I noticed a certain trend on the red carpet lately. Celebrities like Jordin Sparks, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton are more and more stepping away from their usual, steep high fashion items in favor of more budget-friendly, accessible high street stuff. Case in point: Bebe.

Jordin has been spotted wearing Bebe several times already, but seeing her in a $139 satin dress at such an important red carpet outing as the Teen Choice Awards was quite a surprise. The same can be applied to LiLo and Paris who wore a Balmain inspired sequin mini dress to a Maxim event a few days ago.

The question resulting from this is: are celebrities finally affected by the economical crisis just as the rest of us or could it be that Bebe is quite the secret fashion tip among celebs nowadays? Up to you to decide.

Go Shopping:

• Jordin Sparks: Bebe Glamour Satin Bustier Dress, $139
• Lindsay Lohan: Bebe Vixen Caged Leather Boot, $159
• Paris Hilton: Bebe Sequin Striped Asymmetric Dress, $179

For Spring 2009 Bebe was heavily “inspired” by Balmain. For their latest Fall collection they took inspiration from the darkest creatures to roam the shadows: VAMPIRES! Ever since Twilight has become the next Harry Potter phenomenon letting teenagers faint by the dozen, it is utterly impossible to NOT stumble upon vampires EVERYWHERE.

There are vampire books, vampire movies and a whole lot of vampire merchandise. And thanks to Bebe you can now dress like your favorite vampire. The trend has finally pushed its way into the fashion world.

Bebe’s Fall 2009 lookbook features a dark and moody setting. The color palette is mostly limited to black and the clothes give off this distinct romantic gothic vibe with victorian details like lace, embroideries, hair pieces, frills, ruffles and beaded necklaces.

VISIT BEBE.COM!

What do you think of this trend? I find myself liking a few of the pieces and am curious to see more. What about you? Can you imagine being a fashionable vampire fashionista?

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BTW: I wanted to know what the fuzz is all about and watched Twilight last week. And while I realize that this film is rather targeted at a teenage audience I really had to pause it once in a while to laugh out loud because the majority of the dialogues were beyond gaudy. Too sticky & sweet.

I recently wrote about Bebe’s Spring 2009 collection which is basically a pool full of knockoffs. The “Marianna” sandal which is a knockoff of the famous Balmain studded sandals from their Spring 2009 collection wasn’t available at the time I wrote about it, but now it FINALLY is. So without further ado…

Bebe Marianna Studded Platform Sandals

Bebe Marianna Studded Platform Sandals
($169, bebe.com)

Check out InTheirCloset.com for more Balmain sandal knockoffs!

UPDATE: Just wanted to let you know that Bebe is currently selling their Balmain knockoff sandals in gold ($169). Be quick to place your order, I’m sure they will sell like crazy.

Jeffrey Campbell THE MEL Studded Sandal

UPDATE #2: Since Bebe’s knockoffs seem to be permanently sold out, I thought you might be interested in Jeffrey Campbell’s Balmain knockoffs instead. Solestruck has restocked them for a short time only, so you better be fast and order now.

All UK and European based fashionistas can grab a pair of the Jeffrey Campbell rhinestone sandals at Bunnyhug who are selling them in either black or beige for £150. But you better hurry, there are only limited sizes left.

Jeffrey Campbell MEL Studded Sandal
($164.95, Solestruck.com)

Today seems to be copycat day. First we had Zara Spring 2009 designer knockoffs and now I stumble upon Bebe’s Spring 2009 preview with LOADS of “inspired by“-pieces from big names like Balmain (of course!), Louis Vuitton (sure!), Stella McCartney (again!), Alexander Wang (yeah!), Valentino (always!) and Christian Louboutin (not one to forget!). And these are just the ones I spotted. Who knows how many are left unidentified.

Let’s start with the Miami Vice look. I instantly thought of Alexander Wang’s Spring 2009 blazer/shorts combo when I saw the pink blazer, then my eyes went down to the shoes which are an almost identical version of Stella McCartney’s Spring 2009 mesh heels. And finally a bag k/o which looks very much like the Valentino sequin satin glamorous tote recently seen on Victoria Beckham and Fergie.

Alexander Wang Spring 2009 vs. Bebe vs. Valentino & Stella McCartney Spring 2009

Balmain Spring 2009

Balmain gets copied A LOT these days ever since Decarnin took the lead design for the French fashion house. Not only did Bebe rip off the famous studded and rhinestoned sandals (also copied by Zara and Aldo,) but they borrowed some of the dress styles, too.

Balmain Spring 2009 vs. Bebe vs. Balmain Spring 2009

Balmain Spring 2009 vs. Bebe vs. Balmain Spring 2009

Louis Vuitton Spring 2009

Bebe has taken a lot of inspiration from Louis Vuitton’s African Safari collection (Spring 2009) as well. There are no 100% matches, but the look and feel of the Bebe items are very Louis Vuitton-ish. The standout LV heels have made quite a statement in the fashion world as a lot of celebrities rocked them recently, so Bebe did their best to deliver “low”-cost fashion to the masses I guess.

Louis Vuitton Spring 2009 vs. Bebe Spring 2009

Christian Louboutin

These badass Louboutins are a must-have shoe this season. Celebrities like Heidi Klum and Jennifer Lopez have been wearing this style and helped propel this shoe to super stardom. Of course, Bebe did not want to miss out on this shoe obsession, so they created the “Delaney” sandal, a watered-down version of the buckled Louboutin.

Bebe Delaney Sandal ($159) vs. Christian Louboutin Multi-Buckle Sandals ($1.495)

So, what do you think? Do you like the Bebe knockoffs or do you prefer the real thing? If you find more designer references, please drop me a line (profashionelle[at]gmail.com).

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Most of the items haven’t hit the shelves yet, but expect them to be up for sale in a few days and I’m pretty sure the knockoffs, especially the Balmain-esque rhinestone stilettos will be sold out fast. I will let you guys know when these are available online, so if you haven’t subscribed via E-Mail yet, now is the time to do so.

When going out on Valentine’s Day, choosing the right outfit can be tough. I feel your pain, girls. That’s why I’ve come up with this guide on what to wear on this special occasion. This time I’ll show you how you can dress up romantic AND sexy. Enjoy!

This must be the cutest Valentine’s Day dress EVER! I am so in love with it. It’s a really sweet LBD from the front with the boatneck, belt and satin bands on the hemline, but it’s a killer piece from the back with the sexy cut-out heart shape. It’s romantic and sexy, perfect for a date on Valentine’s Day.

Italian Linen Open Heart Back Zip Dress
($139, bebe.com)

Accessorize!

To complete your Valentine’s Day outfit, add a sexy high heel and a super cute crystal headband. Top it off with a matching clutch and you’re ready to go!

Go Shopping:

• SHOES: Arlene Curvy Ankle Strap Sandal, $139
• CLUTCH: Petite Mesh Box Clutch, $18.80
• HEADBAND: Double Strand Big Heart Headband, $59