Designer Rafe Totengco

From stylish celebs to everyday glamour gals, designer Rafe Totengco’s handbags are a staple in many chic closets. Eva Longoria, a longtime fan, asked Rafe to design her bridesmaids’ clutches for her 2007 nuptials to Tony Parker. (A similar style of the one-of-a-kind minaudiere is currently available.)

“I design for a woman who likes to stand out from the crowd, a woman who appreciates fashion but isn’t obsessed with it,” Rafe tells Open Fashion. “She’s got her own sense of style: sexy, individual and confident. She’ll mix vintage pieces with high street and designer labels. She likes to have fun with clothes.”

Open Fashion snagged an interview with the popular designer and peppered him with questions. What’s the must-have bag for Fall 2010? What is the one color handbag that every woman should have in her closet? Read on…

"Orchid" clutch by Rafe

How many collections do you produce each year?

I design 3 collections a year. Fall / Winter, Spring / Summer and Resort / Holiday.

What was the inspiration for your Fall 2010 collection of handbags?

This season I was channeling the unique characteristics and lifestyle of the Brooklyn girl, her edgy, yet relaxed sense of style. Foldover totes and cross-bodies serve as stylish yet functional pieces for perusing a vintage flea market or enjoying a bite to eat at hot spot Dumont. Clutches, minaudieres, hobos and shoulder bags are updated in luxe washed leathers, marbled metallics, pleated snakeskin and crinkle patent leathers. Crystals and beads embellish Italian moiré printed suede while studded fringe adorns buttery soft leather. The Rafe girl is checking out the latest art exhibit at PS1 and moving to the sounds of LaRoux on the dance floor at Deity.

Rafe "Ana" foldover tote in chocolate

My inspirations are as varied as the women who wear them. This season’s rich color palette evokes the brushstrokes of artist Francis Bacon with colors that include warm earth tone colors in taupe, grey and brown hues and rich Bordeaux and green shades.

Rafe Studded Grey handbag

What is the one color of handbag that every woman should have in her closet?

A grey bag! Because I consider grey a neutral and it works well whatever the season.

What is the absolute must-have handbag for this Fall?

It would be our “Ana” fold-over tote made of washed lambskin. You can wear it as a cross body or a tote. Two different ways to wear the same bag — who can say no that?!

And now, to copy a question you have posed to other designers: What are your 3 Absolute Style Do’s and Don’ts — and why?

DO…

• Say Please, Thank you and you’re welcome. Good manners are always in style.
• Invest in good quality shoes, they finish your sartorial sentence and your feet will thank you for them over time.
• Take a long good look at yourself before leaving your apartment. Sometimes you catch the oddest things about your outfit upon closure inspection. “Better safe than sorry” I always say.

DON’T…

• Think that just because the 80’s are back, that you should be all over it. Some trends aren’t appropriate for everybody.
• Under dress ever! Make an effort and you’ll feel better, especially when everybody tells you how fabulous you look.
• Bother with cheap handbags made of questionable materials, you’ll be sorry when they start peeling against your skin and on your clothes.

Taking the witness stand today in a trial against a trio of Italian businessmen who falsely used George Clooney’s name and image to promote a clothing line and fashion show, the 49-year-old movie star testified before a packed Milan courtroom that he did not wear long jean shorts.

The testimony came while Clooney examined photoshopped pictures purporting to show him in the company of the Italian defendants.

Explaining how he knew one particular photograph had been doctored, Clooney — nattily dressed in a navy blue suit, crisp white shirt and red-spotted blue tie — testified, “Here, for instance. I don’t smoke and I don’t wear that watch,” Clooney is reported as saying. Then after a pause he added, “I also don’t wear long jean shorts.”

Whew! What a relief. Long jean shorts only belong on toddlers; we don’t know any man that should ever wear long jean shorts — even if the label is Rag & Bone and they cost $210 at Saks.

Clooney’s debonair image has been preserved.

For her first professional appearance since the highly-publicized breakup of her marriage to Jesse James, the ever-classy Sandra Bullock chose to wear a sleek, black dress by Elie Saab that hugged her curves, but wasn’t overly sexy.

Bullock appeared Saturday evening at Spike TV’s “Guys Choice Awards,” to accept an award for winner of the “Troops’ Choice” award for entertainer of the year. The Troops’ Choice award is voted on exclusively by members of the military worldwide. It seems that Bullock’s father is a veteran and she wanted to show her support to our troops and appreciation for the award.

Ever the funny gal, Bullock cracked a couple of jokes during her speech.(Video below.)

“Let’s be honest here, just for a moment,” Bullock began, standing on stage flanked by members of the U.S. military. “Did I win this for being entertainer of the year, or did I win this because of the spectacular I.E.D. [improvised explosive device] explosion that became my personal life?”

“You! You!” yelled the crowd, showing their appreciation for Bullock.

Bullock’s black, leather dress is from Elie Saab’s Fall 2010 RTW collection. She paired it with Casadei heels and jewelry by Cartier, reports E! Online.

Photo: Marcio Madeira / FirstView.com

AP/Vadim Ghirda

Are you addicted to high heels for the elevation they provide? (Paging Jessica Simpson!) Then you’ll love the new “skyscraper” heels by Romanian designer, Mihai Albu, so named because the towering sandals add 12 impressive inches to your height.

“Heels have an advantage because (many women) don’t have long legs,” Albu told the Associated Press. “They reposition the waist.”

The high heels are hand-crafted and cost about $1,525. One style features three wedge sandals that are stacked to make one very tall shoe. (See photo, left.)

Other styles feature chunky platforms and colorful rosettes. (More photos below.)

We love the height that these sandals would add to our frame, but we can’t help asking a silly question — how is anybody supposed to be walk in these things?

Never mind, fashion has never been about function anyways.

AP/Vadim Ghirda

AP/Vadim Ghirda

This is awesome!

Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about CharityBuzz.com auctioning off a week internship at Vogue, attendance at a New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show and meeting Anna Wintour.  The proceeds will benefit the The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Well, the auction ended yesterday and it went for $42,500!  It’s just great.

It seems that Anna now has a thing for auctions.  She has another auction on CharityBuzz.com.  This time the beneficiary will be  The Art of Elysium.  The Art of Elysium “encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions.”  It’s a great cause and one can only hope that Anna’s éclat can again raise a big pot of cash for this charity.

The winner will get  a meet-and-greet along with tickets to a NYFW show, a Christian Louboutin gift certificate and bags from Proenza Schouler and Alexander Wang.

The current bid is $5,000.  However, like before, we’ve got a long time before the auction ends.  You’ve got until Thursday, May 13th at 12pm to make a bid.

Even if these auctions are too steep for your wallet, I hope that Anna’s auctions will inspire her many fans to contribute to these or other good causes.

How exciting!

Photo courtesy of PicApp.com.

Shrek Forever After is set for in a few weeks on May 21, 2010. The people at Dreamworks decided to take a chance with VMan magazine.

The VMan feature, titled “Shrek of a Guy” resulted in a racy promo spread that has Dreamworks regretting its decision, according to FOXNews.com. This is stirring up a bit of a debate because, really, is your average kid going to be looking at VMan?

The shoot took place at New York’s Standard Hotel. Ellen von Unwerth was the photographer who did the shoot and Nicola Formichetti, who is now famous for outfitting Lady Gaga, styled it.

Here are the photos. Take a look at tells us what you think.

Is it weird, innovative or a bit of both?

Anna Wintour in the documentary feature film, The September Issue

I just heard about a great auction happening over at CharityBuzz.com. Anna Wintour, the world-famous editor of American Vogue, is giving away the week of a lifetime to the highest bidder.  This is what you’ll win:

Anna Wintour, the legendary editor of the world’s recognized fashion authority, Vogue, has joined the cause to help benefit the RFK Center by donating a priceless week-long experience at the revered magazine. Tailored to the individual interests and skill set of the auction winner, the week at Vogue will be as fascinating as it is informative.

As part of this experience, the winner of this dream package will get to attend a fashion show during New York’s Fashion Week.

Also included in this package:
The September Issue DVD
In Vogue
Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People
The World in Vogue: People, Parties, Places
The Teen Vogue Handbook

The proceeds from the auction will benefit The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.  The RFK Center is a living memorial dedicated to the causes that Robert F. Kennedy fought for.  The goal of the RFK center is “dedicated to advancing the human rights movement through providing innovative support to courageous human rights defenders around the world who have won the RFK Human Rights Award.” The center advances human rights through various programs including  human rights education advocacy programs and pushing for legislative reform of  juvenile justice systems.

Honestly, it’s great to see Anna putting the force of her fame and clout behind such a great cause.

As of Sunday, April 11th, the winning bid is $12,000.  However, bidding goes on for a few more days and ends on April 29 at 12:29:00 PM EDT.

If you’ve got the money to spare and want to have an unforgettable week in the offices of American Vogue, definitely click over and make a bid!  It’s for a great cause.

Here is a link to the auction at CharityBuzz.com: Anna Wintour, The Legendary Editor-in-Chief of VOGUE is Offering You the Opportunity of a Lifetime! Just Being Near Her Will Make You Chic

Taking up a family legacy, Gia Coppola shot the commercial for the Zac Posen for Target collection. The commercial features the girl group, The Like. The commercial is inspired by “…old Beatles footage of them in their hotel room.”

In addition, The Like will be at the Zac Posen 24-hour Target pop-up store that is creating so much buzz. The pop-up store is happening next week from 11pm on 4/15 to 11pm on 4/16 at 481 Eighth Ave., at 34th St. in New York, NY.

Pop icon Madonna and her 13-year-old daughter Lourdes will soon be debuting a juniors fashion line exclusively for Macy’s called “Material Girl.”

But according to Madonna, it’s her daughter that will be doing most of the designing. “I just stand in the background and go, “That’s cool. That’s not cool,’” Madonna recently told Billboard.com.

Stella McCartney, says Madonna, is to blame (or credit) with instilling in Lourdes (nickname, Lola) the desire to design. “Lola has been bothering me for ages about designing clothes,” Madonna told Billboard.com. “Stella McCartney is a good friend of mine and she got her mind thinking when Lola was a little girl, about 8 years old. She started giving Lola fabrics and inviting her into her showroom and asking her opinion on things, giving her sketch books and stuff like that. Stella always pushed her.”

With an early exposure to fashion design, perhaps it was inevitable that Lola would dip her sketch pencil in the pool, too. “I have a lot of friends who are clothing designers whether it is Gaultier or Dolce and Gabbana,” says Madonna. “[Lola] has been around all of the shoots I have done and all of the campaigns I have done. She is always hanging out backstage. The last two tours I have done, she has been working in the wardrobe department. On this last tour she dressed all of the dancers.”

What can consumers expect to see in the new Material Girl line, set to launch this fall? Jeans, shoes, fingerless gloves, necklaces and other accessories — much of it inspired by Madonna and Lola’s love of dance, reports Billboard.com.

It’s time to peel off the layers and enjoy the great spring dresses.  Here are a few picks to get you started!

I’ll break this up by price categories: Under $30, from $30 to $100, and $100 and above.   To keep things simple, I’m going to stick with casual dresses for this post.

Under $30:

$19.99 from Target: Merona® Women’s V-Neck Dress – Pink Floral

$29.80 from Forever21: Flower Patch Minidress

$14.00 from Wal-Mart: Faded Glory – Women’s Crochet-Trim Print Dress

From $30 to $100:

$39.50 from Uniqlo: Women’s Silk Cotton Short Sleeve Smock Dress

$88.00 from Bloomingdales.com: Aqua Striped Silk Dress

$89.50 from Gap.com: Long Floral Dress

$100 and above:

$248.00 from LordandTaylor.com: LILLY PULITZER Lara Shell-Print Sleeveless Silk Swing Dress

$128.00 (on sale now for $88.99) from Macys.com:  Jessica Simpson Dress, Ruffled Neckline Butterfly Print

That’s only nine dresses.

There are so many cute dresses out there for spring!

Click around and if you find some that you just love, please share them with us in the comment section!