Puppy Purse - the new carrying device

It seems that our pets are now becoming big business in the bag world. Having read about the latest craze in America, you will be able to carry your puppy or small dog in a stylish carrying device, which can either be carried by handles or by a strap placed over your shoulder.

Two American Lawyers who saw a niche in the market have designed the bags, the prices range from £40 - £60 and will be available to purchase on the Internet and through sophisticated pet shops.

I have no doubt that we shall soon be seeing these 'PuppyPurse's' in the UK, but surely as we are becoming an oversized nation this doesn't bode well for our puppies and small dogs if this carrying craze develops.

Handbag Designer Profile Five - Alice Caroline

Week fives sees designer name Alice Caroline under the spotlight.

Sisters Alice and Helen Sturdy created 'Alice Caroline'; all of their handbags and accessories are designed by themselves and made in England using high quality materials and fabrics.

The Japanese and retro style fabrics which are used provide a unique range of handbags and purses for everyone to enjoy.

It seems that we are not the only ones who love their designs - the fashion editors and journalists all think that their cord clutch bag is a must have, it is being featured in the Daily Star magazine this Sunday (3rd September) as one of the best 5 clutch bags to go and buy. Make sure you do as they won't be around for very long!

Handbag Competition

Fancy winning a designer handbag?

The Bag Boutique are currently offering all UK residents aged 18 years and over the chance to win a handbag designed by Jan Milne. The handbag on offer is the Luna bag in pale blue.

All you need to do is register with us and sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletter. On the 30th of September 2006, we will randomly pick one newsletter subscriber as the winner.

**RULES**
1. You must be over 18 years of age and resident in the UK to enter our competition.
2. Only one entry per person is permitted. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.
3. The winner will be notified within 7 days of the draw taking place. The name of the winner will be published on the website and in the e-newsletter. There is no cash alternative to the prize; in the event of the prize being unavailable we reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
4. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. No purchase is necessary.
6. If the winner cannot be contacted within 28 days of the close of the competition, another winner will be randomly selected from the same registered customer list.

Register now for your chance to win.

Handbag Designer Profile Four - Jan Milne

We are now into our fourth week of giving you some extra information about the UK designers we have onboard at The Bag boutique.

This week we focus on Scottish designer Jan Milne, Jan graduated from Glasgow School of Art with a first class honours degree in Printed Textile Design in 1994.

Jan is recognised by architectural and interior design firms for supplying custom printed textiles for use in both contract and domestic interiors. Her designs reflect her lively personality and love of colour.

Over the last 2 years the company has expanded into the accessories market with a collection of leather and fabric handbags.

The most popular bag available has been the Luna and Chica bags in antique leather brown; these are designed with accessory clad females in mind who need extra pockets to house mobiles, keys, ipods and lip-glosses.

Our favourite is the Chica, which is definitely a bag that won't go out of fashion.

Press pages

As you may or may not be aware we have just added a new page to our site.

A new press page has now been included so you can see which bags and accessories have been featured in the press and which bags are popular by journalists.

The new page gives us an opportunity to link to other fashion sites who have featured us such as www.howtolookgood.com; and www.fashion-era.com , that way we can promote other sites who have done the same for us.

Take a look at our new page, and see us featured in Woman Magazine, Essentials Magazine and many more. This page will of course be updated regularly as and when we know which new features have been published.

Handbag Designer Profile Three - Emily Cheetham

As it is now the third week for designer profiles, we are going to give you a little insight into the background of Emily Cheetham.

The London based handbag and accessory label 'Cheet' was founded by Emily Cheetham in late 2002. Cheet bags have been discovered by celebrities and loyal customers such as Jenni Falconer (GMTV), Jayne Middlemiss (Celebrity Love Island Winner 2005 and Presenter), Kirsty Gallagher and many more.

Emily has also won the 'Best Accessories Award' at Profile 7 tradeshow sponsored by Hobbs. An exclusive collection of her handbags and accessories will be available in flagship stores for Autumn/Winter 06/07.

At present we have a selection of her make-up bags and sparkly purses, which we think, are great gift ideas, especially in the run up to Christmas.

Us Yoga Types

Having enjoyed such a long and warm summer (let's hope there is more to come) with plenty of bbq's and beers, its time to shape up before the inevitable Christmas excesses!

So Thursday nights from now on are all about stretching, meditating and breathing techniques in the local village hall for my weekly fix of yoga and pilates.

It would seem that us yoga types might not be the trendiest, with an array of tracksuit bottoms, old camping mats and beach towels. Thank god I found a designer who makes beautiful handmade, silk and corduroy bags to bring colour to our yoga wardrobes.

We hope you agree?

Baby Changing Bags....Call for UK designers

The Bag Boutique has been investigating adding a range of baby changing bags to our already growing collection of bags and accessories. We have been asked by many of our customers and friends about introducing baby changing bags as it seems there is a lack of functional, yet stylish bags which new mum's can enjoy using.

We are therefore on the look out for UK designers who specialise in changing bags or bags, which can be used for mums with young babies.

If you are a designer who is interested in supplying The Bag Boutique, please get in contact by e-mail (info@thebagboutique.co.uk) as we would be very interested in viewing your collection.

Or if you are a new mum who has managed to find that perfect bag which can house all those baby essentials - please also get in touch and let us know where you found your bag.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Handbag Designer Profile Two - Makki

This week is the turn of handbag designer Makki.

Joanne is the designer behind the Makki handbag collection. The bags are made with decadent silks and ribbons using a palette of seductive blacks and pinks.
The bags are also hand embroidered and have a luxurious and very feminine feel to them.
As I am sure you will agree these bags are ideal for weddings, special occasions or glamorous evenings out.

One of the most featured bags is the Suki - gold bag which has been featured in Woman Magazine, IS! Magazine and on www.fashion-era.com/. Log on and have a look and buy before it's too late.

Online shopping continues to grow

Statistics show that we are continuing to spend online, which is great news for all e-commerce businesses. It is reported that in the first 6 months of 2006, British shoppers spent a massive £13.5 billion online, which is a 40% increase on the same period in 2005.

June was the best month for online sales with more than £2.2 billion spent by consumers; this was up by 37% on June 05.

With more products than ever available on the Internet, and with increased consumer confidence in buying over the web, we will no doubt continue to see a growth in online sales over the months to come and with the run up to Christmas. It is therefore a must for all Internet businesses to make sure that site security is a high priority as it is for our customers.

Handbag Designer Profile One - Emma Gordon

We at The Bag Boutique thought it would be both interesting and informative to allow our customers an insight into each of the designers, which we profile on our online boutique.

Each Wednesday (starting below) we will profile a different designer starting with Emma Gordon.

Handbag Designer - Emma Gordon

Designer and maker Emma Gordon established Emma Gordon Handbags in 2003. Emma's inspiration is drawn from all aspects of ladylike styling, and her bags can be used for both day and evening occasions reflecting both fun and smart styles.

Each bag is handmade by Emma; achieving a unique style which can't be matched by mass production.

Our favourite bag by Emma is the Delilah Clutch bag with red and white stripy lining (as shown above) - to view Emma's collection click here.