Over the weekend, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, the world’s largest luxury goods conglomerate, announced that it would increase its share in family-owned leather giant Hermes 14.2%, to a total of 17.1% stock ownership. LVMH, which owns such famous labels as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy and Fendi, claims that it will not seek control of Hermes or board representation, but news of the sharp increase in the conglomerate’s ownership of the brand has many wondering if that will remain true for long. Luxury isn’t just a lifestyle, it’s also big business, and Hermes has been among the most profitable properties on the high-end mass market through the recent economic downturn. Part of the Hermes allure for many clients stems from the fact that the Hermes family still runs the company, even in this day of corporate fashion and massive conglomeration. LVMH doesn’t just buy up shares of luxury brands for fun, and although owning a chunk of Hermes stock is certainly a strong bet in today’s luxury market, one can’t help but wonder about LVMH’s larger goals. Although the company’s spokespeople claim that LVMH merely has its sights on being a longterm Hermes stockholder, luxury watchers would be advised to take that with a proverbial grain of salt.One of my favorite things about BlueFly, as I may have mentioned before, is your ability to find things there that you may have missed in their original trip through Retail Land. So before any of you haters tell me “Ugh, this is such an old bag, why are you writing about this,” I’ll remind you that some folks may have missed it the first time. And the Prada Tweed Printed Medium Tote is worth taking a look at, even if that’s all you do. First, it’s deerskin. Any deerskin that I’ve ever been in contact with has been not only super soft (on the level of lambskin), but also thick and durable-feeling, unlike lambskin. Second, I think the tweed print on the outside is cute and kind of irreverent. It wouldn’t match with everything, but I think it’s versatile in ways that belie it’s original appearance. Its simple structure puts the pattern on display, and the shade of green used would match with most solid-colored outfits for spring. My favorite part, though, is the lining. It seems like few brands still use leather to line their bags, but Prada has come through for us with a beautiful green leather throughout the interior

Let’s get one thing cleared up before we begin: if the whole Marc Jacobs/Chanel “resemblance” issue over the past several years makes you have a rage blackout, this might not be the post (or the bag) for you. If the appropriation of quilted leather and chains strikes you as more of a winking homage than an out-and-out ripoff, then keep reading. Either way, if you get to the end of this post and are feeling a little stabby, don’t say I didn’t warn you. For those of you that dig Jacobs’ Chanel-reminiscent handbags, the news that he’s now making the ever-popular “The Single” minibag in not-so-mini sizes is probably welcome news. One of those new bags is the Marc Jacobs The XL Quilting Shoulder Bag, and as the name would imply, it’s supersized for ease of day-to-day use. Oh, another thing to point out: it costs a couple of grand less than a Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap.Do you want to put exotic shine to your wardrobe? I once recommended a great many python leather handbags to achieve such effect. Today I would like to recommend another accessory which would also trigger this reaction. I guess this Gucci Bamboo Clog High Heel Clogs will indeed bring exotic luxury to your entirety. The Gucci Clogs is coated in stone python which already makes this a stunner though it simply comes in monochrome color combination. The delicate python straps are designed across the toe, across the arch and on the ankle. Meanwhile, the wild looking shoes are greatly accented with the sumptuous nickel hardware. And the iconic Gucci horsebit ring buckle gives this pair an edgier looking. From the characteristics above, we can know the Gucci Shoes would surely let you exude a hint of wildness and create fashionable brilliance to your overall façade.