Hello Kitty is one of those unique brands that never seems to go out of style and manages to appeal just as much to 3 year olds and 13 year olds as it does to the 30 year old set. One way it stays hip and popular is pairing cute with sophistication, a combination that seems irresistible to fans. To celebrate the brand's 35th birthday this year Sanrio is putting out something for everyone; the young, the young at heart and those who view Hello Kitty as art.

For those in the teen or tween set there is the sparkly Hello Kitty music player. This electronic gadget is decorated with 300 Swarovski crystal elements and shaped in the traditional Hello Kitty face. A second option is the Limited Edition pendant set. Again this is a collaboration between the D. Swarovski Co. of Wattens, Austria and features five crystal studded pendants each accented with a different color to match your mood or your outfit. Although at a price of $6,000 for the set I'm not sure that this jewelry collection isn't more appropriate for some of the slightly more mature Hello Kitty fans.

Another collaboration launched to celebrate the 35th Anniversary is a Judith Leiber bag collection. The line includes a "Retro Kitty" curved oval clutch, the "Pink Tulip" airstream, new "Hobo" style with silver handle shown above which will retail for $3995. These items are definitely a nod to those customers who have been fans of the Hello Kitty brand since its inception 35 years ago.

For those more artistically inclined there is the Three Apples art exhibit in Los Angeles, California curated by Jamie Rivadeneira the owner of Japan L.A. at the Royal/T space. The event is free of charge and over 80 artists display their Hello Kitty inspired pieces through November 15, 2009. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art will benefit Sanrio's charitable partner LA Works a non-profit organization that promotes community volunteerism.

The Jack Rabbit The Bandit Studded Leather Crossbody Bag is totally quirky and lovely.

This little red number is made of elegant artisan glazed leather, and decorated eye-catchingly with pyramid studs. We love the long, brash gold chain and the matching leather shoulder pad, as well as the size (8"W x 6"H x 2"D, big enough to actually hold some stuff) and the simple shape.

It also comes in black, green and purple, but we'd love to see this red one paired with your blue jeans or knee-high boots -- just don't wear it with lace; those pyramid studs will catch!

The Jack Rabbit The Bandit Studded Leather Crossbody Bag is available from Bloomingdale's for $335.00.

The Tory Burch Nico Shearling Satchel is the bag you'll want to carry the day you get out your winter coat (if you haven't already).

The furry shearling edges of this bag will give you an instant sense of warmth, comfort and well-being, and the signature T's keep you looking chic in your bliss. The coconut brown color of this soft satchel is a perfect complement for the bright goldtone hardware, and we can't emphasize enough how much you will want to pet this when you are cold. (Or bored. Or lonely.)

This roomy bag has a simple, zip-top shape and the two wide shearling bands keep it looking structured and neat, even if you intend to stuff it with everything you own.

The Tory Burch Nico Shearling Satchel is available from Neiman Marcus for $635.00.

Why Ms. Minkoff, what a saucy name for your satchel! The Rebecca Minkoff Morning-After Mini Satchel is great for the morning after, true, but we think we'd carry it around all day.

First of all, we love this pick-me-up shade of blue (it's called "Deep Turquoise" and thankfully it's not at the green end of that color range). We can't think of a person who wouldn't be flattered by this color -- wouldn't this look great with your hair? We bet it would.

The shape is simple and attractive; we love the boxy look. At 8 1/2"H x 13"W x 7"D, it's not big enough for your portfolio, but it is big enough for your toothbrush and a change of ... socks (nudge nudge wink wink).

The Rebecca Minkoff Morning-After Mini Satchel is available from Neiman Marcus for $550.00.

The Juicy Couture Leather Lock-It Worth-It Crossbody Hobo Bag is an unusual bag for Juicy. Not only do their items typically come in candy colors, but this bag has a utilitarian, grungy, urban look we're not used to seeing from the young (13-year-old), typically girly brand.

We're not sure we love it, but we're highlighting it today because well, it's interesting. The pieced-together leather, the rough-looking logo plate, the long, braided leather toggle ... what does it all mean? Is Juicy trying to be less cute?

The Bloomingdale's description says, "Juicy Couture's studded, distressed leather crossbody hobo adds a casual influence to your fall look." Hmm. Perhaps this is intended for the college freshman who want to serious-up (seriousize?) their style for that Women's Lib class ... but really, it's perhaps not all that well-executed. It's large enough for books and all (13"W x 15"H x 5"D), but is it kind of ugly?

Also, the name -- "The Juicy Couture Leather Lock-It Worth-It Crossbody Hobo Bag" is unconscionably long. It's like they couldn't quite decide what it was themselves. The whole thing kind of reeks of "trying too hard."

Vote, and tell us what you think in the comments.
The Juicy Couture Leather Lock-It Worth-It Crossbody Hobo Bag is available from Bloomingdale's for $398.00.

The Coach Poppy Signature Zip Around Wallet is a breath of fresh air in a season of dark colors.

This fun little wallet is just 8" by 4" -- small enough to throw into one of your larger bags to avoid depression. Just looking at it makes us smile. It's large enough to hold entire bills and has six credit card pockets and an inside zip pocket for coins. You can use the 14" strap as a wristlet to take this out at night -- and ditch your big bag at work.

The pretty poppy print is adorned with an embossed poppy logo plaque, retro goldtone hardware and metallic leather trim. Adorable.

The Coach Poppy Signature Zip Around Wallet is available from Nordstrom for $158.00.

A girl can't have enough hobo bags, if you ask me, since they're so comfy and useful and can make such a fashion statement even in the winter months when you're not all that dressed up. This Python Ruffle Hobo by Uzca takes the standard brown leather hobo and gives it a subtle but solid upgrade in femininity with a series of over-sized leather ruffles, which manage to bring the whole thing up a notch while maintaining the traditional hobo bag's versatility and comfort. $2,250

The See by Chloe Backstage Crossbody is an unusual bag with a ton of functionality and a great shape.

This attractive little bag (10.75"W x 9.75"H x 3.5"D) is soft, buttery leather with snakeskin-embossed trim, a generous strap (21" drop) and a "look at me" logo in goldtone hardware. We love the "Backstage" name for it, as this is just the sort of thing we'd expect to see dangling from a runway model when she arrives for work or stuffed on the makeup table as she gets made up. The eye-catching color makes it easy to find post-show, too.

The drawstring closures are enhanced by a hidden magnetic snap, so even though it's a crossbody, you don't have to worry about pickpockets. Just worry about someone stealing the whole bag -- because it's gorgeous.

The See by Chloe Backstage Crossbody is available from Bloomingdale's for $470.00.

The Michael Kors Skorpios Hobo is a classy Resort season hobo which practically emanates wealth and exclusivity.

To begin with, the bag is white, which instantly establishes that either the wearer doesn't ever get near anything dirty or that if they did, they could afford to throw it away and get a new one.

This hobo is the size of a big tote, at 16 1/2"W x 14"H x 5"D, and the slouchy shape can be expanded by undoing the goldtone clips at the sides. The soft leather face of the bag is trimmed with brown snakeskin-embossed leather, and the handle is brown braided leather with nautical-style clips -- very cruise ship.

The Michael Kors Skorpios Hobo is available for pre-order in limited quantities from Nordstrom for $1,095.00.

Shocking, isn't it? Most of us (myself included) thought this day would never come, but ... we actually like this purse hook. In fact, we love it.

When you have a luxury handbag, you don't want it on the floor -- it's dangerous and usually dirty -- but you don't want to cheapen its glamour by hanging it from something that looks like it came from the dollar store. Pavina finally has the solution with its line of Handbag Holders, available for $45 - $68 from marlobrands.com.

Above is the Pavina Olivine, a perfectly lovely, $45 purse hook that finally does a little justice to our beautiful handbags. It's more like elegant jewelry than the plastic junk we've seen (and scorned) before. It's no wonder that Pavina already has quite a celebrity following, including Angelina Jolie, Nicole Richie, Alyson Hannigan and Gwen Stefani, among others.

The Handbag Holders are made to support up to 25 pounds, and have padding on their flip sides to prevent damaging any restaurant tablecloths or hardwood bars (see gallery). Each design is lead-free and handset with Swarovski crystals and semi precious stones.

We had to see it ourselves -- and try it out in several New York City restaurants -- to believe it. These Handbag Holders really are classic looking, unobtrusive, and while most people didn't even notice them, when they did, we got compliments. And our purses have never been safer.

Zara Terez is a young and fabulous handbag designer who we recently met at a Bagtrends event in New York City. She's shown here at right wearing one of her most exciting new items: the 14th Precinct Holster, which is part of her Fall 2009 collection (available here). We chatted with Zara about her fresh and fiesty line of handbags, including this gun holster she just couldn't resist.

Luxist: Tell us about the gun holster.

Zara Terez: Well, I actually saw a gun holster, and I thought it would be a really cool idea to make it into a handbag. It's good to go out with, and for mommies who have little kids, they can carry around their diaper bag and have their cell phone and their credit cards [in the holster]. And actually, my sister said that it's really good for exercising, like, you need a bag you can run around with.

L: So you are manufacturing them?

ZT: I am, everything's made here in New York City.

L: Is that suede?

ZT: This is suede, and we also have it in pebbled leather. All the leather comes from Italy; I bring it in.

L: Excellent, and how much does one cost?

ZT: $125. It's really, really fun, we have it in multiple colors, and you can use it day or night -- it's perfect for everything.

L: Tell us a little bit about these other materials you're using,

ZT: Everything is leather. Embossed snake, embossed croc, and what I love to do is, I make sure that there's always a ...

L (discovering the inside of a feathered bag): There are sequins in here!

ZT: Yeah! There's always a splash of surprise in each one. There's a surprise in every bag. It's really all about you, and what represents you as a person.

L: So, where do you get your inspiration?

ZT: My friends, my family, New York City as a whole. [The bags] are all named for different places in New York City. My holster's actually called 14th Precinct, which is the precinct in the garment district.

Check out more of Zara Terez's badass girly designs below:

The Aurora Clutch with Labradorite by Raven Kauffman is one that you might not want to stash in the closet with all your other handbags between uses -- it's so pretty it could pull off a place on your dresser or vanity top like a piece of art. The clutch features a flying swallow pattern handcut into a grille of 18k gold-plated brass and labradorite. The grille is then set over a layer of Green Lady Amherst feathers for a wonderful contrast of textures. It has a detachable chain and flap closure, and measures 6 3/4" x 3 1/2" x 1 1/2". $2,290

I had never heard of Clara Kasavina when I met Clara herself (right) at a recent event for BagTrends in New York City. Now, I'm a little obsessed. It wasn't just the fabulous handbags which caught my attention, it was the amazing work they do with crystals. I can't wait for you to look through the gallery and see the lavishly encrusted minaudieres and accessories, but first, here's a bit more information.

Clara and her husband Misha have been making handbags for 15 years. Clara designs the bags -- with resplendent taste -- and Misha is the model maker, whose superb craftsmanship is evident in each of their stunning final products.

The bags are made in a variety of jewel tones with different shapes and materials. "Usually we choose to match our python, so we have it in the python, we have it in satin," said Clara. Their other unmistakable feature is their dynamic and opulent use of Swarovski crystals, packed tightly but unevenly, like a mosaic. "They are like a skin almost," explained Clara, quite rightly. The result is bags and accessories with an extremely opulent vintage feel -- your bag may be new, but it looks like a hand-me-down from Princess Grace.

We see a lot of handbags, but we rarely see old-school glamour like this, and with the season's return to flashy, speakeasy styles, you'd be smart to pick up a Clara Kasavina for the holidays.

The Black Shagreen Clutch by Genevieve Jones is a little tame, a little understated, but a lot classy and a lot timeless (yes, I know that's not the best grammar). Designed during her travels to Thailand, stingray leather makes for the unique texture and the envelope styling is accentuated by the large whip-stitched leather medallion (with her unique logo design) that dangles off the point followed by a decorative leather tassel. The interior is surprisingly versatile divided into three separate compartments plus a small pocket. Lined in leather, $875.

Whew! You could get dizzy looking at this bag too long -- it almost looks like something that might be used by a hypnotist to help people go under. It's the Popeye Miniaudiere by Sylvia Toledano and it's part of her collaborative set (with DJ duo Mesomenos) called "Third Eye." Available in limited edition only this glitzy little beauty could be paired with almost any dress or color scheme and will certainly steal the spotlight from any other accessory you might be wearing. Hardbox clutch style features a detachable chain and comes with a matching pen (presumably for taking down the names of all your new admirers). $1,950
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