Samantha Thavasa

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With the opening of this Madison Avenue store in 2006, Samantha Thavasa, a Japanese handbag company, put down its first glittering roots in the United States. Stylish, affordable handbags are the name of the game, although you’ll also find no short supply of rhinestone-studded wallets. In the windows, the flashy bags twinkle on chandeliers. Inside, pink rugs punctuate the bright white floors, glitter sparkles from all over, and larger-than-life pictures of New York socialite Tinsley Mortimer, one of the brand's U.S. designers, hang on the walls. In Japan, the bags’ bright colors, heart-shaped decorations, and foreign-celebrity endorsements have earned a cult following among young women. Here the bags have been seen as a somewhat more affordable alternative to mainstream luxury brands. — Rachel Corbett