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The world of celebrity puts priorities in a new perspective.

For instance: the fuss about the bags Martha Stewart was carrying when she entered the courthouse Jan. 20, when her trial began in Manhattan.

Did you ever see so much attention paid to a tote bag or, in this case, two bags?

Not since Imelda Marcos and her shoes have we zeroed in so obsessively on a woman's accessories and her appetite for self-indulgence.

Well, maybe Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan were also overscrutinized, but they weren't on trial -- at least not in criminal court.

How many people would know what those bags cost unless the media had made it a case in point and spotted the small Hermes logo?

Was it a bad move on her part to use the kind of bags she obviously uses in her everyday and privileged life as she arrived for what is undoubtedly the fight of her life?

And with average Joes and Janes watching?

Should she have played the little game of courtroom image-changing and carried something less ostentatious? Maybe even a bag from Kmart?

In other words, should she have tried to pull off the fact she is not all that well off financially and that she does indeed carry "looks-like-leather" handbags, the way many American women do?

"I'm one of you" would have been the message.

Not likely.

Robin Givhan opined in an article in The Washington Post ("Martha's Moneyed Bag Carries Too Much Baggage") that Stewart carrying a bag "surrounded by such a thick cloud of wealth and privilege" was ill-advised since appearances play too important a role in a jury trial.

That's one way to look at it. On the other hand, to pretend to carry a vinyl handbag at this stage, not Hermes leather, would, it seems to me, have qualified her as dishonest, and that could have carried over to her statement denying she sold her stock with insider information from her broker.

Givhan also wrote that the price for a Hermes Birkin bag (there is a waiting list for certain styles; I am not on it) begins at $6,000. Stewart's bag (only the one is identified) is 11 years old.

Truthfully, unless you know what a Hermes label stands for (everything with that designer name is expensive) or if you even recognize a Hermes bag as opposed to a Liz Claiborne, does it matter?

I'm guessing that Stewart's high-heeled boots weren't Keds, but we didn't pick on them. She might even have been wearing an Oscar cashmere coat or sweater, but no, it was that Hermes -- readily recognized in fashion circles -- that stirred the most comment.

On TV's "The View" the day after Stewart's appearance at federal court, her bags were the hot topic of discussion. It was even suggested that she should have somehow disguised them (she's clever that way) or, at the very least, maybe carried a bag from Kmart.

As we know, this is the store that, by selling her taste in towels, sheets and toilet bowl covers, allows average shoppers to imagine they live like Stewart.

Yes, $6,000 is a lot of money to pay for a handbag. She seemed to hold her handbags high as she exited her limo at the courthouse, either showing them off intentionally or being clueless they were going to become more important than her plea of not guilty to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and securities fraud.

With that looming over one's head, who thinks about changing a handbag?

There aren't many female moguls like Stewart and, like it or not, she has a lot of money, some of it from you and me. High-end shopping is her way of life, except when she is picking mulberries in her garden to decorate a basket she has made from tree sprigs.

I would guess if you went through her closets, you wouldn't find a cheap handbag, or a cheap anything. Maybe nail polish. Well, maybe not.

Remember, she didn't wear little gold-toned Monet earrings for a recent interview with Barbara Walters. She wore small, tasteful earrings and yes, we were told they were diamonds.

I'm not convinced that the Hermes handbags in her closet are a mistake in judgment or even, as has been suggested, callous disregard for the little guy (or gal).

Stewart isn't alone in getting all this attention for what she is wearing far from an awards show red carpet, where we've come to expect it.

Michael Jackson's badge and the medal hung on a ribbon around his neck when he arrived for his meeting with the judge regarding child molestation charges had reporters scurrying to find out just what the jeweled items meant and, of course, how much they cost.

He has always dressed in bizarre fashion.

Did anyone seriously think he would show up wearing khakis and a button-down shirt?

When Kobe Bryant wore no tie for his first meeting with a judge, it also was scrutinized as a bad move. For some, the lack of a tie indicated disrespect for the serious rape charge against him.

We take celebrity-watching seriously, on the red carpet or at the courthouse.

Could a red carpet soon be part of spectacular courtroom cases? Would Joan and Melissa Rivers be there?

Followers of the HBO series Sex in the City will remember the episode in which Samantha (Kim Catrall) went to absurd lengths to acquire a Hermes Birkin handbag. Samantha's over-the-top pursuit of the handbag could very easily serve as a proxy for the actual heights that legions of real handbag-obsessed women will climb in order to sink as little as $5,000 and as much as $80,000 into owning this bag. What is it about the rounded double handle, tiny metal feet, the fold-over top and the belt-like closure that wraps around the bag's body that drives women to endure the reported two-year waitlist? Well for one thing, the Hermès Birkin bag is the handbag equivalent of a Rolls-Royce or a dozen illicit Cuban cigars.

First introduced in 1984, the bag has surged in popularity over the past couple of years due to television spotlights and unexpected media exposure, like Martha Stewart showing up for a court appearance carrying one in a warm shade of brown. The handbag's creator, French luxury goods stalwart Hermes, is use to all the attention however, given the equally global popularity of Hermes ties, scarves, and fragrances. I spoke recently with Robert Chavez, CEO of Hermes USA, to get to the bottom of all the excitement.

Harbus: How has Hermes been able to maintain its prestigious image?
Robert Chavez: The company has maintained its prestigious image because of its commitment to quality and craftsmanship that it has adhered to since the day it started back in 1837. We continue to be very committed to hand-crafted products created by the finest craftsmen in Europe and to making products of the finest materials.

Harbus: Was the company surprised by the wild success of the Birkin Bag?

RC: Obviously we expected to have a good response to the bag, but we were surprised by the extent of the bag's popularity. I think one of the things that makes it so desirable is that it is very functional. Also, I think our clients appreciate the quality of the leather, the quality of the workmanship, and the beauty of the design. The bag was designed in house and inspired by Jane Birkin herself.

Harbus: Does product placement on television have an impact on sales?

RC: The results from a product being placed on a television show can be remarkable. It happened to Hermes a couple of years back when one of our bags was featured on an episode of Sex in the City. Part of the episode focused on the lengths one of the characters was going to in order to obtain our Birkin bag. Immediately after the show, our phones started ringing all across the country.

Harbus: How do products get placed on television shows?

RC: For Hermes, it is really happen stance. Generally, someone will call us and make a request to put Hermes products in their show or to have someone on their show use Hermès products. It's great when it happens, but we don't chase after product placements.

Harbus: Is counterfeiting a problem, given the popularity of the Birkin handbag.

RC: We are very diligent about pursuing counterfeit products that reach the market and we take action on them when necessary. We take counterfeiting seriously because this type of infringement on our registrations and trademarks is very damaging to our brand. For instance, if a person is walking down the street and sees someone carrying what looks like a Hermes bag from a distance, they might not know for sure if the bag is an actual Hermès handbag. If the person makes a mistake an assumes that a counterfeit bag is a real Hermes bag and the counterfeit bag is of poor quality, the person might walk way believing that Hermès does not have the level of craftsmanship that they thought it had.

Harbus: What exactly does craftsmanship mean?

RC: In addition to only using the finest materials, we are able to make extremely high quality handbags because only one craft person makes each of our bags from start to finish. Most manufacturing today uses an assembly line, which results in one person doing a couple of parts of a bag and then someone else doing another couple of parts of it and so on. At Hermès, one person works on a handbag from start until finish. It takes anywhere from 18 to 24 working hours for one person to complete one bag.

Harbus: So what's new at Hermes?

RC: Every year we continue to come out with new and exciting things. This year we introduced a new women's fragrance, Merveilles. Also for this fall season we launched our new women's ready-to-wear collection designed by John Paul Gauthier.

Harbus: Besides being French, why else was John Paul Gauthier given the nod?

RC: Hermes became a 35 percent investor in John's company a few years back, so the relationship was already there. When Martin Margiela, the pervious women's wear designer, contract was nearly up, we started discussing who would take over and John seemed like the logical choice. And as expected, John has been terrific.