultaneous bridal shower for both Ramona AND Bethenny. They gave them lots of skanky-luxe gifts that were actually kind of fun and hilarious, and then they made wedding dresses out of toilet paper, which is a challenge that the Project Runway producers will surely steal for next season (and honestly, I’m surprised that they haven’t already done it.) For a split second, I actually wanted to be on the show. I would like someone to gift me with a set of Swarovski-encrusted light bondage gear. Sure.

That adorable positivity didn’t last long! Back in New York, Jill, LuAnn and stealth housewife Jennifer got together to have lunch and explain to each other why they’re so much more awesome than the other women. And then Kelly showed up, and it would have been so perfect if there had been some sort of tragic accident and the whole place just burned down. Like, straight to the ground, and perhaps Jennifer escapes because we don’t know enough about her to really hate her yet.

Kelly started gossiping about the trip immediately: she complained that they were gossiping (that would be irony, if Kelly knew what irony was), fighting and competing with each other and generally being horrible. Jennifer asked for an example of any of these behaviors, but Kelly said it didn’t matter and plowed right ahead, saying that Bethenny told her to have a one-night stand (it was Sonja, you moron) and that none of her friends had ever hired Bethenny to so much as pop popcorn (of course she didn’t actually say it like that, in a complete sentence with a little joke, she just mumbled some things and rolled her eyes and dug her fingernails into the table and made that face where you can see all 85 of her teeth).

Even Jill said it wasn’t ok for Kelly to call Bethenny a ho bag and Jennifer said that she didn’t want to judge without the other side of the story. When compared to Kelly, all three of them sounded downright circumspect and mature. While all of that was going on, I sort of felt bad about wishing that the restaurant would burn down, and I changed my mind and merely wished that someone would set Kelly on fire. Yes, that.

Thankfully, Kelly wasn’t invited to the show’s next get-together. Sonja threw an art party at her giant house and everyone kissed each others’ cheeks and drank champagne, and they looked utterly horrified when LuAnn continued to ask what happened on Crazy Island. LuAnn was actually sort of diplomatic and seemed to care about knowing what really happened, which is so unlike her. They all got together in a dining-room-turned-conference-room, with LuAnn sitting at the head and playing social arbiter (she was probably like a pig in…well, you know), and she surprisingly decided that Bethenny’s and Alex’s side of the story sounded plausible.

Finally, it was time for Jill’s crazypants spin around an iceskating rink, but first she had to take a crazypants spin around her relationship with Bethenny. She sat down with her sister to discuss whether or not she should call Bethenny, and she decided she should because she had already made up her mind before she even asked her sister for advice, obviously. Jill asked to have lunch with her and Bethenny said ok because she was sick of fighting and it was the easiest way to get Jill off the phone. Somehow I think that’s probably similar to the way that she ended up married to Bobby, because there’s really no other explanation.

The upshot was that Jill got to feel like she won, which helped bolster her confidence to put on her embarrassing pink skating dress and get out there and…fall on her face. Right. On. Her. Face. It might have been the best bit of schadenfreude-y goodness to ever come out of an episode of Housewives, but somehow it wasn’t the most embarrassing thing that happened that night. Ramona’s scrunchi’d hairdo was pretty embarrassing, and so was the way that Kelly lost her mind when she saw Ramona (but somehow didn’t manage to rip that scrunchi out of her hair). She ranted and yelled accused Ramona of not having her back, all while Ramona was desperately trying not to make eye contact or get herself eaten. At some point, Kelly decided that they had made up and gave her a hug. Ok, nevermind. Jill’s epic faceplant was way more embarrassing than any of that.

In hindsight, Ramona really shouldn’t have shown up to the Icecapades at all. Next, she had to talk to Jill, which was clearly not what she wanted to be doing, but Ramona told Jill what she did wrong and Jill mostly managed shut up and listen, and then they hugged too. And that was it! Hugs all around, even though no one really learned anything about what had gone wrong, because no one ever does.

Proenza Schouler may still be a relatively small company, but their clothes and accessories are making some enormous waves. I could wax poetic for paragraph upon paragraph about how much I love the acid yellow and black tie-dye that they did for Spring/Summer 2010, but I’m going to try very hard to stay on topic in this post. Bear with me.

Proenza Schouler just released images of their Pre Fall 2010 accessories on their website on Wednesday, and I’m kind of in love. My favorite is the black PS1 Tote that you see to the right, but the leather take on a brown grocery bag is pretty clever as well. The line also includes an alpine knit PS1 Clutch, which mirrors several sweaters from the brand’s Pre-Fall Ready-to-Wear collection. Pictures of all three bags are after the jump – which is your favorite?

Pricing information is not yet available. Images via ProenzaSchouler.com.

You know why I love finding handbag looks for less? Sometimes it is the less expensive bag that catches my attention and that is a double wow. I can’t say that with today’s Look for Less though. Valentino is a handbag favorite on the PurseBlog team. If you see their bags in person, it is easy to see why. The designs are feminine, sexy, and luxurious.

One of my favorite designs from Valentino lately is their 360 Handbag, which features feminine touches on a large slouchy body. But at $1,400, it is not the most affordable bag. And that is why I have found a look for less with the Elie Tahari Pebbled Melrose Tote.

For some reason, I thought the Valentino 360 Handbag would cost much more than the asked for $1,395. If you go into the store and try the bag on, you will fall in love. Their quality is superb and Valentino has a way to make every woman feel gorgeous and glamorous when wearing their bags. This specific bag suits every aspect of a bag I like (and comes in bright pink!!). Buy the Valentino 360 Handbag via Saks for $1,395.

If you love the look of the Valentino bag but it does not fit into your budget, the Elie Tahari Pebbled Melrose Tote may be a great look for less option. While the body of the bag is very similar to the Valentino bag, there are additional ruffles along the top. The black distressed leather looks lovely and the self ties extending from the handle are reminiscent of the bow detail on the Valentino bag. A great look for a more manageable price. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $498.

Every handbag lover out there has a different taste. While this means so many of us can be on complete opposite ends of the interest spectrum, it means that designers are pushed to create a plethora of designs for us. So, no matter what you like, we all win!

And as someone who spends more hours than most staring and evaluating handbags, I can appreciate the quality of a bag even if I would never be caught dead carrying it myself. However, there are times, when for the life of me, I cannot decide if I like a bag or not. This Versace bag fits that category perfectly.

When I first came across this bag, I spent some time looking back at the Versace bags we’ve covered here at PurseBlog. And Amanda said it best when she said that we aren’t the front running members of the Versace handbag fan club. I for one *want* to love Versace handbags, but they tend to confuse me.

The Versace Studded Leather Shoulder Bag definitely boasts elements that I like, but I think there simply might be too much going on. Now, if you are willing to wear a very minimalistic outfit, this bag really could be perfect, but other than that, there would definitely be too much going on.

Obviously, there is a ton of hardware on this bag. So much so that I wonder how much it weighs. This black leather bag is adorned with pale-gold studs. It can be carried as a shoulder bag (also with stud detailing) or a clutch which is always nice. There is a fold-over flap lined in neon lime-green. It’s a bright color but not super noticeable when the flap is closed. Open up the bag and you’ll find cream satin. Again, I like this bag, on some level, but I’m just not sure. But, what do you think, love it or loathe it? Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1795.

Well. That was quick.

We found out quite a while back that Marchesa was going to debut a line of clutches to compliment their gorgeous, highly detailed evening dresses, and since then we’ve seen no shortage of celebs toting them down red carpets from New York to Los Angeles. Finally, yesterday morning, they were available online! And then they weren’t. The recession might just be over, folks: the bags, priced $2274-$3475, sold out in a matter of hours. Pictures of all the bags you can’t currently buy (but maybe soon!), after the jump.

Marchesa Swarovski Crystal Clutch, $2885.

Marchesa Swarovski Satin Clutch, $2275.

Marchesa Swarovski Beaded Clutch, $3475.

Vlad has forayed into the world of video. And I am his guinea pig at times, going on the other side of the camera so he can practice. I prefer to direct, and as I direct more I need a director’s chair. I found the perfect director’s chair. I. MUST. HAVE. IT. But alas, it is Hermes and the price is out of this world for a chair that I want to fold up and take around when we create more videos for all of you. So that is why it falls into my Want It Wednesday category.

The Hermes Pippa Armchair and Footstool epitomize luxury in every sense. They are also extravagant and expensive, but I want to carry them around and plop myself behind Vlad as he shoots PurseBlog videos. I can direct from my Hermes Pippa Folding Armchair, which features Hermes cowhide with pear wood and brass metal pieces. It is the perfect director’s chair. How could I resist a chair from one of my favorite leather good houses that looks as cool as this chair does? The armchair is $10,200 via Hermes.

And why end there? I need a place to kick up my feet and that is precisely what the Hermes Pippa Footstool is for. So while Vlad is hard at work with actually making the video, I can sit on Hermes cowhide and also place my feet on Hermes cowhide. Buy the footstool via Hermes for $5,950.

These two items perfectly fit into my Want It Wednesday category. They are dream items, items that I will most likely never own, but items I love to look at and dream about!

Is there a certain handbag that haunts you? The Alexander Wang Rocco has haunted me since I first laid eyes on it: leading me to buy it, only to end up being disappointed with it, returning it, and now feeling tormented like I could have liked it. You see, if you read my review of the bag I was entirely let down. I knew the studs would add weight, but the heavy studs paired with the shape of the bag made it appear frumpy. And I couldn’t seem to make it work for me. But I think of the bag often and feel like I want to give it another try. Little secret into my mind: I *hate* returning bags and almost always find something good in a bag so I can keep it and wear it.

But this bag might work better for those that love the Alexander Wang aesthetic but need more support for a heavier handbag. Welcome the Alexander Wang Darcy Slouchy Hobo to the family, I think many of you will welcome her with open arms and wallets.

First things first, let’s get the obvious out of the way. This bag will be heavy. The description states the bottom is lined with a full row of protective metal feet. All I know is that Alexander Wang studs, or ‘feet’ as listed here, are heavy. But the reason why it will work better on this bag is because of the shape. This is a shoulder bag, which will be easier to carry and easier to spread out the total weight on your body. One of the main problems of the Rocco is that it needs to be hand-held, which can be cumbersome to carry around. A shoulder bag will take away that problem and make it much more manageable.

The rest of the bag will receive nothing but praise from me. I love a classic hobo shape and the leather used looks thick and richly pebbled, which I adore. This hobo has attitude but is still everyday wearable. Will this be the bag that takes me back into Alexander Wang obsession? Pre-order through Saks for $850.

What do you think of the new addition, the Darcy?

Only Judith Leiber would design a clutch in the likeness of a Dachshund.

You know what? I almost always am team Judith Leiber. I can find the fun and enjoyment each bag can bring to a different wearer or carrier. But the only person I can imagine loving the Judith Leiber Dachshund Crystal Clutch is a Dachshund lover. Don’t get me wrong, there is a large group of people who love these cute dogs. But is anyone in this group also a handbag aficionado that wants to spend almost $6,000 on crystal clutch. I can’t answer that. And that is why this clutch is a bit harder for me to stomach.

Many Leiber pieces are art pieces that I imagine being put on display in a cabinet behind glass doors in your home. And if you love Dachshunds, that may be exactly what you would do with this clutch. I have to hand it to Judith Leiber, the clutch closely resembles the adorable dog breed that has been known as the “weiner dog”. Hey, weiner dogs even make a cute Leiber clutch. But is the appeal there to sell this bag?

This is not the Leiber piece for me, not by a long mile, but it is attention-grabbing enough to cover. Buy through Net A Porter for $5,795.