Most fashion textbooks teach students that fashion is best understood as a cycle. If an item is a fad, it tends to lead a short fashion life. Fads are typically geared towards certain age groups and usually create a craze. (i.e. Jellies- remember those?!)

An item can also become a trend, which is a fad that has a prolonged life. This is what we see most of the time in accessories, especially with bags. The only thing that lives longer then a trend, in short is something deemed worthy of becoming a classic, which as we all know becomes a staple in one’s wardrobe (i.e. “The Little Black Dress”).

I actually see fashion as mostly a trickle down theory, in which whoever endorses a trend, is at the height of fashion. Those that emulate and reproduce the ideas are the ones that fall in a line below, until the trend is either adopted as a classic or thrown off the wheel.

Recently, I have been giving some thoughts to trends as many new ones have emerged for fall styles. I have been shopping across many channels in the past few weeks and many times surveying the trickle down theory in real live motion.

The first time that I can remember a trend growing to mass proportions, was the ever sought after Birkin bag. The women that originally carried them were famous for doing so. Next celebrities were getting their hands on them, including Sex and the City’s character, Samantha Jones, who had the power to make a few phone calls in an attempt to own one. A few months after that, there was a two year waiting list for any trendy woman that wanted an orange epi leather bag.

Over the years there have been many trendy bags that have been made popular by celebrities. You may remember the Fendi Spy Bag, or the bag that Gucci themselves deemed the “Jessica Simpson” bag for customers to easily identify in the stores.

I will admit that I do own a few designer bags. I enjoy them for their function mostly and not because of the brand name they boast. I will also admit that I look forward to each season for the magazine ads. I love to see what celebrity is endorsing each luxury brand, and how they do it. I will also admit that I regularly read the gossip pages and see what the girls are carrying on their arms. I don’t think I would jump to any admissions of wanting a bag because a celebrity was carrying it. Overall, I would say that a brand and its advertisements influence my purchases over whether LiLo has the same one.

As I wise up to the trends around me, I have started to like the lesser-known brands that do not have the company’s logo plastered all over the bag. If you are like me and interested in luxury bags that have personality, consider labels like Gustto, Kooba, and Botkier.

If you are really into the high end luxury brands, you can’t go wrong with Gucci or Channel. If you can’t afford these, check out www.bagborroworsteal.com. On this website, users can request a bag, receive it in the mail, borrow the next one, and return the first (works like Netflicks). Users are welcome to borrow bags for as long as they like.

If you still can’t get enough of designer bags, my prediction of this season’s “it” bag is Louis Vuitton’s Neverfull PM in the monogram canvas. I have seen at least 5-7 women carrying it already! It is priced at $575, which is a steal for Vuitton! If you want to be ahead of the waiting lists or the price increases due to high volume, GO GET ONE!

All in all, I was in Chinatown in New York this past weekend and it saddened me to see really bad versions of the designer bags that we all gush over. Please consider the essence of design before you think of buying PRADO.

Author: Amy Lieberman (Want to become a Handbag Correspondent?)