Georgia Department Insurance

Can’t wait to tune in and watch all that red carpet glamour about to take over Hollywood this Sunday night?

If it’s not the designer dresses or bedazzled jewels the A-list ladies are modeling for the cameras, it’s their elegant clutches. Those mini must-have purses filled with personal items like gum, lipstick and who knows what else are just as thoughtfully chosen by the star’s stylists as the rest of their ensemble.

One new accessories brand just getting into the mix is Swoon Luxe, a Los Angeles-based luxury collection of handbags, clutches, wallets, backpacks and leather cuffs made from the finest exotic skins including crocodile, snakeskins, lizard and ostrich.

What makes this collection so unique is its “Confessions of a Shopaholic” similarity; the line was created and designed by financial analyst, Helena Reich.

As a young girl, Helena’s parents surrounded her with music and art. When she wasn’t practicing the piano and cello, she would escape into a fantasy world of fashion as she spent hours in her room sketching paper dolls and purses.

In college, Helena studied finance and pursued a career in financial valuation where she consulted with major corporations in mergers & acquisitions and other valuation driven transactions. However, her true love for fashion was always there waiting in the wings. She finally hooked up with executive design consultant Heehyun Park and created Swoon Luxe.

All of Swoon Luxe’s handbags and accessories are hand-crafted by artisans who have dedicated their entire life to the craft. Finding the most skillful artisans in every corner of the world is a painstakingly difficult process. The crocodile bags are made by artisans who only specialize in working with crocodile skins. The ostrich and python skin pieces are hand crafted by craftsmen who specialize in those skins.

In the world of “the wild”, the quality of skins is the foremost concern. The qualities and material costs between a Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus Niloticus) and a Caiman (Crocodilus Fuscus) differ significantly. Nile Crocodiles, along with Australian Saltwater Crocodiles (Porosus Crocodile), are considered the most luxurious and prestigious crocodile skins in the world. Swoon Luxe only purchases the highest rated Nile Crocodile skins that are farm-raised in our pursuit of conserving “the wild”. Their skins are supplied by prestigious leather tanneries located in Singapore, South Africa and Italy.

In fact, the crocodile skins used by Swoon Luxe are imported from a leather & tannery that also provides the skins to the most prestigious and exclusive fashion house in the world.

The 2014 Academy Awards red carpet was littered with stunning style choices. Among the sea of perfectly attired ladies, were a few best-dressed standouts. Angelina Jolie sparkled in a floor-skimming Elie Saab Haute Couture gown. The soft, feminine design was quite a departure from the dark, sultry frocks she has sported in years past. It was refreshing to see one of Hollywood’s most beautiful leading ladies don something pretty, rather than edgy for a change.

Jolie was not the only star that opted for the princess-inspired look. In fact, if there was one common theme on the carpet last night, it was light-colored gowns embellished with diamonds. White was the most popular hue, followed by soft, pastel pink, purple, and blue. The red carpet was the epitome of what the Academy Awards is best known for: Cinderella moments.

One star in particular arrived looking like Cinderella herself. Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o donned a powder blue princess gown accented with Fred Leighton jewelry and the modern day version of the tiara: The headband. Her style was on point: Nyong’o has emerged as Hollywood’s modern day Cinderella. In just one short year, the one-time unknown actress has skyrocketed into stardom and has earned a place as one of Tinseltown’s most talked about fashionistas.

It seems as if almost every best-dressed starlet that hit the carpet took a cue from Nyong’o. Kate Hudson, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Penelope Cruz, Kerry Washington, Maria Menounos, and Giuliana Rancic all rocked the fairy princess look. Stars that dared to diverge from the trend were limited – especially on our best-dressed list. Some of the hot non-pastel cloaked babes include Jennifer Lawrence, who sported a fire engine red Dior number, and Olivia Wilde, who kept it classic in black.

All in all, the Academy Awards red carpet was a wonderful wrap-up to a fashion-packed awards season. What better way to commence a season packed with so much fashion diversity, than to bring it back to where awards season style began: Dressing like a princess. Before the red carpet became a high-fashion runway that designers use to showcase the latest trends, the Oscars was known for allowing Hollywood’s leading ladies to be Cinderella for the evening. The princess-style fashion on this year’s carpet is an homage to early awards ceremonies. Style reflected the theme of the ceremony: Living a dream. Before the infamous Angelina Jolie thigh-high slit, were old Hollywood movie stars who epitomized glamour, elegance, and fantasy. It is refreshing to see awards show style finally return to where it began.