Hot apple cider, haunted houses, cute bundled up trick-or-treaters, and pumpkin carving- all sure signs Halloween is near! The way Santa Claus is associated with Christmas- whenever I hear the word Halloween, black and orange instantly come to mind. In honor of this spooktastic day, I thought we could take a look at how some of our favorite celebrities rock black and orange, on their arm!

Kourtney Kardashian's oversized black and orange clutch screams Halloween! (Photo credit: www.pursepage.com)

Nicole Kidman takes on the essence of Halloween with this woven satchel. (Photo credit: handbagdujour.com)

Arriving in NYC, Lindsay Lohan epitomizes Halloween colors from her orange scarf and handbag to her black hat and purse. (Photo credit: thin-inspirations.blogspot.com)

Normally, I reserve loafers for my Grandmother (no offense G-Ma, they are comfortable so I’ll give you that!). However, the loafer has gotten a makeover for fall 2011.  The lifted loafer is all the rage right now- wear it as a platform or peep-toe, add on tassels or wear it in this seasons hottest suede colors.  From elegant to in-your-face, loafers can add some flair to an otherwise plain outfit.

Katie Holmes loves her loafer pumps- perfect for all occasions! Photo credit: www.makeuptalk.com; www.coolspotters.com)

What do you think about the loafer look? Would you rock it out, or is this trend better suited for Grandma? Comment back to let us know your thoughts!

Always dreamed of designing your own pair of shoes and handbags or fantasized about winning Project Runway? Never had the resources (cough Design School cough) to make those dreams a reality? Well have we got news for you! Open Runway is teaming up with The Swapaholics to bring to you a Design It Yourself competition!  To submit designs to The Boston Fashion Week Swap Design Contest, simply visit our site, www.OpenRunway.com and enter the code, SWAPAHOLIC to get things started!  The winner of this competition not only gets bragging rights, but $100 towards your completely custom handbag or shoe.  There is really no downside to this ladies (and gentlemen)!  Check out The Swapaholic’s blog, for step-by-step instructions, or follow below!

1. Go to OpenRunway using this link http://www.openrunway.com/PrivateSales/Restricted/CreateAccount/

2. Create an account and password and then input the following invitation code: SWAPAHOLIC

3. Once you”ve created an account, click on the Open Runway logo to go to our home page- feel free to explore our site, and then start designing via the “create” button

4. When you have a handbag or shoe design you feel is a winner, click the “SUBMIT TO SWAP CONTEST” button at the bottom of the page. The Swapaholics will be posting daily submissions on their Facebook page until October 15th.  The Swapaholic’s favorite handbag and favorite shoe design will each receive $100 gift card!

Submissions have already started strutting in- check out what the competition is bringing to the runway below…

Inspired? Determined? Then get those creative juices flowing and enter today!