With a limited run of just 50, today's Handbag of the Day will go fast -- if you're willing to spend $7,100. Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier has taken on the classic BV woven bag and added a taxi twist, creating the NYCabat bag. It's woven in the signature BV hand-crafted leather and then hand-dyed yellow and black. Big enough to be a commuter bag and carry your purse essentials plus extras, like office shoes, a newspaper, gym clothes, and so on. The bag is only available through the company's Fifth Avenue NYC store (699 Fifth Ave., 212-371-5511). Scheduled to arrive in November, so you can, and should, preorder now.

Designers are in the midst of a heated argument at Milan fashion week-whether one should dress for sex or dress for abstinence in a global recession. Seems a fitting debate in a country where the famously womanizing Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict XVI are its two most powerful leaders

On the celibate team sits Miuccia Prada, who practices restraint on a regular basis (well, by Italian standards). She further reigned in her collection (well, by Prada standards) to include charcoal knee-length walking shorts, Fifties-style swimwear and demure day dresses. The ever quirky Marni showed knee-length shorts and paired them with thick-strapped shoes with thick soles worn with beige ankle socks (I can hear my boyfriend's protests now). Roberto Cavalli went AWOL from his I'm-too-sexy position in the marketplace, putting out modest peasant dresses with hems stopping mid-calf.

Then again, sex sells. Versace stayed true to form. Sex, sex and more sex with Donatella's brand of cigarettes afterward, thank you. Slits cut up to there. Necklines cut down to there. Cut-outs revealing erogenous zones. Towering stilettos. Short, short, short. (Definitely more my boyfriend's speed, I'm guessing.)

The Bottega Veneta Twisted Karung Bag is bold and beautiful, and a new step forward in the world of texture.

This medium-sized bag (9"H x 14"W x 9"D) takes a pattern which might not be that special if etched or done with stitching -- but incorporates twisted, gold-faced karung lizardskin (those sparkly gold flecks you see) to totally knock the idea out of the park.

The shape is simple and we love lilac color. The bag has a double zip top and is lined in luxurious suede.

The Bottega Veneta Twisted Karung Bag is available for pre-order from Neiman Marcus for $3,600.

Style is great, and I have a lot of fun covering bright (and sometimes downright obnoxious) handbag styles but here's a nice breath of fresh air from Bottega Veneta: the Sardegna Canvas Tote. It's one of those bags that's eyecatching not because of what it has but because of what it doesn't have -- it's so simple it makes a statement despite itself. Not to mention it's also outrageously useful and versatile because you can pair it with pretty much anything. Double top handles and detachable shoulder strap, top zip closure and no interior pockets. $1,180

The Bottega Veneta Metallic Leather Shopper Bag is a golden solution for those going green.

This slouchy tote is refreshingly simple. The inside has a zipper pocket, but for the most part, this is shaped just like any shopping bag you'd get at one of your favorite stores. The difference? Ruched metallic gold leather, luscious pale suede (!) lining, and leather and chain link straps. Finally, a reusable shopping bag worthy of luxury shoppers -- and luxury purchases.

This bag is large enough for a long day of splurging 8"W X 12"H X 8"D and has metal feet at the bottom, in case you should need to set it down at any point in your spree. We have a feeling we'll see a lot more bags like this next season. Good thinking, Bottega Veneta!

The Bottega Veneta Metallic Leather Shopper Bag is available from Saks Fifth Avenue for $1,950.00.

Velvet usually comes out of mothballs about once a year: the holidays. Other than that, the fabric that has always stood for wealth and luxury tends to spend more time on settees and chaises than on warm bodies. That is, until now.

Velvet's not so underground anymore thanks to European and American designers who used bolt after bolt of it in the fall 2009 collections. And each one has manipulated the short dense pile into much more than just eveningwear.

Ralph Lauren, Fendi and Bottega Veneta created velvet rose-colored cap-sleeved frocks, neutral strapless cocktail dresses and burnt-orange slouchy day dresses, respectively. Chloé, Sonia Rykiel and Ralph Lauren went for velvet harem pants, mostly in dark green and black. Gianfranco Ferré, Lanvin and Elie Saab blew fashion watchers away with their long black velvet gowns with structured cap sleeves à la the '40s.

Aquilano.Rimondi-a new talented design duo from Italy-draped, cut and sewed bright red velvet into a belted cocoon coat-dress that hits just above the knee. Superb.

But if two designers can turn velvet into a full-blown trend of the season, it's Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs. Interestingly enough, both fashion forces took some yellow with their velvet.

Jacobs ran with the '80s-the decade he first hit the fashion scene- with neon yellow cocktail dresses like the one pictured above. Another yellow cocktail dress wraps its wearer like a mummy in wide-bands of velvet. (Fergie took this look out for a spin on the red carpet recently, only in electric blue.)

Prada reached back to a darker mood in the '40s and came up with a more toxic shade of yellow. This disconcerting yellow hovering somewhere between poison and putrid was made into a deep V-neck and stitched to a tweed skirt. Burned-out velvet made appearances on double-breasted coats and V-neck dresses (sometimes awkwardly topped with fur).

If you travel by private jet, there's no need to worry about your luggage getting beaten up in transit. Hence you can use a set of beautifully handmade cases crafted from the world's finest exotic leather. At least, we assume that's the rationale behind Bottega Veneta's outrageously opulent set of alligator skin luggage. The six piece set, which includes three suitcases (small, medium and large), a beauty case and a duffle bag, costs $157,000; the pieces are also available individually, ranging from $23,000 to $47,000. All are finished in noce fume rich brown soft-finished alligator skin and feature burnished metal hardware with reinforced corners and locking mechanisms. And of course if you're traveling by private jet you can afford it.

[via JustLuxe]

It's tiny and it's classic, the Bottega Veneta Mini Shoulder Bag. And although it might have a classic shoulder-bag shape, this version is updated with oxidized metallic leather that's made to look as if it's almost worn through in spots to reveal a woven or braided effect beneath. Another somewhat unique feature on this shoulder bag is its removeable strap that makes it into an instant clutch -- usually it's the clutch that can become a shoulder bag! Lined in suede it measures only 9" x 7" x 4", $890.

The Braided Patchwork Hobo by Bottega Veneta will bring soft, slouchy leather to your wardrobe in a pretty shade of light chocolate brown accented with darker brown weaving for a patchwork look turned slightly retro thanks to the thick braided double handle. The roomy interior is lined in luxe gray suede and features pockets that zip, snap, and hold your cell phone. Closes via magnet (I wish it zipped, personally) and is overall a very simple, casual statement that oozes class and timeless fashion appeal. Seems a worthwhile investment, $2,480.

I'm not usually one to like orange but this is a bag I could certainly see myself carrying around on a daily basis. It's the Bottega Veneta Printed Canvas Tote and I love it because it's earthy and almost a neutral, while it manages to also be very styled and vibrant. Net-a-Porter advertises it as a good bag to take to the beach, but I think it could just as easily blend into a spring or fall wardrobe if the colors were mixed just right. Intrecciato print canvas mixes with brown leather straps and piping, plus the bag expands to a larger size and that's always useful. $960

'Tis the season for blankets of snow and frosted branches, ski trips and furry boots, and new handbags to match the winter white theme. Whether you are shopping at Saks, Bergdorfs, Nordstroms, Neimans or Barneys there are clean, colorless clutches, totes and hobos to suit the season. Here are a few of my favorites inspired by the holiday tune, 'White Christmas' that are chic, sophisticated and frosty including the Nablak Vernice Tote from Prada pictured above.

• Coach's Op Art Sabrina - $298 at Nordstroms
• Bottega Veneta's Medium Veneta Hobo - $1,550 at Barneys
• Yves Saint Laurent Medium Calypso Bag - $2,095 at Saks
• Dolce and Gabbana's Washed Leather Dome - $2,125 at Bergdorfs
• Escada Ostrich Shoulder Bag, Small - $3,990 at Neimans

Italian luxury goods firm Bottega Veneta has come out with a stunning sterling silver desk set (above) which cleverly translates the company's signature leather weave, known as Intrecciato. The stylish set includes a ruler ($1,670), letter opener ($1,070), magnifying glass ($820), business card case ($790) and bookmark ($180). Creative director Tomas Maier, who was installed following Gucci's acquisition of the brand in 2001, has recently expanded Bottega Veneta's offerings beyond the traditional leather goods and apparel, to elegant effect.

Another luxury brand has made the move to Qatar, the new Bottega Veneta store is located in the Villaggio Mall in Doha, It sells men's and women's ready-to-wear, small leather goods, handbags, luggage, eyewear, shoes, and furniture. The interior is decorated with walnut tables, large glass vitrines, leather-covered door handles, ultra-suede walls, mohair furniture upholstery, and New Zealand wool carpets. The Villaggio Mall has a Venetian theme that includes canals with gondala rides and a ceiling that resemble the sky at different times of day and night. It has 220 stores and is the largest retail space in Qatar.

I spend a lot of my day sitting at a desk so I'm always interested in seeing the latest in unique and interesting desk designs. This leather desk from Bottega Veneta is a little dark for my taste but it's also sleek and masculine, with a minimalist vibe. It's available in five different colors and features leather handles on both the drawers (there are three along the front) and on each side of the desk itself (makes it look a little like Transformer luggage to me), plus all the corners are accented with protective matte metal trim. Very chic. $19,700

Via Bornrich

I never quite know what to do with this particular shade of blue, although they call it "midnight blue" to me it's more of a grey periwinkle that may be pretty but is also picky (as far as what it will coordinate with). But regardless this Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Shoulder Bag is especially nice in a soft and slouchy shape that features the intrecciato style and some large ruching detail up the middle. It also has a lush (albeit a little hot for summer) suede lining in taupe, and a zip-top closure. $1,950

Like intrecciato? We've also featured an oversized tote, a laptop bag, and a pretty red clutch that feature it.