The House of Vuitton had one of its most successful accessory collaborations in its history with the late artist Stephen Sprouse in the early 2000s. Who could forget those day-glo graffiti handbags, more grade school scribble than Pollack strokes, lighting the wrists of downtown denizens and uptown mavens alike. Well clearly Vuitton couldn’t as the brand’s Creative Director, Marc Jacobs, has designed a new line of handbags that sort of pick up where the Sprouse bags left off. It is important to point out though that the bags are not a rip off of the artist’s original works, but more of an admiration of his artistry and success. The ode comes at a time of renewed interest in the artist’s works, starting with a retrospective - “Rock on Mars” - at the Deitch Projects’ Wooster Street gallery from Jan. 9 to Feb. 28, and a new Stephen Sprouse book. Deitch approached Jacobs about doing something with Vuitton to coincide with the retrospective and the tribute line was born. The line focuses on two of Sprouse’s mainstays: graffiti and the rose, with the pieces being available in both accessories and ready-to-wear. So if you did not acquire an original Sprouse-Vuitton piece in 2001, here is your chance to get in on it this time around.

Or so it would seem for Louis Vuitton with its latest design collaboration with film director Sofia Coppola. Hot on the heels of their extremely successful collaboration with Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons for their monogrammed leather goods in Tokyo (currently completely sold out), comes the announcement that Ms. Coppola was tapped to design a line of handbags and shoes. The products are said to be launching in Japan, Vuitton’s recent international test market, with the intention of selling worldwide. Of course Ms. Coppola is no stranger to fashion, as she is often front and center at several designer shows, in particular Marc Jacobs, the creative force behind the Vuitton label. Sofia’s choice should prove to be a very interesting one, both from her perspective and detailed eye from behind the camera, to her being a well known francophile, to her love of pretty ladylike flats. Both Sofia and her father, director Francis Ford Coppola, star in Vuitton’s ‘core values’ ad campaign. Viva la Vuitton!

Maverick designer Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garcons, that sought-after label of coolness, has signed on to design a line of evening bags for the luxury label Louis Vuitton. As we all know, Marc Jacobs, the designer for Louis Vuitton, has a wonderful eye for picking the right guest designer and/or artist to design handbags for the company. Just think of the Murikami handbags and pop-up concept shops, or the Stephen Sprouse grafitti logo handbags from a few years ago.

But getting Rei was a true coo, after all, the designer herself eschews labeled bags and only carries a plain black tote for a night out on the town. Known for her avant garde style, one can only anticipate the cutting edge designs that she will produce for Vuitton. My style bets are on lots of LBBs (little black bags), some futuristic materials and interesting shapes. Um, note to all, get on the waiting list. If these bags sell like the previous guest collections, they will be sold out before they ever hit a store.

Marilyn Monroe crooned it best, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Of course we agree, well, that is until Louis Vuitton took it up a sparkling notch with its new logo-monogrammed diamonds. If your 4-carat or 5-carat diamond solitaire seems to be lacking something, perhaps it is the LV logo inscribed into your diamond, or the flowers etched on its side ending in a neat little bow, literally. For a mere $2.8 million dollars you too can have a three-strand necklace carved with the company’s monogram motif, or maybe the 6.25-carat ring is more your style with the aforementioned logo LV inscribed in the diamond, small flowers etched beautifully on its side, tied neatly in a little bow at the ring base, which took a year as reported in Women’s Wear on July 2, however there was no report on the price of this confection. The company is confident that this new monogrammed direction is the way to go that a solitaire engagement collection is on the November horizon. Frankly, if you already have a sizeable diamond, logo monogram or not, go with it and be happy.

Louis Vuitton started the pop up concept this year with the pop up Vuitton stores within Japanese artist Murakami’s art installations, with the stores featuring bags by the artist. Well it has caught on and now Colette will have a pop up mini store in New York City this summer on Fifth Avenue at 54th Street. The store will be set up for one month from September 6 through October 5. Colette, as you know (and again a fashion shame on you if you do not) is the hip, chic Parisian behemoth at 213 rue Saint-Honoré which carries all of the cutting edge labels and luxury designers that any fashionista, tourista and Lou Doillon wanna be could not live without. Much to the chagrin of Parisians, Colette will temporarily close its store for massive renovations starting July 7th, with an anticipated reopening by the end of August. Don’t be to upset though if you are in Paris and want to shop there, they will have a Suprette parked out front so you can still get your shop on.