Aiding the genius was 3 Girls Beauty who kindly painted our nails in wild zebra-styles at our beck-and-call. All in all, a great day in luxury confinement.

An entry by Diego Rocha.

Today Ms. Emily Blumenthal unsheathed the list of finalists.

Among the prestigious directory are some familiar faces: Adriana Castro (last year’s Fan Favorite), Reece Hudson, Amanda Pearl and Aimee Kestenberg (who nabbed the Swarovski Prize in 2010). Some additional personal favorites include Diego Rocha, the quirky designs of Mengdi3Wu, Jess Rizzuti for the most creative use of cork outside of a tween’s bedroom, and YaniqueMooreMD for the most fashionable use of a plantain.

Aimee Kestenberg’s winning entry in 2010

Trends that came up again and again and UHGAIN were exposed zipper detail, wristlets, and bright orange hues. So put those on the to-buy-list, kids.

The awards are sponsored by InStyle, Dooney & Bourke, Artisan House, Swarovski, Vitamin Water, Timberland and Singer, among others.

Winners will be announced June 15th. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

*Check out InStyle and use your American Idol skills to vote for this year’s fan favorite.

NEW YORK — Katie Holmes is adding another title to her fashion résumé: handbag designer.

With the help of stylist and design partner Jeanne Yang, and in collaboration with Valextra, Holmes on Wednesday unveiled two handbag styles for the Valextra for Holmes & Yang collection. Yang and Holmes hosted a lunch for editors and socialites at Barneys New York to celebrate the collaboration.

Holmes is a fan of the brand and said, “Their quality is exceptional. There’s such integrity in their work — they’re artists.”

The bag is made of calfskin with several interior pockets and will be available in two different colorways; white and navy blue and white and shiny black. They will retail exclusively at Barneys beginning in July for $3,950.

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The 15-piece line, produced with licensee Accessory Network Group, will be sold in luxury department stores and Judith Leiber boutiques beginning in the fall, and will be priced between $200 and $700.

Overture handbags come in jewel tones like violet and blue, as well as a heavy dose of metallics and leopard print. Though manufactured in a different part of the world than Judith Leiber bags (China, as opposed to Italy) the accessibly priced collection displays an unmistakable Leiber thumbprint. Geometric minaudieres are plentiful and encrusted with crystals, studs and agate geometric designs, and come with cross-body straps, while larger suede day bags are accented with delicate studs.

“There was a lot of dialogue about, ‘What will this look like?’” said Mary Gleason, Judith Leiber Brand president, of envisioning the Overture line. “When people broaden their assortment, they always think about it as a diffusion line, they think about it as dumbing the core down, but that is not what this is at all. We see this really as a broadening of a customer base, not only [via] price point, but in trend and look.”

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Kooba was bought by Swander Pace in 2007. The amount ANG paid was not disclosed. Abe Chehebar, chief executive officer of ANG, said the company was approached by Sage Group, an investment banking firm, on behalf of Kooba. “I’ve been following Kooba since they started, and I expressed a very high level of interest,” Chehebar told WWD exclusively.

ANG also owns Ghurka, a men’s leather goods company. Chehebar said, “I like Kooba because of their recognition in the marketplace. They’re a respected leather goods brand.…I feel like I’ve found a wife for Ghurka.”

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NEW YORK —

“I think people seemed pretty optimistic, cautiously optimistic,” said Joseph Maio, owner of Adornments Fine Jewelry in Sag Harbor, N.Y., who attended both shows. “People weren’t afraid of pushing the envelope with design, but at the same time, hitting all the price points.…[Designers are] very aware of pricing, but at the same time having a few extra special things that stood out.”

Ali Galgano, founder of e-commerce jewelry site Charm & Chain, agreed: “This season’s markets showcased some of the best jewelry we’ve seen in a long time.…Booths were crowded and foot traffic was high. It’s wonderful to see the industry beginning to rebound.”

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GIVE THEM A TROPHY:

Last year, the IHDA received approximately 1,000 submissions, and Blumenthal anticipates this number will double in 2011. Past winners include Katherine Kwei, Adriana Castro and Follis by Catherine Meyer, whose pieces were featured in Kate Spade’s resort 2011 collection.

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KATE PICKS BRYCE:

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After a divorce from her business partner and husband, William Kleinberg, in which she exited the company and struggled to restart her life, Sherrill is trying to build a pair of handbag lines — Sherrill Ltd. and Anabelle by Marcia Sherrill (named for her 15-year-old daughter) — positioned at opposite ends of the price spectrum.

And she’s doing it by following her own instincts and raising “money the old-fashioned way, through friends and family,” she said.

Sherrill Ltd., a high-end exotic-skins collection, launches alongside an accompanying e-commerce site today. The bags come in 21 different styles and are each packaged in a carved wooden box with an etched glass window. They are “phenomenally expensive,” Sherrill said, starting at $20,000.

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