Designer Handbags for All

Germany's fashionistas might be able to copy catwalk trends by shopping for designer knock-offs in shops such as H&M. But as any dyed-in-the-wool diva knows, the true measure of taste is revealed by a woman's choice of handbag -- and it better not be plastic, pleather or in any other way scream "fake!"

However, having the skill to tell an authentic designer tote from the imposters typically sold from the back of unmarked vans or in Turkish holiday resorts doesn't automatically go hand in hand with the kind of pay check needed to shop at Louis Vuitton & Co.

What's a girl to do? In the past, there were really only two options -- buy the designer fake and hope that no one would notice the label read "Prado" instead of "Prada." Or cheerily sport a no-name bag from a high street shop and loudly poke fun at all those fashion victims who wouldn't be caught dead without the latest Fendi or Dior creation dangling from their arm.

Real, and fabulous

Now though, there's a third way -- a way to have the real thing without breaking the bank. Enter "luxusbabe" Maike Senger. The 26-year-old German business student may not resemble Paris Hilton in the slightest (i.e. no peroxide in sight), but she does share a penchant for expensive accessories with America's original luxusbabe.

Senger's godsend to ordinary German gals who, like the hotel heiress, prefer Gucci to The Gap, also originated in the US -- the "rent-a-bag" service from www.luxusbabe.de.

For a monthly subscription fee ranging from 29 to 79 euros ($37 to $101), Senger's clients can borrow from a range of authentic designer bags, and have their choice discreetly delivered to their front door. Since Senger constantly updates her collection, customers can rest assured that they'll never have to suffer the embarrassment of being seen with last season's "must-have" bag.

Senger is sure to win kudos from her professors for her pre-graduation foray into fashion entrepreneurship. There's only one small drawback to her business plan -- the absence of any word of mouth advertising. After all, just as Cinderella was loath to tell the prince that her gown and glass slippers were all the work of a fairy godmother, no luxusbabe worth her salt is likely to own up to the fact that her envy-inspiring handbag is merely on loan.