Marc Jacobs has designed a new bag for Louis Vuitton Spring 2010 – the Raindrop Besace. It’s made of a waterproof leather material and… well…resembles a trash bag. The cross-body natural Vachetta strap is adjustable but I’m not sure if you will love the bag long enough to see it patina. The bag will set you back $1,960. If you must have it, the EURO has been beat up pretty bad recently (currently $1.3668). It might be time to plan that trip to Paris.

Love it or hate it?

Who: Rebecca Minkoff
Why: Get current styles and colors at a discount -30-60% off
Where: www.rebeccaminkoff.com/shop
When: November 27-30, 2009

DEVOTE – $595 – $350 - $275
MINI DEVOTE – $550 – $325 – $250
MATINEE – $595 – $350 - $325
ZIP MARKET TOTE – $630 - $375 – $300

A few other markdowns she recalls but don’t have photos: Stud Roadie is $295, Computer Case – $50, Mini Nikki – $300, Nikki - $325, Darling – $295

Who: Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale
Why: 40% off retail on most styles
Where: 33 W 17th Street (Between 5th & 6th Ave.)
When: Wed Nov 18-Sunday Nov 22 (10am-8pm)

I’ve been I big fan of RM bags for some time now. They are edgy and amazing eye candy. I get more compliments on my Rebecca Minkoffs than any other bags. Grace went to the sample sale last time around and I’ve been drooling over the red Morning After she nabbed. So when I heard about the sample sale, I just couldn’t resist. I grabbed a co-worker and headed to the sale at lunch. Once there, I was happy to find no lines to get in. All and all, lots of variety and worth checking out. No, the discounts aren’t 80% off but you can get current styles in staple colors such as black and brown. There were tables and table of bags in all styles and colors. A sales girl mentioned they will be replenishing. Discount was about 40% off retail. There was also few racks of clothes, though most people were there to peruse bags. See below for a few pics from the sale. For a detailed account of the sale check out today’s posting on Racked.

Who: Kooba
Why: Up to 80% off sample bags and new bags
Where: 141 West 36th Street (between Broadway and 7th Avenue)
When: 11/17/09 – 11/19/09 (10am – 8pm, closed 2pm-3pm for lunch daily)

It was madness during lunch hour at the Kooba sale. There were boxes full of new bags spread across a decent size room. Off to the side was a smaller room with samples. Each bag was tied with a ribbon color, depending on the color, the prices were $150, $100 or $50. There are some great deals to be had in the sample room but be careful. There is discoloration, rips and markings on the bags. I saw a girl holding a gorgeous light color bag but on the other side of it was scribbles with style numbers in permanent market.

There were tons of clutches and small bags ranging from $40 to $75. There was a wide selection of larger leather and suede bags as well and included styles such as Ryder, Madison, Brett, Blake, Madison, Dale and much more. The suede bags felt a little heavy. Most of the bigger bags were around $250.

Near the door was a rack of leather jackets for $75. This was the best deal at the sale. Tons of 3/4 sleeve leather jackets left. I saw a few cute black motorcycle jackets but only in Large. Bummer.

Click to see a photo of the bags

Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City is in the works to publish a new book, The Carrie Diaries, to be released April 27, 2010. The new book will focus on the character of Carrie Bradshaw in her high school years and embrace topics such as her relationship with her mother, her first love and how she began her career in writing. The Louis Vuitton graffi-inspired cover is amazing. I’m really looking forward to the book but I wonder what The Samantha Diaires would read like.

A question that mind boggles bag connoisseurs is whether Louis Vuitton is cheaper in Paris or the states? The answer is yes and no.

It never fails to get a jaw-dropping reaction each time I tell the story of how I acquired my Monogram Canvas Speedy 30 for around $280US from the Louis Vuitton flagship store on Champs E’Lysee in Paris. It’s currently selling for around $750 in the US after taxes. Two important factors play into that amazing price. The dollar was actually trading around $1.15 to 1€ back in 2001, the year I bought my Speedy. And of course, with each year that passes, LV raises the prices on their bags. This was prior to eight years of LV price inflation adjustments.

So back to more important issues. Is Louis Vuitton cheaper in Paris than the United States in 2009? Yes and No. Yes it’s cheaper but no, it’s not as cheap as it use to be. Unfortunately, this is due to the diminishing dollar against the EURO. I got 0.65€ per dollar while I was there. Some exchange places were offering as low as 0.42€ on the dollar. Do your due diligence so you won’t get scammed.  Also, if you use your credit card, they charge a 3% fee (this varies depending on your CC company).

Even with that said, prices are slightly better and if you are traveling from a country that is not part of the European Union (EU) and visiting for less than six months, then you qualify for a VAT tax refund of 12%. In total, you can save anywhere from $50-$500+ in Paris, depending on the price of the item you are purchasing.  Here are a few pricing examples of some of the most coveted bags from Louis Vuitton:

* The US price equivalent includes a 3% fee charge by the credit card company for foreign transactions. I also included the 12% VAT tax refund. I am using today’s market currency rate to convert EUROs to Dollars – 1.4842 via Bloomberg.com.

Monogram Canvas Eva Clutch/Damier Canvas Eva Clutch – 355€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $477.57 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $594

Monogram Canvas Totally MM/White Damier Canvas Totally MM – 625€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $840.80 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $1,047.60 (I like the Neverfull but I don’t like the thin straps and the non-existent main zip. This bag is the answer.)

*GM is 725€

Monogram Canvas Neverfull MM/Damier Canvas Neverfull MM – 445€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $598.65 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $756

*PM is  415€, GM is 475€

Epi Leather Rubis Pochette Accesoires – 282€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $379.37 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $475.20 (I have to say the Ruby Red is gorgeous!).

Monogram Canvas Speedy 30/Damier Canvas Speedy 30/Damier White Canvas Speedy 30 – 460€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $618.83 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $745.20

*25 is  430€, 35 is 475€

Monogram Canvas Pouchette Milla PM – 255€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $343.05 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $378

Epi Leather Bagatelle GM Rubis – 1250€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $1,681.60 VS. Price is US  with 8% sales tax: $2,095.20

*PM is 880€

Monogram Canvas Stresa PM (Launched just a few days ago) – 875€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $1,177.12 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $1,468.80

*GM is  975€

Monogram Canvas Mini Pochette Accessoires/Damier Canvas Mini Pochette Accessoires – 155€ -> Final US Price Equivalent: $208.51 VS. Price in US with 8% sales tax: $259.20