There’s something about designer duds that make every lover of fashion just a little bit giddy (I’m living proof when strutting down the street with my favorite Furla carryall). And no one knows that better than the pros at Hallandale Beach–based LuxeDH. Purveyors of authentic, pre-loved luxury handbags from the likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Balenciaga, they told me how they’ve seen it all, from handbag hoarders to handling some of the most coveted pieces in the runway world.

It’s time to make your own pre-loved designer discoveries. Our Handbags by Louis Vuitton & More: Picks by LuxeDH Boutique opens Saturday, April 13, at 11AM ET.

By Abigail Kuzia, Editor

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There seems to be no end to the list of unbelievable things Karl Lagerfeld will say, and this interview with Harper’s Bazaar‘s Laura Brown proves no exception. As to what he’d do if he were invisible? We won’t ruin the surprise, but here’s hoping the cops don’t catch him doing it.

Do you have other videos that must be seen? Share them in the comments below, or tweet us at @ruelala.

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On a recent stroll around SoHo (after a major carb splurge at The Dutch), I spied the telltale chain links glimmering in the sun – Chanel! Gently used investment bags (along with The Dutch’s sweet potato doughnuts) are a particular love of mine. So down I went into A Second Chance. What I discovered was a jewel of a shop featuring some of the most coveted pieces imaginable: Stephen Sprouse–edition Vuittons (yes, more than one). CÉLINE mini luggage. A bottle-green Lanvin leather dress. And, oh, the Chanel.

Now, better than any doughnut is an entire Boutique on Rue devoted to a curated collection of Chanel from this beloved NYC destination. This merited a chat with Natalie Rivera, daughter of owner Maria.

Rue La La: What inspired you to open A Second Chance?
Natalie: My mom, Maria, was an avid resale shopper. She always dreamed of owning a Chanel bag of her own one day and opened the store to stay active and involved in an industry she loved. She never dreamed the business would grow to what it has become today. I joined after working in corporate fashion for three years.

Rue La La: We hear you’re ruthless – in a good way – when deciding what makes the cut for the shop. And it shows.
Natalie: Authenticity is first and foremost. Once we are confident that the item is authentic, we appraise the condition to ensure that it is up to our standards. While condition of vintage items varies from piece to piece, we avoid selling items that show too much wear. Once this criteria has been established, we look for items that are classic and timeless. We accept both current and vintage pieces, but everything must be from a luxury designer. Our forte is Chanel, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton.

Rue La La: How tempted are you to buy the pieces right when they come in?
Natalie: We only accept items we love, so there’s always a strong desire to buy before they hit shelves. My mother and I are a good balance for each other; she loves to shop and I love to sell.

Rue La La: Is there something that always flies off your shelves?
Natalie: The fastest items to sell are Chanel black quilted classic flap bags with gold hardware. They are iconic bags and almost every girl aspires to own one.

Rue La La: What are people asking about most right now?
Natalie: Chanel vintage jewelry. The handbags have always been on their radar, but the jewelry is becoming more and more popular. There was a time when people would only be interested in the classic CC pieces, but the demand is now growing for the more unique Gripoix and vintage jewelry pieces.

Rue La La: What’s on your personal fashion wish list for spring?
Natalie: A pink Hermès Kelly bag. (Ed. note: Ours, too.)

Our Chanel: Picks by A Second Chance Resale Boutique opens Wednesday, March 13, at 11AM ET.

Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Balenciaga, Hermès – consider these names the fab four of handbag designers. From their sought-after silhouettes to the have-to-have-them labels, Roberto Szerer of LUXEDH talks details. Having trouble seeing your life without one? Snap them up in our From the Reserve: Handbags by Louis Vuitton & More Boutique.

Rue La La: You’ve seen your fair share of designer handbags. How can you tell the real from the knockoffs?
Roberto: Over the years, our authenticators have acquired these skills by looking at thousands and thousands of what is real and what is a knockoff. The authenticity of a handbag is determined by many factors, among them certain aspects of bags like serial numbers, date codes, materials, hardware, and other criteria like patterns of leather, etc. Continue reading “The Fab Four: Roberto Szerer of LUXEDH Talks Designer Handbags” »

The dream job for a self-proclaimed shopaholic? For Linda Lightman, founder of shoplindasstuff.com, it’s making coveted items available to the whole world. From have-to-have-them designers like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Proenza Schouler, our  Rue’s Little Secret: Linda’s Stuff Boutique warrants a total fashion frenzy. Here, I caught up with the e-commerce guru on where her big idea came from and what she loves most about the UPS man.

First off, how did you get started?
12 years ago my kids had old video games that they wanted to sell. We went to the local game store to trade them in for new ones, but we were only getting about $5 for each game that we originally bought for $50 or more. My son suggested putting our old games on eBay instead to see if we could get more money for them. So, we went home and put them online and the sales were amazing. We were getting almost full price for the same games on eBay.

And then that transitioned to clothes and luxury goods?
Yes. I decided to start selling my old clothes on eBay instead of going to the consignment shop like I usually did. Once I ran out of things to sell, I ended up helping my friends sell their old things on eBay and that business grew from word of mouth. Now I partner with stores and retailers to sell merchandise that they are getting rid of or need help selling. The stores wanted to be able to have a fresh new look all the time, and I was able to help them do that while still helping them make a profit off these items.

Tell us about your warehouse.
I was selling everything out of my home, but I ended up having to hire people to take photos of the merchandise and help me run my business. Now I have 85 employees and a 25,000 square foot warehouse.

That’s incredible. What types of items sell the best online?
Handbags and shoes definitely sell the best on our site, but designer clothing, jewelry, and men’s clothing all do really well too. I came to find out that as long as we were selling discerning designer names, then people would buy them. Sometimes people come onto the site looking for something specific, like a classic quilted Chanel handbag, and find a vintage Chanel dress that they didn’t know they needed until that very moment. The best thing about it is that there is something for everyone.

As if I have to ask, what do you love most about what you do?
It’s like Christmas every day. We get hundreds of boxes in the morning, and for a shopaholic like me, it’s unbelievable. We love when UPS comes, because we get to see all the new items coming in and what’s hot now. I love what I do.

Our Rue’s Little Secret: Linda’s Stuff Boutique opens Tuesday, September 25, at 11AM ET.

By Brianna Lapolla, Staff Writer

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Our Madison Avenue Couture – Chanel Boutique opens Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 at 11AM ET.

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR KAREN KARBO

We love the deliciously readable book, The Gospel According to Coco Chanel by Karen Karbo. So we were (very) excited to get the author’s takes on modern icons, personal style, and the state of fashion. (Like us on Facebook and read the entire interview in our Notes.)

Rue La La: The Gospel is more than just a biography, it’s almost a self-help guide – did you set out with that mission in mind?
Karen: Absolutely. One of my abiding interests in female icons is why they continue to be iconic. What is it about their lives that continues to hold our attention? Chanel’s life was immensely satisfying and she lived it exactly as she wanted, decade in, decade out. I was fascinated by what we might learn about the way she lived that that would enrich our lives. I joked to someone that The Gospel was “a biography for a self-absorbed time,” but I wasn’t kidding!
Continue reading “Five-Minute Pow-Wow: Karen Karbo Talks Chanel” »