Who pays the price for a counterfeit designer bag?

There may be as big an appetite for a good book about luxury as there is for luxury goods.

Dana Thomas, author of the fascinating new book "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster," found out last night at her book party at the Chateau Marmont that her just-published first effort is already No. 15 on the New York Times bestseller list.

To help her celebrate: L.A. fashionistas such as vintage king Cameron (Decades) Silver, Los Angeles Times Image writers Rose Apodaca and Monica Corcoran, Genlux editor Merle Ginsberg, stylist George Blodwell, infamous Web wonk Mickey Kaus (Slate, kausfiles.com) and Vanity Fair columnist and still-hot-on-the-Phil-Spector-case writer Dominick Dunne. 

Will L.A.'s label lovers will be influenced by the rave-reviewed and scathing investigation of the luxury industry? Thomas, Newsweek's Paris-based arts and culture correspondent, is certainly convincing in her indictment of the luxury biz.

She spent three years trekking to off-site production in India, knock-off factories in China, the French fragrance fields of Grasse, outlet malls in Palm Springs and doomed textile factories in Lake Como, Italy. She picked the brains of countless luxury label leaders, including Miucci Prada, Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford and LVMH Chairman and Chief Executive Bernard Arnault.

Bottom line? We're being duped. In most cases, luxury customers are no longer getting what they're paying for. Not only has luxury lost its luster, but the insanely profitable illegal fake-luxe market is causing untold pain and suffering to women and young children forced to slave in knock-off factories.

After going on a surprise police raid of a Chinese knock-off factory filled with children, Thomas was told about an assembly plant in Thailand where the child workers -- younger than 10 -- had their legs broken and their lower legs tied to their thighs so the bones wouldn't mend. The investigator told Thomas that the owners did it because "the children said they wanted to go outside and play."

Then there's the suspected money pipeline to international terrorist groups. Luxury at what price indeed? Something to think about for the women who buy and sell fake designer handbags at "Purse Parties."   

But don't blame the likes of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie for our modern label lust. They didn't start it.

With her soccer star hubby David Beckham sidelined for six whole weeks, will Victoria Beckham have to bring home the bacon?

Maybe, according to People.com. Posh is already earning moola with a cameo (which means no smiles, folks) as a celebrity bridesmaid on an episode of "Ugly Betty" this season. She's also launched her fragrance line and her fashion line and will start her Spice Girls reunion world tour in December. Refresh my memory, did these Spice Racks ever even have a hit song?

Meanwhile, are the Galaxy folks starting to realize that they bought a lemon?  And will Victoria be happy with a house husband? David may have to kick off his rumored Hollywood movie career, which -- some snipe -- is why he accepted the L.A. Galaxy gig anyway. Hey, I bet they paid big-time moving expenses.

Don't keep reading unless you want to remember when Victoria wasn't such a fashion icon...

Photo credit: Does anyone want to see these Spicettes sing and dance again?
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Will daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres get behind Hillary Clinton, who may become the first viable female candidate for U.S. president? Find out when the former first lady and current Democratic senator from New York appears Sept. 4 on the season premiere of Ellen's show. Maybe Ellen should also get the name of Hillary's tailor? Those boxy jackets hide a multitude of sins.

Photo credit: Ellen and Hillary take to the streets after the taping of DeGeneres' talk show in New York.
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We all knew this was coming. Kevin Federline is K-Fed Up. He wants primary custody of his kids. And the L.A .County Department of Children and Family Services is investigating his legal camp's allegations against his ex-wife Britney Spears for failure to properly care for their two children.

According to TMZ, several people close to Spears, including a former nanny, manager, bodyguard and a sober companion are -- or are about to be -- subpoenaed in the investigation.

Perhaps if Kevin got more custody -- and maybe more money to care for his sons -- he could do a bang-up job at brushing their teeth, fixing their food and getting them to bed on time. Why, with more of Brit's money, he could afford to hire people to do all that and more.

As for Britney's ability to care for her baby boys, we may never know the truth. But it does appear that she has trouble dressing herself, getting herself to bed at a decent hour and even brushing her own hair. Or maybe shaving one's head and wearing a wig is simply a time-saving maneuver.

That said, Britney's new fifth studio-produced album will be out in November. And last night her single "Gimme More," was leaked on TMZ and Perezhilton.com and officially released on New York radio station Z-100. The dance track begins with Miss Brit bravado.

And turns out all that time she recently spent with Las Vegas magic man Criss Angel may really have been about a collaboration. The New York Daily News reports that Britney may disappear several times during the MTV  Video Music Awards on Sept 9. thanks to Angel's illusionist talents.

Hey, maybe he can make K-Fed disappear too.

Photo credits: FilmMagic

There's nothing wrong with giving your kitty a little hit of catnip now and again. But are Pete Doherty's cats really on crack? Someone please tell me this isn't true...

Photo credit: Kate Moss with her wacked-out musician boyfriend and possible cat inebriator, back in the day. Put down that pipe and step away from the cat, Mr. Doherty!
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Way to go, Karl!

Not only did Keira Knightley wear a frothy pink Chanel couture number on the red carpet today at the Venice Film Festival premiere of her Oscar Bait movie, "Atonement" -- she was also wearing a second Chanel, a sleek nautical navy and white gown, for her arrival by boat earlier in the day.

Does this mean that Herr Lagerfeld has snagged some prime Oscar fashion real estate? Are we talking moola and contracts? Remember, Karl lined up "Babel" star Rinko Kikuchi early on last year and she wore his designs throughout the 2006 awards season, all the way to the Oscar red carpet.

Plus, I hear that Hollywood superstylist Rachel Zoe, who seems to have recovered quite nicely -- thanks for asking -- after her abrupt disinvolvement from Nicole Richie, is now dressing the lovely Keira.

Expect to see great things from this fashionable trio in the upcoming Oscar season. Just don't expect Keira to gain any weight.   

Photo credit: WireImage

Karl Lagerfeld is officially ahead of the Oscar fashion pack!

Herr Karl scored a possible Oscar nominee placement for Chanel by dressing Keira Knightley in one of his Fall/Winter '08 couture gowns for her appearance today at the Venice Film Festival. Her new film, "Atonement," also starring James McAvoy, opened the fest.

It's worth noting that the strapless pink chiffon dress had been altered slightly: The runway version had long sparkly sleeves that turned into fingerless gloves, a sparkly helmet-hood and a white fur shoulder wrap. It looks way better the way Keira wore it. 

Also expected to be modeling designer gowns during the fest: Charlize Theron (Dior, perhaps?), Cate Blanchett (Maybe Armani?) and Angelina Jolie (I'm betting vintage). If she makes it out of Iraq safely, that is. And without adopting another orphan or two while she's there.

Can't you just hear her 'splaining that to Brad: "Honey, it was either Shiite or Sunni. It was too hard to decide, so I just took 'em both."

Photo credit: WireImage

Now that Kate Moss and Pete Doherty are kaput, are Amy Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil the new millennium's Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen? Fielder-Civil's parents seem to think so.

Here's what the worried parents told BBC Radio this week: "We're concerned that if one of them dies, the other will die. They're a very close couple and if one dies through substance abuse, the other will commit suicide."

Remember that classic punk song "Love Kills?" Check out these photos of how powerful Amy and Blake's love is. If you're not familiar with the tragic love story of legendary Sex Pistols singer Sid and his groupie girlfriend, click here. Then Netflix Alex Cox's punk-classic film, "Sid and Nancy." 

Other than watching Gary Oldman as Sid in a screaming rendition of "My Way," the best part of the movie is glimpsing a young pre-scalpeled Courtney Love as an extra in a scene in a diner.

Photos: WireImage