Sneak peek at some new fashions & accessories for Holiday/Winter and Spring

It's been a definite beauty and fashion week for me, Advice Sister Alison. During the week I went to the Bourjois mini party, then to Shecky's Beauty Night Out, and to LUCKY SHOPS. I Also also visited Industry Publicity, to see some of the new fashions and accessories that a number of designers you'll want to know about are featuring for now, holiday/winter, and Spring (it isn't even Winter yet, but in the world of fashion, it's nearly time for the leaves to bud on the trees)!

When editors visit for a preview of collections, it is like being in a "by invitation only" shopping event, although the items you see are generally still not for sale. The first thing rack that caught my eyes was this one of handbags from designer Alexis Hudson . The four on the left are Spring '08 handbags. A trend I saw earlier at Accessories, the Show at the Javits Center was played out here, in handbags that were beautifully designed and roomy, with plenty of color and shine from metallic leather and shiny metal chains and hardware.The black leather handbag on the right is called Petite Amour" $395.00 and is available now. It is large enough to hold essentials during the daytime, but wouldn't look out of place in the evening or a club. I'm in love with this bag! Rachelle Copeland and Emily Ironi, the brains behind the beautiful Alexis Hudson Handbag collection, bring over 15 years of industry experience to this brand.

Next on my "must-have" is some of Wendy Culpepper's jewelry. The group on the left is part of the Flower of Life Collection and the large pendant on the right is the Akasha Pendant $105.00 (14K vermeil/ $85.00 sterling silver). Wouldn't this look pretty on just about everything you own this holiday season? This collection is from her Fall/Holiday collection and it's available now (visit her web site to get store locations). The designs are simple and delicate, yet substantial enough to hold their own. The prices are modest, ranging around $65.00 for a sterling silver ring or earrings, to $130-$155.00 for pendants and bracelets.

I also checked out some Spring shoes from Lovely People. The designer, Patty Kerrigan, is part of the Jebara family who own Paco jeans, Pepe Jeans London, and a number of other lines. Her first collection of Lovely People shoes just launched this Fall. For Spring, Patty has taken non-stiletto wearing women into her heart, as well as those who adore sky-high heels. There are 30 styles, mostly in multi and bright colors of fabric or leather, in wedges, flats, platforms and pumps, ranging from $90 for a pair of leather flats, to $250 for boots. Most of these shoes will give your friend's shoe envy, but still let you walk around town without pain!

Ah Spring! There will be much joy for shoppers who want something truly unique! Some standouts for me were the green" fashions from Stewart & Brown featuring super-soft organic cotton, cashmere and knits in casual and romantic dresses and tops and super-sexy beaded bikinis from Sugarwater. If you are like me and have a love affair with beads, you can now wear bead "jewelery" to the beach simply by wearing one of these bikinis that feature mother-of-pearl, braided beads, and even sequins to hold the bottoms and/or the straps on your body! The high-quality lycra suits come in small, medium and large.

These military style caps from A. Kurtz are part of their Spring line and represent just a few of the really cool hats and messenger-type bags that work well for the guys as well as the girls. Wage war on dull baseball caps and share a Kurtz logo cap (in the middle) with your sweetie for just $42.00, or indulge your sense of style with the navy blue cap festooned with chevrons and a star for $32.00. I didn't get a picture of the bags, but a beige military-style canvas messenger tote/backpack runs $88.00--not bad for a bag that can carry all of your urban "artillery!"

Before I left, I also got a chance to indulge my sweet tooth with a taste of an amazing fudge from Bella's Confections. I'd been dying to try it, and wasn't surprised to discover that this gourmet fudge was some of the creamiest I'd ever tasted. The company packs it's fudge for sale in cute tins with colorfully-striped labels. They offer a variety of flavors in classic nuts or no-nuts varieties, from chocolate and peanut butter, and vanilla-caramel-pecan, to seasonable treats such as pumpkin pecan spice, peppermint stick bark, and holiday jubilee (with candied fruits and walnuts--a fruitcake without the cake)! Eric Dehoff, creator of Bella’s Confections, named his company Bella ("beautiful" in Italian) in homage to his fondest memories of his grandmother making her own, home-made fudge. Buy online or visit the web site to see what stores sell this amazing fudge in your area. At $10.95-$14.95 you can afford to indulge!