While actress Rachel Bilson doesn’t appear to be doing anything since The O.C. ended a few years ago, she recently became the ”eyewear ambassador” for Sunglass Hut, the chain store for designer sunglasses. Bilson admittedly has a strong attachment to sunglasses, particularly the wayfarer style in recent photos, and having her as a celebrity face for the brand seems inevitable. Given the title “style director,” Bilson will be doing public appearances, ad campaigns, blogging, and answering questions through the Sunglass Hut website. But, with so many celebrities deciding to get involved in fashion, does this actually seem like a good idea?

While Bilson just appears to be popping up on television and a few independent films since leaving The O.C., being the face of Sunglass Hut gives her something to do. And, unlike other celebrity fashion forays, she’s simply a face – no style input at this point. If there was anything to learn from the Lindsay Lohan-Ungaro debacle, it’s that celebrities, no matter how famous, aren’t fashion designers. In the case of Ungaro’s failure, they may make your clothing line into something resembling a club wear-stripper gear hybrid. But, as far as being a model for the brand is concerned, how difficult is posing for some ads and attending a few store openings?

Designer sunglasses, on the other hand, don’t need the same type of boost that the fragrance industry needs. With campaigns like One Mighty Drop, the industry is looking to build itself a bigger audience, although recently-publicized fragrance bans could be a blow to any efforts. But, with summer approaching, it’s time to purchase a new pair of sunglasses, and designer brands are always preferred. No matter if a celebrity like Rachel Bilson influences you into purchasing some Ray Ban wayfarer sunglasses or you decide for a different style, it’s the time of year in which eye protection is necessary.

Think fragrances could become any more celebrity-centric than they already are? In this case, you probably haven’t heard of the FiFi Awards. Hosted by The Fragrance Foundation, the FiFi Awards are the equivalent of Oscars for the perfume and cologne industry. As many celebrity scents have popped up over the past decade, having some kind of award category for them only makes sense. For both male and female scents, celebrity fragrances are nominated beforehand. This year, as explained in the linked article, the category for Best Celebrity Fragrance for Women has nominations for the latest Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, Avril Lavigne, and Faith Hill fragrances. The winner will be announced on June 10.

Last year, the latest Paris Hilton fragrance won this category. For the men, so far, Usher’s fragrance, going by no name other than his own, won for the best Male Celebrity Fragrance of the year.

Think celebrity fragrances are going too far? You’re probably not the only one. Nevertheless, scents attached to A-list singers and actors are still being churned out. The latest, a perfume by Eva Longoria, the Desperate Housewives star, will be appearing on the market in June, and Jennifer Aniston’s scent appeared in stores just a month ago.

But, is taking the celebrity theme too far? And, why do consumers continue to purchase these scents, even if many of them only have short-term popularity? Company MyDNA, which creates unique fragrances based on a person’s profile, will be launching a line of dead celebrity fragrances. No word yet if or when they’ll be hitting stores, but many of these scents apparently are based on deceased celebrities’ profiles. So far, scents for Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Albert Einstein have been announced.

Considering this last foray into celebrity perfume territory seems somewhat superfluous, don’t ordinary designer fragrances offer something traditional?

One trend we saw somewhat last year was textured leather handbags. This was seen by various quilted styles by Chanel and with black-studs-on-black-leather handbags. This year, it looks like more of the same, but reinterpreted differently. One change is the black studs have gotten larger, and the quilted look has gotten puffier. Chanel continues to carry these purses with a quilted leather look in black and in other colors, but other fashion designers are getting on this trend of textured leather. It keeps the handbag simple on the surface – but more complicated than it actually looks.

One notable textured leather handbag was seen recently on Jennifer Love Hewitt. The Ghost Whisperer star has a black studs on black leather bag, only the studs involved are pyramid shaped and larger than we’ve seen before. Additionally, this particular handbag is made from reused components, older leather jackets in particular. While Hewitt hasn’t been the poster child for any cause (like PETA, for example), it’s certainly a step up from the typical celebrity fashion when someone decides to go green.

Another notable textured leather bag was seen on Ashley Greene, one of the Twilight actresses in the Cullen family. She’s seen here with a Dolce and Gabbana bag that has a textured leather surface – one that nearly looks like bubble wrap. But, would you really squeeze a Dolce and Gabbana bag, no matter how bubble wrap-like it looks?

Reptile skin patterns have been another way to achieve this textured look with a solid color, which can be seen in this black textured leather handbag with a crocodile skin pattern. Why blow your month’s rent on a Birkin bag when you can have the same type of style for less? This particular handbag has a reptile skin textured surface while being designed in solid black.

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.

When you go shopping for sunglasses, what do you look for? Many people simply go for style, and recently, that has been aviator sunglasses for men and oversized sunglasses for women. Wayfarer styles for men and women have been somewhat popular, as well. Nevertheless, a recent article discussed whether price on sunglasses equals effectiveness, particularly for certain infomercial brands claiming to completely block out UV rays through HD 400 Glare Block Technology. As the article found, as mentioned under the link, a higher price on sunglasses doesn’t always been better quality. In most cases, the lenses accompanying the designer sunglasses may just be stamped out instead of ground.

What are some of the qualities you should be looking for when choosing a pair of sunglasses? With designer sunglasses, style is always important – isn’t that why the frames are often so opulent? – but other factors are also important. When looking through any website or store for sunglasses, see how well the sunglasses are designed to block glare and have UV protection. Most often, this is through a pair of polarized lenses, although many prescription styles often have an anti-glare coat added to the lenses, anyway.

So, when choosing a pair of sunglasses, what should you go for – the $10 pair, the one in the infomercial, a high-end designer brand, or a discount designer product? Out of all these, the discount designer probably gives you the best value in terms of style and substance, assuming you choose a style with polarized lenses and not just for fashion’s sake. Infomercial sunglasses and full-price designer lenses may be overpriced, while choosing a pair of $10 lenses from the rack at the pharmacy may not offer as much protection as you think. Spending a bit more often equals a better pair, although the amount you spend can vary with the type of designer sunglasses you choose.

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.

Last year, at this time, handbags were all about the retile prints, the hobo style, and the tattoo look. But, while anything Ed Hardy or Ed Hardy-inspired went south when seen on Jon Gosselin, the hobo and reptile styles are still in. Additionally, many of the fashion collections seen recently in New York and Milan indicate that bright colors and western fashion – although not necessarily on the same handbag – are here for at least a few months longer. While this means that the reptile or fringed black leather hobo handbag you bought last year is still fashionable, the one with the tattoo rose and rhinestones on the front may not be.

One of the more notable western-inspired collections seen on the spring fashion runways is Emilio Pucci. One look at the handbags all of the models are wearing under the link, and “western” is one of the first adjectives to come to mind. Some of the designs by the fashion line for spring include the basic black leather handbag with fringe, but others are embellished with fur and feathers. The blogger on The Purse Page calls it “hippy chic,” but we’d rather call it western fashion.

On the other end of the spectrum are collections by Mulberry and Versace. Both of the spring lines by these design houses use bright colors and patterns, often juxtaposed with black for a sharp contrast. This is exactly what the Versace handbags looked like on the runway: An oversized coin purse style in black with neon highlights. Mulberry, on the other hand, was all about bright colored prints and hobo styles. Some of these satchel and hobo handbags take the animal prints we’ve seen everywhere last year and colors them in with reds and neon shades. Others in the line stick to the basic black look but with a reptile texture. Essentially, Mulberry sees trends from last year in reverse: Understated reptile handbags and colorful, bright animal print hobo purses.