To say that I'm obsessed with handbags is an understatement, and I've had the distinct pleasure of turning my passion for purses into a profession.

Sure, today I pen this new column, run BagTrends.com , host handbag shopping parties and do my fair share of TV, but rewind the clock about 18 years and I was simply a young girl in Brooklyn chasing after three letters: MCM.

In the late Eighties MCM -- which stood for Michael Cromer Munich, who founded the then solely German-crafted brand in 1976 -- was the one of the premier luxury brands, with jet setting fans including Cindy Crawford and Diana Ross, to name a couple.

Within my Russian community, even the smallest MCM accessory covered in the signature black laurel logo was a status symbol. I would have given anything for just a key ring!

It was during this time, at the age of seven, that I was bitten by the bag bug, and I spent the next two decades chasing after the next must-have handbag.

After abruptly stopping sales in the United States, 2007 marked the glorious return of MCM to this country.

The brand, which was purchased in 2005 by Asian fashion mogul Sung-Joo Kim's SUNGJOO Group and rebranded as Mode Creation Munich, had once again come into my bag-a-licious life, much like a former flame you never quite get over.

MCM 2.0 -- which until recently was headed by Michael Michalsky, former Global Creative Director of sports company Adidas -- manages to embrace its heritage by cleverly utilizing its signature black laurel logo and reviving the iconic cognac Visetos collection, all while simultaneously keeping the company fashionably relevant.

Next up for MCM is a party to celebrate the New York Collection, launching in early September exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide and New York City's MCM Plaza Boutique.

The collection includes the Sportive Group, which combines edginess and femininity in autumnal shades. Speaking to the creative spirit of this city, the Giorno Group is dominated by pleating details and angular construction, finished with the brand's iconic twist lock. Prices range from $695 - $1,195.

The New York Collection was designed by Joy Gryson -- famous for her eponymous brand -- in collaboration with MCM's design team.

"I loved the idea of taking the MCM brand's rich heritage, steeped in the tradition of European craftsmanship, and infusing a modern sensibility, with a bit of New York attitude. We designed the groups and developed them with our factories in Italy, so we are raising the bar as far as quality and price value for the brand," said Joy Gryson.

Going forward, the company will explore bringing its capsule clothing line to the states (MCM boutiques overseas already sell the apparel), collaborating with a major celebrity for an ad campaign and relaunching MCM perfumes.

You mean I can smell like MCM? Wait, I'm having a moment ...

Purse-onally Yours,
Pamela Pekerman

Pamela Peckerman is the founder of BagTrends.com.