Is It A Computer, A Clutch Or Just Fashion Flair?

by DOUGLAS MARSHALL · September 15, 2008

vivienne tam spring 09 [Photos by Patrick McMullan]

As a part time blogger with a demanding full time day job who runs from event to event to capture the essence before writing about it, all while taking my personal sense of style and flair as seriously as I take writing, the announcement of a “clutch” sized hand-hold able Hewlett-Packard laptop designed and branded by Vivienne Tam was not lost on me. Especially as I made it my motive for Summer/Fall 08 to carry clutch bags to events as much as possible and prominently displayed them for the party-pic snapperazzi, all in an effort to make carrying a clutch the new man-trend. When I recently saw a picture of a bonafide male rapper start carrying a clutch, I knew I was on trend (and perhaps ahead of it).

The trend further extended when I heard Vivienne Tam and Hewlett-Packard are working together fusing china chic and technology by creating the first-ever ‘digital clutch,’ the new ultimate tech accessory, inspired by her Spring 2009 Collection.

More story and photos below...

When a computer becomes the fashionable new accessory to carry, this is something I do not ignore. I blocked out some time in my crazy fashion week schedule to go to the Vivienne Tam after party at her 40 Mercer Street flagship to see what the buzz was about.

As I looked at the Vivienne Tam HP in all its glamour, I mused in my mind about how much easier it would be to write blog posts on the go – bypassing late night hours spent lying on my bed with my heavy dinosaur laptop. I could write in taxis, on the subway – MAYBE even at the party! The clutch is this thing between everyone’s fingers (this includes women AND men), so this perfectly paves the way for the launch of the Vivienne Tam HP Clutch notebook. I believe it will be available around Valentine’s Day for a pretty modest sum of $600. It’s tiny, lightweight and PRETTY – capturing the look of the same exotic patterns that are part of Vivienne’s 2009 spring collection.

Pulling myself away from the laptop (which I have now deemed a piece of Fashion Flair); I was actually able to enjoy the party to celebrate Vivienne’s gorgeous S/S09 collection. A lot of my faves were there like Nick Dietz, Susan Shin, Kim Bates, Allison Lubin, Sana Rizvi Clegg, Nick Leighton and of course Vivienne Tam. Guest enjoyed cocktails featuring Veuve Clicquot and Grand Marnier while they stuffed their faces with eats from Wakiya Restaurant (just kidding, no one eats during fashion week).

Stay tuned: While all of you are eating chocolate and checking out your new jewelry this coming Valentine’s Day – I’ll be on my new VT for HP Clutch laptop, writing about my new laptop and how it was my Valentine’s Day gift (hint hint)!