Consider the designer handbag. It arrives in a dizzying array of fabrics, ranges from miniature "baguettes" to luggage-sized totes, and requires a payment that would make a mortgage wince.

But for the committed stylista, nothing is more essential—or desired—than a chic bag. Just yesterday, demand for "designer handbags" sparked thousands of queries at the Search box. Lookups of "designer purses" beat a heated path up the Buzz. And an astounding number of searchers—who are almost entirely women between the ages of 35 and 44—sought out Purse Forum, an online gathering place "for handbag lovers and shoulder fashion fetishists." Ain't love grand?

As New York Fashion Week launches its eight-day run in Manhattan's Bryant Park, one of the most burning questions is: Which designer will produce the "it" bag this season? We don't know the answer to that style quandary, but we do know the hottest designer totes inspiring worship and longing in online shoppers this week...