The best part about holiday shopping, aside from apple cider, is the overflow of shopping events (especially in the wake of such financial disarray).

Next week, Elle and Armani Exchange are teaming up to make you shop. And by Elle we mean Style Director Kate Lanphear.

The party’s next week, Tuesday, November 10 from 6pm-8pm at Armani Exchange’s Fifth Avenue store at 20th Street. You’ll get to preview Armani’s holiday collection, drink champagne and snack your way through the store.

And if you spend over $100, you get to customize your own A/X t-shirt with Kate on hand to dish bedazzling advice.

If a tee designed by Kate isn’t the perfect pre-holiday treat, then we’re not sure what is.

We’ve anticipated the launch of two websites this week - one came crashing in and the other’s quietly arrived.

Interior designer Ryan Korban celebrated the debut of RyanKorban.com at the Soho Grand last night with a crush of familiar faces including hosts Alexander Wang, Natasha Poly and Victoria Traina. Korban’s best known for designing Alex’s studio, Tribeca’s Edon Manor and after last night, for gathering more models in one place - Iris, Daiane, Stam, Rose Cordero, Vanessa Traina (semi-model?), Angela Lindvall, Erin Wasson, Natasha - than we’ve seen since fashion week. You can’t actually buy anything on his site, except maybe his services, but just glancing at his portfolio will certainly make you rip your apartment apart in disgust and buy lots of other things. Consider yourself warned.

You can, however, buy plenty from AllSaints.com. The British brand’s been quietly creeping stateside this fall. Their Bloomingdale’s concession launched in August and they have tentative plans to inhabit part of the empty Virgin space in Union Square. But they’ve finally launched an online site for the US full of perfectly rock n’ roll leather, slouchy sweaters and studded accessories. As for their dresses, one of their head designers came from Vivienne Westwood. So again, consider yourself warned.

We all know the Roady is the newest member of the YSL family to cause a commotion among handbag addicts. It’s already being toted around by the likes of Rihanna, Rachel Bilson, Leighton and of course, MK. I have admired the hobo carryall from a distance on their arms, and on mine in my daydreams.

The bag already comes in a bunch of colors and patents, but YSL is taking it to the next level in New York and Los Angeles by offering clients the chance to purchase a customized Roady for the holidays.

From November 19th through December 1st, boutiques will have artisans on-hand to customize the handles of your Roady. You can choose from a bunch of different skins and colors, for a total of 29 different handle options. The handles will be changed on-site and ready for pick-up the next day! And if you’re just dying to monogram your bag, you can do that too, for free even.

More on pricing and options after the jump!

I don’t wear tons of jewelry but I do love big rings. I also happen to lose them quite easily, especially the more expensive ones.

Over the past few years I’ve had a couple of rings that without fail get multiple compliments every time I wear them to a fashion event. (Of course the one I loved most, I’ve since lost!)

Editor and stylist friends always ask me what they are and my answer is simply, “Mark” No, not that Marc. But Avon’s Mark. Seriously. They do fun cocktail rings so well and the price (usually around $14) couldn’t be better.

I highly suggest giving them a try. Really who doesn’t love that many compliments? And they certainly won’t set you back financially the way the other Marc does.

A few month’s ago, Net-a-Porter finally ditched mannequins in favor of actual models, albeit headless ones, but now they’ve gone a step further and captured their girls on camera.

The ‘video’ option’s only available on a few items so far, like the Marc Jacobs skirt at left, an Anna Sui tunic and a DvF cocktail dress.

There’s not much to it, the girl walks out wearing the item and spins around a few times before walking off the white stage. You don’t see her head, which is slightly creepy, and I’m not sure it brings anything new to the item (though if ever a dress drapes particularly well, it might).

Does this fill a gaping hole in your online shopping experience? Is the movement of Marc’s sequins enough to make you click buy?

We all know Ali Hewson and that guy, Bono, she’s married to are kind of saving the world—one microdebt and cause at a time. But seriously, they do really good work that makes me feel like a total loser for not doing enough.

But I’ve got a little something we can do. Starting today exclusively at SaksFifthAvenue.com and edunonline.com, a special series of Edun tees that Ali designed in collaboration with artist Jo Ratcliffe will go on sale to benefit the War Child projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

War Child’s mission is to protect children in dangerous war zones around the world. I mean, if you’ve got a problem with that cause, you may just be dead inside.

So, no buying a really fun zebra t-shirt does not even close fulfill my requirements for being a better person. But hey, it’s a start.

When Devi Kroell decided to open her New York flagship, there was one thing she knew, “I didn’t want it to look like anything else on Madison Avenue.” Almost two years later, mission is definitely accomplished.

To create her vision Devi enlisted Space 4 Architecture and they worked closely together. Architect Ulderico Micara told us, “Because of what Devi does she has such a fantastic knowledge of details and materials. And the materials needed to be in tune with her designs. She was so right on the money.”

My favorite part of the design was the amazing patterned Siberian oak floor. But the polished brass and cathedral ceilings are quite cool too, especially when looking down through the glass on the second floor. The feel is definitely very serene which Devi said was one of her goals. And while it’s modern and minimalist, it’s not in the least bit cold. “The combination of the modern lines with the warmer materials creates a certain coziness,” says Ulderico. Indeed.

I am a self-professed jean addict. My closet is literally 40% denim. And I like to think I’m pretty well-versed in all my brands, etc, etc. But this week I learned of one I’d not heard of before called Blue Notch. And it’s incredibly cool.

While they did indeed give me a pair in a dark wash boot-cut, I assure you my love was not bought. The stuff is really good. I literally wanted to wear the jeans out of the showroom.

The line is about a year old and designed by a husband and wife team—actually “Notch” part of the name is their initials, like NO+CH, which I find adorable. But back to the clothes, it’s seriously high-grade, crazy soft Japanese denim and actually comes from the same mill where Balenciaga and Chanel get theirs. But the prices are way more reasonable, with basic styles costing around $180.

I don’t want to speak for everyone here at Fashionista, but I for one just can’t have anything to do with the reincarnation of the fanny pack. I don’t care who makes it or how much it costs. Just no. That’s it for me. And don’t even get me started on the kitten heel.

This Refinery29 story let me traipse back in time without the anger rising up inside of me, thanks to their collection of another kind of pack. Backpacks, I still love you. And we spotted you on the Louis Vuitton runway too.

The ladies at Refinery may have outgrown the sportier models of youth, but I’m not totally opposed to going old school. In fact, I did a couple of years ago while on crutches for three months. That hunter green baby I still had from college was seriously convenient. Hands-free is not a bad way to live, when you’re not using the hands on crutches, that is. Though of course I’m also now drawn to the really expensive leather one from Society for Rational Dress. Sigh.

But more importantly, what about you? Backpacks, fanny packs, no packs?

We love Housing Works not only because you can always find the best stuff there, but because of all the good work they do.

Their sixth annual Fashion for Action charity event is coming up and they just announced the details. The event, which raises money for homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS, will be co-chaired by Derek Lam and sponsored by Essence magazine.

The four-day affair kicks off with an opening night benefit at the Rubin Museum of Art and continues with a huge public sample sale at the Housing Works Thrift Shop in Chelsea. Over 150 designers have donated $1 million worth of merchandise to be sold at 50-70 percent off retail prices. Hooray! A bunch of new names have been added to the list this year like Acne, Band of Outsiders, Bottega Veneta, Lanvin, and Karl Lagerfeld.

All the details about how you can take part after the jump!

Rock-n-Shop is the latest pop-up shop to hit New York. But unlike others we’ve frequented, this one is adding live music to the mix.

The event is hosted by Openhouse Gallery and is designed to marry music with fashion, while focusing on the current rocker-chic trend. It will showcase twenty-five different apparel and accessory brands, as well as live performances by six indie rock bands.

The event will give designers and their brands the opportunity to create their own rock-meets-fashion, mini shop-in-shop by giving each 150 square feet of space in the gallery. During the three days bands and artists will “pop-up” to perform.

And when you’re done shopping and listening, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to VH1 Save The Music.

More details after the jump!

Ed note: We know the picture doesn’t really have anything to do with the event, but Kate and Jamie are kinda the epitome of rock-meets-fashion, right?

As much as we’d like to keep this a secret and try to win it ourselves, of course we must pass along this kind of amazing contest.

La Perla just redesigned and relaunched their website. And to celebrate they’re giving away a $2000 gift certificate for all sorts of fancy lingerie.

Personally, I’m in the market for some Betty Draper-looking nightgowns. But everything at La Perla really just looks so lovely on any girl that we’d suggest hightailing it over here and signing up.

There may be a new one every day. But I for one am still a fan of the pop-up shop. Especially when it involves great vintage pieces, and is conveniently located down the block from our office.

From November 1st through January 1st, Only Hearts will be setting up OH: PoP in Nolita with a huge inventory of 70s and 80s “inner outerwear”, lingerie and pjs, which couldn’t be more of the moment. I’m totally feeling this outfit pictured above, with some styling tweaks. Those socks are amazing with the ballet slippers.

See you there! Details after the jump.

All students know that Wednesday is the worst homework night of the week.

That’s why tonight’s Student Shop at Topshop is the perfect distraction!

From 7-10pm, the Topshop store at Broadway and Broome is offering a 20% discount with student IDs.

Aside from the excellent savings, there will also be a DJ and hidden prizes - fun times.

I’ll be stopping by between writing my French essay and doing my million pages of art history reading to grab this Christopher Kane for Topshop dress (that looks all the better with a discount) and this casual blazer that’s perfect for fall.

Grab your ID and meet me in Soho for some chic procrastination!

I know a bit about clothes and maybe kind of a lot about shoes, but when it came to sunglasses, I was clueless.

Until last week when I spent the morning at Silver Lining Opticians. It’s a hole in the wall on Thompson Street run by Jordan Silver and Erik Sacher and an absolute mecca of vintage frames.

But before I really got it, I needed a tutorial. Here’s how he explained it to me: In the early 80s, a man named Leonardo Del Vecchio started offering designers the opportunity to license eyewear. Before then, designers had treated the accessory as an extension of their ready-to-wear collection. For example, Christian Dior was one of the first brands to offer eyewear and he made super high quality frames that correlated to the kind of product on his runway. But Luxottica gave designers an “easy option,” and over the years production quality’s steadily declined.