LuxCouture

While other retailers stay home and (literally) phone in their orders, LuxCouture owner Sari Brown hits the European circuit to source the next obsessed-over bag. She built a business on being first, introducing customers to new shoulder bags, clutches, and totes from VBH, Adriana Castro, and Elena Ghisellini. The store's increasingly impressive supply of casual clothing helps dress the woman who accessorizes, but in Brown's eyes, the bags will always have it. RUNNERS-UP: Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue