Crazy for Zufi

Applying the principle of supply and demand to her two-year-old bag line, Zufi Alexander, the 33-year-old, London-based designer, has produced styles in limited quantities to up the ante on their desirability. Of course, through the modern practice of celebrity product placement, A-listers like Beyoncé, Sienna Miller, Katherine Heigl, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss have already gotten their Zufi arm candy. The rest of us—those ready and willing to drop an entire paycheck on a handbag—will have to remember that patience is a virtue.

In collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti, purveyor of uber-sexy heels, and jeweler Erickson Beamon, Zufi Alexander's a/w '08 collection, which will hit stores in roughly six months, boasts a cross-demographic appeal. The slim-yet-roomy Knotted bag with a ruched leather knot on the flap and chain-and-leather shoulder strap beckons the chic working girl; fierce fashionistas and young socialites will love the Tie Me bag in emerald-green croc with an oversized gem-studded black bow; and the Double Bag Me in an elongated tobacco leather silhouette is a versatile, all-around buy.

For those sensible few who possess steely restraint when it comes to frivolous luxe indulgences, Zufi Alexander's diffusion line, Sugar & Cash, is also launching for a/w '08. And, in addition to her hot-to-have bags, Zufi has her own shoes, menswear and small leather goods collections—get in on the craze.

—Jessica Dang