A few months ago, I decided I was overdue for a proper vacation. The last time I had been away for any length of time was five years ago. After my first year of university, my parents generously sponsored me to go on a European tour. I visited eight countries in fourteen days, and slept in youth hostels the entire time. The only luggage I brought with me was my trusty backpack. Following the advice of some more seasoned travelers, I sewed a Canadian flag on my backpack. Everyone loves Canadians, eh!

This trip was to be somewhat different. I have decided to go back to Europe, but this time I will be traveling in style. I am planning to take a first-class flight into London, and I am in dire need of some first-class luggage. Luggage is such a difficult thing to shop for. It is one of those things that will not be used often enough to justify any great expense, but to purchase cheap luggage would be a complete waste of time and money. I decided to get together with the friends I will be going away with, for an afternoon of good old American shopping.

We spent the afternoon going from department store to big-box store to specialty store and back again. I finally narrowed my choices down to three potential sets of luggage; American Tourister, Briggs & Riley, and Zero Halliburton. They each have certain appealing aspects, and they are all reasonably priced. I read somewhere that American Tourister luggage has one of the best warranties in the industry. Briggs & Riley have been manufacturing quality products since 1993, and they also offer an extensive warranty. Zero Halliburton is, well..Zero Halliburton.

Once I thought about it for a little while, I realized that the Zero Halliburton suitcase was the one for me. I’ll admit that I am actually in love with this luggage. If James Bond were transporting a suitcase filled with priceless gems, he would use a Zero Halliburton. I ended up purchasing a 26-inch Suiter for the slightly bloated price of $900.00. It is constructed from a wonderful brushed aluminum that looks like it would withstand an explosion, much less the baggage handlers at Heathrow. I will be bringing my prized collection of designer purses with me, so I can rest easy that they will be well protected in my awesome new suitcase. Do you think I should put a Canadian flag on it?

Cathy Feldman always wanted to be a famous supermodel. When she is not fantasizing about strutting down the runway with her favorite Gucci purse, she writes for designerhandbags101.com - an online designer handbag resource, with extensive information on Samsonite Luggage, Travelpro Luggage, Tumi Luggage and more.

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The popularity of designer handbags is at an all-time high. Everywhere we look, from the high street to the nightclub, everyone is carrying a trendy new purse. It seems that we are often so preoccupied with our new handbags that we tend to forget about the people behind the designs. I started trying to develop a shortlist of my favorite designers, but I realized that I am in love with the work of far too many to list. The following are just a few of my favorites.

Chloe is, by far, one the greatest design houses in the world. I absolutely love their work! At times, I feel that some of the French designers are a little over the topbut where would true fashion be without their sense of creativity and innovation. Chloe has been a leader in the world of fashion, especially since the Stella McCartney assumed the helm. Her star power and understanding of classic design reinvigorated a company that was often lacking the cohesive aesthetic that truly binds a collection together. Make no mistake about itChloe is the new Gucci!

Vivienne Westwood has done more for British design that any other designer in modern times. In many ways, the entire punk genre owes her a debt of allegiance. Vivienne was just a young girl during the heyday of punk, when she met a fellow named Malcolm McLaren. For those of you not particularly well versed in your punk rock history, Malcolm was the manager of the consummate British punk band - The Sex Pistols. After dressing the Pistols for a number of years, she opened her own shop in London called Sex Boutique. Punks worldwide have adopted her design aesthetic, and the rest is history.

Monica Botkier is yet another brilliant designer. Her designs are held in high esteem by women all around the world. After spending the early part of her career as a fashion photographer, Monica Botkier has certainly spent enough time in the fashion world to know what constitutes a great handbag. She is able to strike the perfect balance between function and form, and her designs are some of the most sought after with fashionistas everywhere. Monica Botkier’s designs are famous for their detailing, hardware, and innate sophistication.

Cathy Feldman always wanted to be a famous supermodel. When she is not fantasizing about strutting down the runway with her favorite Gucci purse, she writes for designerhandbags101.com - an online designer handbag resource, with extensive information on Ugg handbags, real Louis Vuitton purses, Cole Haan handbags and more.

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CHANEL, VERSACE, DOLCE & GABBANA, VUITTON, GUCCI, DIOR, FENDI, PRADA, COACH, MARC JACOBS et al
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As the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, these are the brand-name clothing and fashion accessories that women will expect. But with the average cost of these items ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, how can the average woman afford these at all?

Add to the mix the celebrity endorsements. Paris Hilton wears CHANEL sunglasses, Jessica Simpson totes a VUITTON Speedy bag, Jennifer Lopez wears a DOLCE & GABBANA dress. “What’s Jennifer Aniston got on?” “Oooh what’s Madonna wearing?” Stars don’t have to worry about scrimping and saving to buy high-priced designer items; in most cases they don’t even have to pay anything, the companies freely give them the merchandise. Designers know that just having their products displayed by pop icons translates into millions of dollars in increased sales.

The celebrities are having a fashion party to which the average working woman is not invited.

So what is a woman of modest means to do?

Enter the knock-off. The fashion industry has created a need that the replica industry fulfills, designer clothing and accessories within the reach of the middle class budget.

By pricing their wares in the stratosphere, designers are essentially causing the knock-off market to thrive. Women see these must have fashion accessories in magazines like VOGUE and ELLE and want them. But when a handbag costs what the average middle class woman makes in a year, what choice does she have? She can’t afford the real thing so she buys a copy, much the same way that an art lover who desires a Picasso will hang a lithograph on his wall.

Each day on Canal Street in New York City, tour buses deliver scores of consumers who descend like vultures upon the rows of merchants who sell designer look-alikes. At the behest of the above mentioned designer corporations, the NYPD is constantly shutting down sellers and confiscating their merchandise, forcing these vendors underground as they try to keep up with the insatiable demand for replicas. Commenting on the public’s maniacal desire to own designer accessories, Tommy Y. a 20 something vendor sagely notes “We make them famous, and then they arrest us.”

The real irony comes when the fashion giant out sources the manufacture of their product to the very same company in China that is producing the copies. If the item is made by the same factory, how does one apply the “genuine” rule? Genuine as in “sanctioned by the manufacturer”?

A great deal of the blame must be placed squarely on the shoulders of the designers themselves. How can they justify such outrageous prices? VUITTON has a leather coin purse that sells for $275! MARC JACOBS has a $9,995 tote bag! HERMES’ bags start at $5,000 and rise steadily from there. CHANEL sunglasses average $300 per pair, non-prescription! Regardless of how loudly these companies cry foul, and hide behind trademark infringement laws, it’s all too obvious that they are greedily profiting from their media generated envy.

Gregory Lions is a former financial analyst for Dun & Bradstreet Inc. He is currently the CEO of BUYHEREBUYNOW.COM http://buyherebuynow.com

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