Almost without warning, warmer weather approaches, and with the warmer weather, time to spare. For all of the literature we discarded during busier seasons, the time has come to compose a reading list of best-sellers.
“The most beautiful books are the most invisible ones, just as a pink chemise with embroidered flowers by Marc Jacobs would be almost meaningless without a label and just as a Prada shoe should carry a red stripe down its sole or a bag by Louis Vuitton should have its initials prominently scrambled all over its surface in order to be read. And by read I mean not read in any meaningful way. After all, who has really read a bag by Louis Vuitton or a sweater with a deliberately unraveled collar by Martin Margiela although I have read these things for many hours of the afternoon?”
Tan Lin, Seven Controlled Vocabularies and Obituary 2004. The Joy of Cooking, Page 66
Throughout the stores this week, accessories have been in abundance, namely bags, belts and jewelry that close by heavy metal clasps, proudly displaying their names, or more discretely leaving their signature behind.
Below are some of my favorite reads, and can be found at your local INA Soho, Chelsea, and Nolita stores:
1. Margiela unisex black leather and blue silk Obi belts, Chelsea
2. Marni paper chain necklace, bronze, Soho
3. Alexander Wang Tai Doop Kit briefcase, belt closure, Soho
4. Tanner Krolle pressed leather purse, gold hook hardware, Soho
5. YSL bracelet, black disc and gold stake clasp, Chelsea
6. Louis Vuitton black Pulsion Lockit purse, shearling, Nolita
7. Balenciaga straw bag, black leather motorcycle detail, Nolita
Branding. Those companies have built a slow retioatupn for being the best. They have marketed themselves to the elite. Since we idolize celebrities and icons, we buy into it. The sad part is that celebrities usally don’t even purchase the handbags, accessories etc and they are the ones who can actually afford high priced ticket items. Louis Vuitton items are handmade which make them more costly. They also never go on sale, again marketing them as the leader of the elite. If you have money, a sale is irrelevant.
Exactly! The best way to figure out prinonciatouns are to ask those who are immersed in it daily! And if even they don’t know, then we can go on saying it however we want! When in NYC last year, we ate at a Vietnamese spot for lunch. I ordered what I often do, the Pho soup. I have always pronounced it fo’ but I decided to ask our server what the proper way is. His answer was kinda funny, he said, I’m not Vietnamese, I am Chinese but I believe they say it this throaty way, fuuh. Just for fun, listen
Coach purses USED to be made in the US of high qlauity saddle-grade leather (the kind they made horse saddles from) with really heavy brass fittings and extra heavy zippers that never broke! You could NOT get any better or more durable purse anywhere. Not anymore. My old Coach purse puts the new ones to shame there is no resemblance whatsoever to the REAL Coach purses previously manufactured in the US.Today, most leather in both shoes and purses is coming from China courtesy of prison labor regardless of the cost although a few designer bags are made of high qlauity Italian leather, like Chanel’s. Vitton-from the US and Spain, althougth the leather can be coming from elsewhere. Got a Gucci not worth it. The expense of having a high-end purse USED to be worth the money-but today, save your money and invest it in something that is actually worth the price you are paying.