Dolce and Gabbana already has their standard line and their D&G line for clothing and sunglasses, so why not add a third one? In this case, a third line is a possibility for Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses, as Madonna is working with the fashion line to design MDG. Presently, many Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses follow the latest trends for men and women, including many oversized and colorful styles with rhinestones on the frame. Similar large and aviator frames are the latest designs by his brand for men. By bring Madonna on board, how will Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses look any different?

With MDG set to launch in May, Madonna will also be the face of advertising campaign for the sunglasses, much like she was for Louis Vuitton handbags. But, considering Madonna’s almost 30-year career in the public eye, how much was she known for her fashion rather than simply being a rabid multi-tasker? If bleached hair and cone-shaped bras are the last time you remember Madonna had any fashion recognition (although not influence), you might not be that far off. Even if her current wardrobe is youthful but somewhat on the bland side, who can forget the getups she wore in the ‘80s?

If ‘80s style is what Madonna is courting with Dolce and Gabbana, perhaps MDG will be like the fashion line’s selection of wayfarer sunglasses. At the moment, Dolce and Gabbana’s line has touched on every trend, with the exception of wayfarers, and perhaps this will be the line’s foray into a more retro look, instead of fashion-forward and glam. But, unlike the connotations from her Material Girl line, MDG is more ambiguous. The line of sunglasses could simply reflect the last time Madonna’s clothing was en vogue or it could simply be an attempt for Madonna to try to be fashionable again. Judging by the recent photographs and advertising released for MDG, it might be the latter.

One trend we’ve seen on many celebrities this past year has been the combining of trends. Bright colors with reptile prints. Bright prints on hobo handbags. Western style on a cross-body bag. Animal prints re-imagined in bright colors. The list could go on, but, no matter which two you combine, trend hybrid handbags are more ubiquitous than the actual hybrid style of last year – the patchwork look. But, it doesn’t appear that this trend will end any time soon, as another celebrity was spotted with a trend hybrid handbag, sorts. Whitney Port, one of those reality-TV celebrities from The Hills, was recently seen with a fringed black hobo handbag.

Hobo handbags generally work best in solid colors, as we’ve seen from many celebrities, although animal prints do work on occasion but if, and only if, the bag is a solid print. Typically, a hobo handbag is too large to have embellishments and ornaments all over. Otherwise, the handbag simply looks tacky. In the hybrid of styles on Whitney Port’s handbag, she keeps a solid black style that’s embellished with fringe on the bottom of the bag and laced-up sides. The bag itself works as a high-end western bag or as rocker chic and clearly stands out from Port’s casual look.

Finding a western-style hobo handbag for the average person isn’t difficult, however. One option, if you can handle the less space, is to go with a retro slouch purse decked with fringe, as seen in this link from Western Express, a western wear store. The bag maintains the solid black color with only one embellishment from a concho. The fringe, additionally, lines the front of the bag instead of the bottom. As western style has become a common fashion trend for this upcoming season, such handbags combine high-end fashion with traditional western style.

Perhaps the marketing strategy behind perfumes and cologne should be re-strategized. No matter how large the campaign for certain celebrity-brand scents can be, the myriad of these fragrances only count for about ten percent of all sales. Generally, fragrances with a celebrity name attached sell quickly but then die down. Although some scents with A-list names sell well, this isn’t always the case, and a fragrance that doesn’t do well eventually gets taken off the market.

The latest celebrity fragrance is somewhat ironic. Akon’s Konvict, a his and her scent, alludes to an album of the same name, but the handcuff-styled perfume bottle references a prison more directly. But, name aside, this most recent celebrity scent has a citrus core of lemon, mandarin, vanilla, and almond musk.

Akon, of course, isn’t the only celebrity with a fragrance out. Others preparing to release a fragrance include Rihanna and Jennifer Aniston. Aniston, according to the linked article, has been working on developing a scent for two years and now simply needs to choose a name for it. Right now, the perfume was given the name “Lola,” although “Echo” was in consideration. But, really, two years for a fragrance when, as anyone knows, it might last as long as a movie on the market?

But Jennifer Aniston and Rihanna aren’t the only A-listers with upcoming fragrances, however. Madonna is finally dabbling in a fashion line that will include a fragrance she and her daughter Lourdes Leon develop. Called the Material Girl collection, Madonna will have a line of clothing set to appear in 2011 and scents that go more with her personal brand. As long as it doesn’t include a cone-enhanced bustier dress, the fashion line might be a modest venture for the pop star. Details on what the fragrance will smell like haven’t been released.

Jessica Simpson is best known for being a second-tier pop star, dating John Mayer, and the show Newlyweds, but what most people don’t know is that she has an extensive fashion line under her belt. This has includes clothing, bathing suits, shoes, and fragrances, and, according to a recent article, watches will soon be added to the line. As mentioned in the article under the link, Simpson has been working with Pascal Mouawad to design a set of 35 watches for men and women priced between $60 and $250. Some of these will be standard leather band watches and others will be jewelry-inspired fashion designs.

As part of the Jessica Simpson Collection, these will debut in the Fall of 2010 at various high-end department stores and specialty watch retailers. Simpson herself, as mentioned in the article, has been a collector of vintage watches. Although this doesn’t fully quality her to be a fashion designer, many of her other products continue to sell well, including her perfume line. Simpson, however, may seem more qualified on the surface to be a pop star (or reality TV personality), but the sales of her fashion products overall probably go beyond any record and concert sales she’s had over the years.

Nevertheless, on the subject of watches, Simpson appears to be aiming for a well-rounded line to appeal to everyone and the ever-changing fashion market for watches. She – or Mouawad – seems to see that the basic leather band watch is still in for men, while women prefer something more like jewelry that will match with the outfit. None of the watch styles have been revealed yet, however, although most likely any fashion jewelry watches will be based on the most popular bracelets at the moment – charms or bangles with a watch face.

This Miley Cyrus can’t get enough fur from the dog she’s carrying? Then check out the hobo handbag she’s carrying. This particular handbag has a basic hobo style, but it’s most notable characteristic is its full fur texture. Although the type of animal is specified in the Bag That Style post, it’s one distinct trend we’ve seen all season: Animal hair and fur. Although animal prints have been popular for over a year now, most of them are seen on patent leather, with the exception of cow hide. In fact, Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives was seen a few months ago with a full cowskin hobo handbag. While it’s not as furry as Cyrus’ handbag, it certainly has the same type of style.

But, while these high-end fur handbags can cost a significant amount of money, Best Handbag Wholesale has a limited edition cow skin purse that has the same type of style. Made entirely from natural hide still with the hair, these hobo-style bags are embellished with traditional western ornaments – such as the cross seen at the center of the bag – and have a small strap on top. If you’re looking for the fur style and want to look a little bit western in the process, this handbag by BHW combines both aspects.

As far as non-limited edition products are concerned, many of the western handbags at BHW have a combination of these characteristics. Some handbags, such as this one linked, have a furrier texture similar to Cyrus’ with western embellishments, while others are about contrasting hair on the handbag. In all cases, genuine cow hide or leatherette is used with the natural hair on top to give it a bit of texture. Most handbags, in the western style, are embellished with a belt buckle closure or a cross on the side for some character.

What do you get when you combine two of the hottest handbag trends of the moment? The clutch that’s seen here on Amanda Seyfried. The actress known for Mean Girls and recently starred in Dear John appeared with a zebra print clutch, as seen under the link, designed entirely out of rhinestones. The clutch, by Judith Leiber, appears almost like a jeweled case instead of a clutch and the design of white and black studded crystal is described as a “sunburst.” As both jungle animal prints and crystal – or rhinestone – studs are two popular trends currently, this handbag combines them both without over doing it and does not become tacky.

We’ve seen other celebrities with jeweled clutches on here. In fact, clutches, more so than large handbags, appear to be embellished more often by rhinestones or crystals. A few weeks ago, we saw Naomi Watts and Kate Winslet both with jeweled clutches. Winslet’s had larger crystals, while Watts’ simply had a metallic sheen on a jewel-toned body.

Such purses often retail for thousands of dollars. In the case of Seyfried’s clutch, the value is almost $3,000, which can be expected for a bag of small crystals meticulously put together. If you’re looking for a similar pattern combining these two styles, Best Handbag Wholesale has various affordable options. One is a zebra-patterned wallet with a metallic sheen which, at a distance, has the same crystal-like quality as the more expensive clutch, and many other clutches or wallets that combine a zebra pattern with rhinestones. For the latter wallet, this design consists of a basic zebra pattern with rhinestones along the edges. As Best Handbag Wholesale specializes in western-inspired fashion, this particular wallet style includes a rhinestone-embellished cross at the center. Either design gives you the combination of these two trends.

Fragrance sales have been down since 2006, the year in which celebrity-branded scents became full blown. Two news pieces over the past few weeks touch on what might happen to the fragrance industry: More of the celebrity trend and also an ad campaign targeted to get more of the public interested in wearing perfume or cologne. Although the recession has seen sales across all aspects of retail dip, fragrance sales have seen a sharp decrease, mainly because of its use as a luxury item and not a necessity like clothing. Nevertheless, possibilities for reviving the fragrance industry include more than waiting through the recession.

One option is an upcoming ad campaign by The Fragrance Foundation called “One Mighty Drop.” The website for One Mighty Drop is designed to make scents appeal to everyone, including features for designing you own perfume bottle to tips for wearing fragrances. One notable suggestion is waiting 10 minutes after spraying a fragrance. At this point, you’ll be able to smell all three parts to a scent, and you’ll be able to tell if you’ll enjoy wearing it or not. After all, some perfumes can even take up to 30 minutes for revealing the lowest layer.

Another option is choosing which celebrity will be branding the fragrance. While some celebrities with fragrances come and go, such as Hilary Duff or Ashanti, others, such as Beyonce, appear to have more staying power. Since her start in Destiny’s Child, Beyonce hasn’t really left the public eye, even when an album or single wasn’t entirely stellar. Her recent fragrance, Heat, has been selling fairly well and, according to the linked news item, the promotion for it at Macy’s Herald Square generated about $60,000 in one day, with customers purchasing $122 sets of Heat. Perhaps, in the near future, companies like Coty and Elizabeth Arden will be pickier about which fragrance they brand with a celebrity.

In recent news, two individuals, one on a local level and the other a celebrity, have designed handbags to raise money for specific causes. In one case, Scarlett Johansson, the actress best known for Lost in Translation and more ecently Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has designed a handbag to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti, while a teen in Greenville, NY, designs handbags to raise money for his school. In either instance, the handbags are for sale and the money is going directly to a cause, either locally or on a national level as one of many relief efforts.

In the case of the Greenville teen, Liam Manak, a 15-year-old boy who has a dream of becoming a designer, has some of his handbags for sale at a local event. Called Valentine’s Boutique Monday, the event is designed to support local vendors in the Greenville area and also to raise money for a local private school, Tuxedo Park School. Manak’s handbags are entirely handcrafted from knitting and, at the event, will be retailing from $150 to $250 dollars. From the looks of the picture included with the article, many of Manak’s colorful knitted handbags can be used as mid-size purses or clutches.

On the other end of handbag creation is Scarlett Johansson who, unlike most celebrities, has stuck to the realm of performing – acting and singing – until recently. According to this article, her contribution to raising money for relief efforts in Haiti has been through creating a handbag design which, retailing at $29.90, will be sold in Mango stores. The handbag design itself includes ancient Haitian scripts, and the money from its sales will go directly to Oxfam for clean water and similar causes in Haiti. Although Johannson has posed with handbags for Louis Vuitton, this is her first attempt at designing fashion. Maybe a fragrance will be in the works next.

Both Vanessa Hudgens and studded handbags are old news. While the actress hasn’t appeared in anything significant since High School Musical, studded handbags have appeared on every celebrity this past year. It’s a look we’ve seen too much of. The basic design consists of a black leather handbag embellished by silver studs arranged in a pattern of some kind. Many of these have been bullet studs, but others, such as on a handbag worn by Lindsay Lohan, have been triangular shaped or dark colored. Of course, because both western style and rocker chic have been in for about this amount of time, studs are nearly on everything – clothing, shoes, handbags, and jewelry.

What’s somewhat notable about Vanessa Hudgens’ purse are the studs used. The handbag is a Balenciaga and appears to be the centerpiece for her outfit, but, instead of a silver-on-black design, her bag uses gold-colored, angular studs placed at various points on the leather. Although gold and silver studs are seen together on some lesser brands – take a look at the selections in the latest Forever 21 offerings – the gold studs on Hudgens’ bag stand out from their color and design. Think of a chunky gold bracelet added to a black handbag and, essentially, that’s what this Balenciaga bag looks like.

Similar handbags can be found on discount and designer-inspired websites like Best Handbag Wholesale. Some of these designer inspired handbags have the same combination of studs on a hobo style handbag, much like Vanessa Hudgens’ bag above, but the stud option include silver, gold, and rhinestones. The bag under the link, for example, has a line of clear rhinestones around the edge of a beige-colored hobo bag. Other similar handbags still keeping up with the western style use studs of several sizes and shapes around the edge of the purse.

Celebrity fragrances have been around for years, although this past decade saw a significant surge in their creation and popularity. So, how well can a celebrity’s name sell a particular fragrance? A recent list compiled by Stylist shows the best-selling celebrity fragrances. The top fragrance, of course is White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor, a floral perfume introduced in 1991. Other celebrity fragrances, such as those by P. Diddy, Antonio Banderas, and Britney Spears, are all part of fragrance lines associated with the particular celebrity and have some longevity on the market. Aside from the celebrity’s popularity, some scents like White Diamonds are simple enough to stand out without the celebrity association.

The main issue we’ve seen with celebrity fragrances is that the scent is too convoluted. Many perfumes, for example, combine floral, fruit, and dessert scents together, and the resulting product can’t be defined clearly enough. Is it sweet floral or a flowery fruit scent? Men’s colognes often suffer from a similar issue. Although fewer celebrity colognes are on the market, some of these, be it Paris Hilton’s or David Beckham’s brand, can’t decide on what it wants to be. Combining leather or tobacco notes with wood, patchouli, or grass notes doesn’t always work successfully. Neither does combining any fragrance to the classic amber-spice-lavender framework for many cologne formulas.

But celebrity fragrances aren’t going anywhere. Anyone on the A-list seems to be coming out with their own fragrances in the present, including Beyonce, with Heat. The perfume combines some light floral and fruit notes with vanilla. Beyonce isn’t the only one, however, and, as the linked article mentions, Rihanna and Kanye West both plan to come out with their respective fragrances. This means that consumers might be seeing an umbrella-shaped perfume bottle with a rain and floral scent in stores later in 2010.