'It' bags are the classic cars of the fashion set

Handbags are the new shoes, the must have "it" accessory that has all the fashion-istas clamouring for the latest offering from popular designers. It's also a market that has more in common with the male-dominated world of classic cars than you'd realise.
Few of you will have missed the fuss a couple of months ago when Sainsbury's sold 20,000 "I'm not a plastic bag" Anya Hind-march totes for [pound]5 each. Within hours those same unbleached cotton bags were selling for in excess of [pound]150 on eBay. "Every girl has a handbag," says Christie's specialist Monica Turcich, "and every girl wants one. Women now want the 'it' bag and the one nobody else is carrying. They've always been popular and they are the section of our 20th-century fashion sales for which we get the most phone calls, but now they are doing particularly well because everyone wants handbags, whereas 10 years ago there weren't the 'it' bags like we have today, simply the classics."
Like cars, most of the more recent designer handbags which sell through dealers and auction houses make significantly less than their original retail price, losing value the second the initial purchase has taken place. That is good news for both collector investors and handbag enthusiasts, but there are some exceptions to the rule.
Last March Christie's sold a red Hermes crocodile skin Kelly bag for [pound]10,800, this had only been purchased in 1994 and was originally a bespoke product. The Kelly bag is the "holy grail" of the classic handbag world according to Turcich. "Chloe and other more contemporary bags are more driven by what's popular now, but for Hermes and Chanel's quilted bag, these are classics which never go out of style and are always useable." Kelly bags can be bought for [pound]600 and can often be sold on for [pound]1,000- [pound]2,000, which isn't bad for a bag which might have been bought back in the 1960s.
There's no doubt that most handbags are being bought to be used, it's not an investment market in the same way as many other collectables such as paul smith,Abercrombie and Fitch,dsquared etc, but again there are parallels to the car market. By buying a classic bag and looking after it, you are unlikely to lose money, rather see a steady gain with the added return of enjoying using it.
Hindmarch's "I'm not a plastic bag" bags are unlikely to make it to "classic" status, they are after all mass-produced cotton totes, but other handbags from her range might well do so. So far Christie's has-n't sold any Hindmarch bags, but Turcich says she wouldn't be surprised if they start turning up at auction soon and she wouldn't turn them away. "Kylie Minogue was pictured carrying a Chloe bracelet bag around a few years ago which sparked a fashion and now we are selling the same thing at auction."
There is a pristine one in the next auction which is estimated at [pound]800 to [pound]1,000 along with another Chloe handbag in the same lot. "I think Chloe has started the 'it' bag scene" adds Turcich, "I don't know how long it will take for them to become classics of their own, but I'm sure these will hold their value in five or 10 years' time. People just don't seem to have paid attention to the fact that handbags have become the new shoes in the last few years, there is now an appreciation of the design that goes into them. There are shoe designers that are artists and so too with handbags."
It's not always about big names, a few weeks ago Ms Minogue was at the shop of Tony Durante, a handbag dealer at Alfie's in London, and purchased a white raffia bag with a horse's head on the front for around [pound]200. Brightly coloured raffia bags are in at the moment because it's summer. Durante says that Kylie loved this particular bag because it was unusual. Buying it from a vintage fashion dealer she's unlikely to bump into another celebrity carrying one. Durante says that his customers are looking for this "unusualness" factor.
If you do want to retain the value in your handbag then you should go for one that is in excellent condition, is a good design and beautiful. Some "it" bags will undoubtedly go down in value as fashions change, but the classics should stay steady.

Cambridge NanoTech Sweeps National Labs

Cambridge NanoTech , the world leader in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) science and equipment, today announced the acquisition of three Fiji Series plasma ALD systems by U.S. National Laboratories. "The interest that we've received in the Fiji has been overwhelming," said Ganesh Sundaram, Vice President of Technology at Cambridge NanoTech. "The potential advances in the fields of materials science and chemistry that are made possible through the Fiji are extraordinary."

The three Fijis were acquired by the Naval Research Lab (NRL), the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and the Army Research Lab (ARL). "We are finding that these leading national labs are attracted to the flexibility offered by the Fiji, which in turn allows them to expand their materials and device engineering capabilities," said Dr. Sundaram.

The NRL plans to conduct research into the growth of oxides, metals and semiconductors, such as InGaN, which span temperatures ranging up to 1,000°C. These materials are of interest to the U.S. Navy because they promise improved performance in future communications, radar and power management systems.

Research conducted on the Fiji at AFRL Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will be focused on the electrical properties of ultra-thin plasma-generated HfO2 films and ARL is going to use the Fiji to support electronic materials and device projects with conformal deposition of high quality semiconductor, dielectric, and metal films.

"We have found that the Fiji's combined capabilities of growing ultra-thin films with plasma-generated co-reactants and allowing in-situ film analysis, such as OES, ellipsometry, Langmuir probes and QCM, have been essential to the success of the system," said Mark Sowa, Senior Research Scientist for Cambridge NanoTech.

This week please visit Cambridge NanoTech at booth # 709 at the Materials Research Society meeting in Boston, MA, where the Fiji will be on display.

About Cambridge NanoTech

As the leading provider of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) solutions, Cambridge NanoTech has over 160 ALD systems installed worldwide. Cambridge NanoTech applies its expertise to solve unique coating challenges by collaborating on breakthrough research with customers and by offering next-generation thermal, plasma-enhanced and large-area ALD systems.

RNCOS Releases a New Report - Booming Clinical Trials Market in India

RNCOS has recently added a new Market Research Report titled, “Booming Clinical Trials Market in India” to its report gallery. The clinical trial market in India looks very lucrative. The country promises to be one of the hottest destinations for conducting global clinical trials, owing to a huge patient pool representing both chronic and infectious diseases, easy recruitment of patients, and high cost savings. Moreover, the market is getting boost from improved IPR protection with changed rules and also from reduced taxes and duties.

According to our new research study on the sector called “Booming Clinical Trials Market in India”, the clinical trial outsourced market in India is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of around 31% during 2010-2012. Presently, the market is characterized by the dominance of phase III and phase II trials, which currently hold more than 80% of the market. This scenario is expected to remain intact in future as well. In terms of competitive landscape, the market is characterized by many small CROs, with certain companies like Syngene, Quintiles, Lambda therapeutics, Vimta labs doing better in comparison of the rest.

Our report has found that one of the biggest reasons attracting drug manufacturers and CROs to India is the country’s vast patient pool. The number of patients for chronic and infectious ailments in India surpasses that of nearly any other country. Moreover, clinical trials for drugs related to central nervous system and cancer have been mainly outsourced to India in recent years. Backed by this factor, the number of clinical studies in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 14% during the forecast period. In this regard, the report provides rational analysis of the factors, which are supporting the forecast.

Our report provides extensive information on the clinical trial market in India, with detailed description of the regulatory environment and cost factors promoting the market. It also highlights several emerging market trends like clinical data management, pathology and diagnostic market, etc. The research study offers detailed statistical and analytical review on demographics, macroeconomic indicators, disease profile, clinical service market, key drivers and restraints. It contains all the requisite information that will help clients to draw up market strategies and assess opportunity areas in India’s clinical trial market.