The New Clutch (or why every It-bag has an iPhone)

Ashutosh Munshi, India

Diamonds were a girl's best friend.

Then, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook and women had one compact dashboard where they could broadcast to the world in general and their BFFs in particular (check those privacy settings, girls) just how wonderful their lives were.

They could make like Oprah and flash their diets, clothes, kids, men, cars, holiday photos, haircuts, home-tossed salads, every little detail of their lives.

Diamonds even.

As recently as five years ago, to see fashion-forward divas toting about portable computers would have been unimaginable. Today, Sony has launched a laptop inspired by Kareena Kapoor's size-zero.

But an entire generation of women bypassed desktops and laptops and went straight to smartphones. And the little black phone became as much a fashion staple as the little black dress.

Phones were seen as utility devices till Apple came along and changed the hardware game with the iPhone. They offered just one model and it didn't even have a video camera. You couldn't forward an SMS. But hey, it was available in Apple's uber-cool stores and people were queuing up to buy them. Even D&G and Prada’s co-branded phones couldn't match the iPhone's appeal despite their flawless lineage.

But if Apple had the hardware, then BlackBerry had the software. They didn't create so much a big bang as a tiny ping. But it was that ping which found resonance the world over and even women who didn't (and still don't) have email accounts signed up for a smartphone!

Apple then took a giant leap forward with the iPad, which builds in a reader along with lightweight computing power. Since the keyboard is on the screen, the device is compact enough to slip into your Birkin without ruining the ostrich leather.

The paparazzi's most wanted targets are being snapped up stepping out with Hollywood's (and now Bollywood’s) most buzzed about piece of arm candy - the iPad. Unlike many celebrity flings that make it to tabloid headlines every day, there are however grounds to believe that their passion for the iPad is well, really real. Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta bought one and couldn’t stop tweeting about it. Shweta Bachchan Nanda thought it was the perfect birthday gift for Abhishek. Take Alyssa Milano, who walked away with the Twitter Award in July, when she managed to beat Tweet king Ashton Kutcher by using Twitter on her iPad to help raise awareness and money for her Charity Water campaign. She has raised $100,000 so far, and that’s just the beginning.

It’s a no brainer that where women go, their favourite fashion brands will follow.

As one of the top luxury brands in the world, Gucci uses its iPhone application to carry Frida Gianinni’s genius to the virtual world. iPhone users are transported to the frontiers of style with exclusive previews and updates. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. It goes beyond fashion, to lifestyle. You can create your own music mix with samples compiled by world-renowned producer Mark Ronson himself. Looking for a restaurant, club or bar? Gucci’s Little Black Book will show you where to go.

Donna Karan, queen of American fashion, has always sought to add a personal touch to her work. Similarly in the wireless world, aside from showing videos of her collections, the designer take the extra effort to connect with you as she shares her favorite items, vacation photos and even conversations with her friends.

Style.com wasted no time in developing one of the hottest iPhone apps in the market. It allows those high on the style quotient to view the latest runway shows right in the palm of their hand. With still photos of every outfit that hits the runway, you’ll be on the pulse of the most cutting-edge fashion.

The GAP Style Mixer allows you to mix and match clothes to create new outfits in the Fitting Room – on your phone! You can then share your outfits with your Facebook friends for ratings, advice and feedback.

Women are becoming more demanding of technology. So while owning a monogram Vertu Constellation has been every woman’s dream, she is now waiting for the luxury phone manufacturer to launch a smartphone too!

Sonia Gandhi has a Facebook page. So do writers Chitra Divakaruni (The Mistress of Spices, The Palace of Illusions) and Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake), who are actively interacting with supporters on Facebook. Fans of Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson can follow the celebrity chefs on Twitter and catch up on their latest recipes.

Award winning Bollywood actor Konkona Sen Sharma feels that “Contrary to my image as an unconventional actress, I find it motivating to share my thoughts and opinions and to keep in touch with my fans. That's where portals like Twitter come in handy.”

Many thousands of fitness junkies around the world are using mobile apps as diet trackers and calorie counters, but also as personal trainers in the gym. The iPhone “Gym Buddy” is now as important as those Juicy Couture sweatpants.

Others are using technology as a means of staying connected with their professions or passions. Singer turned actor Shruti Haasan says “Today as an actress and musician I see how much of a boon technology is to the world of cinema and music. Its presence is subtle and most effective. Right from helping me organize my schedule to helping me create a new sound, I owe a lot to technology. When I'm not close to my mixers and have some time on hand while I'm on set, I indulge in using the music based app on my iPhone to edit and tweak my music as much as possible.”

Head to a fashion week and you will find the front row scribes locked in the midst of an intense competition to see who tweets first about Tarun Tahiliani’s fantastic new collection. All this while their colleagues snap up ramp shots with their phones rather than with cameras.

Pret designer Anita Dongre, whose extensive retail network keeps her on the move all the time, says “My work needs me to approve a lot of designs and sketches. A member from my team clicks a picture and sends it to me via BBM and gets an instant approval.”

MissMalini, a celebrity blogger considered by some to be India’s answer to Perez Hilton, says “I travel a lot and my BlackBerry helps me stay connected wherever I am. Be it at work or with my family and friends. I am a complete Twitter bug, which helps me stay connected and updated in real time. I often access Facebook and upload mobile pictures to capture special moments and share with my friends and fans of my blog.”

With the digital world growing ever so important, geography is now history and timing is more crucial than ever. Technology has enabled the immediate sharing of juicy gossip, hot-of-the-block scandals and of course the latest trends. It’s no longer the Times, but Twitter, which is breaking news stories.

Finally, here's a peek at the future. Suri Cruise is just four but she's already one of the world's power kids. She has a say in what her mum wears, she styles her own clothes and she recently asked her dad for an iPad.

His name is Tom.