In today’s installment of closet Confessionals we meet a self-proclaimed Philophile who is extremely real and down to earth about her purchases. Her collection is streamlined and includes classic pieces from various eras, but her all-time favorite is a Phoebe Philo-era tote. though she admits to being a bit of a material person who loves beautiful things, she also knows that big purchases won’t make her any happier in life. beyond acquiring something new, shopping makes her pleased as she enjoys the act of admiring things that are aesthetically pleasing—designer or not. This confessor’s purchases are thought out and budgeted for, and shopping within her implies is a big part of her attitude towards bags. Unfortunately, she has experienced the negative aspect of shopping luxury and has received inferior service at shops in Europe. though on the flip side, one of her favorite bag purchasing moments was when a sales partner tracked her down after finding her dream bag deep in the stockroom. read the full confessional below and be sure to submit your own!
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Le basi
Age: 35
Identità di genere: femmina
Location: Singapore
Occupation: Producer
Industry: Media
Salary: $60,000
Household Income: $60,000
Le borse
Sei un membro di Furseforum? No
How numerous bags do you own? 9
What bags are in your collection?
Celine Sangle Seau tote (Phoebe Philo era)
Celine Trio purse (Phoebe Philo era)
Chanel 2.55 reissue (from 2006 or 2007, purchased secondhand in 2011)
Issey Miyake Baobao tote
Saint Laurent Duffle 6 (Hedi Slimane era)
YSL Tribute tote (Stefano Pilati era)
Mulberry Bayswater
APC Sac June purse
Steven Alan Lilly purse
Vast collection of canvas totes from everywhere, typically free, in some cases purchased.
Quanto vale la tua collezione? around US$9,000, if you only count the designer ones.
What is your many expensive bag? The Chanel 2.55 reissue edges out the Celine Sangle Seau just a little, by a few hundred bucks. If I remember correctly, I paid under US$2,500 for the Chanel, which is a steal compared to purchasing one new.
I purchased it off a respectable forum and I spent quite a bit of time researching and consulting third party authenticators. I also took it once to Chanel to ask for guidance for cleaning and they never bat an eyelid, so I’m assuming it’s real, lol. In any case, it’s been so numerous years and it looks and feels amazing, so even if it’s fake, it’s certainly solid. The reissues, at least from 2007 and earlier, are developed like little luxurious tanks — beautiful to touch and feel but they weigh a tonne, and the leather is very robust. The sheer weight implies I don’t often use it but I love having it.
What are the most essential brands or pieces in your collection? I think the Celine Sangle Seau is very special – certainly luxe but very discreet and not an apparent choice..it’s not as recognisable as the Luggage tote, or the Belt bag. The Phoebe Philo era at Celine had some great understated pieces – one bag I wished I purchased was the Twisted Cabas, but it was a very tall bag and I suspect it might have been a wee bit annoying to use, but it has such a great shape and vibe. I think the Trio is rather overpriced of what it is, but the three-pocket design is so clean and useful and I use a lot – on holidays it goes from sight-seeing to good dinners and I like the graphical lines. people who don’t know anything (or care) about luxury brands and designers always compliment me on these two bags.
The Chanel reissue was also significant…I really loved the Coco Chanel mythology at the time and I think a lot of her ideas about clothing are timeless (I’m rather less taken with her anti-Semitism and the glow has vanished because I learnt much more about that). aside from that, I think the bag came from a time when luxury brands were much more consistent in quality, and it’s a pointer how how much out there now is just gloss, compared to something so well-made.
The YSL Tribute is one of my fave bags ever, though it’s rather heavy compared to the Sangle Seau, and I don’t use it as often anymore. but I really love Stefano Pilati’s work at YSL – there was a lot of personality! The shops used to be this beautiful opium red, now they’re a bit cookie-cutter “luxury brand”.
What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? My first designer bag was the Mulberry Bayswater, which I regret, unfortunately. It’s a very beautiful mirrored bronze leather, and it looks fantastic but it is so impractical. The gloss is quite high maintenance and looks awful when scratched or creased…and my life is quite an active, unfancy one so I really choose bags that age well in the elements. Also, it’s quite a boxy design and after that I realise that I really don’t like bags that have such a stiff structure, and choose bags that relocation with my body. I also dislike the clasp, which made it a pain to get things in and out.
ce l’ho ancora, perché non è in condizioni abbastanza buone per recuperare qualsiasi tipo di rivendita di prezzo rispettabile, ed è una specie di puntatore per “conoscere te stesso” prima di spendere buoni soldi in una borsa di design. Non importa quanto sia popolare … Tutti sono diversi e si tratta davvero del tuo stile di vita e delle tue abitudini. Inoltre, l’ho acquistato con uno sconto ripido e ora mi rendo conto che è un errore acquistare qualcosa semplicemente perché è in vendita e un “furto”.
C’è una borsa particolare che vuoi acquistare dopo? Non particolarmente. Penso che il bagliore delle borse di design si sia consumato per me e sono molto più cinico sulla commercializzazione di conglomerati di lusso. Inoltre, una volta che hai gestito abbastanza borse di qualità (Old Chanel, Hermes), non sei impressionato da molti di ciò che è là fuori. Non faccio molto e mentre non mi dispiace fare una pazzia, non voglio essere succhiata dal marchio e paga migliaia per qualcosa che non è speciale.
Inoltre, il mio attuale lavoro come produttore è molto casual e mi occupo di molte organizzazioni no profit, quindi non è appropriato oscillare per borse evidentemente costose. Sono contento di quello che ho e non voglio acquistare nuove borse che si siederanno sullo scaffale.
La mia ultima borsa di design era un Baobao – una di quelle borse da prisma, con un effetto di vernice cosparso piuttosto metallico. Sembra un piccolo dipinto. Adoro il fatto che sia leggero ma forte, e sembra bello. È un’affermazione ma è utile e funziona per la mia vita.
Qualche borsa particolare che contiene un valore sentimentale speciale? No. Adoro le mie borse ma non sono sentimentale per loro. Mi sono preso una pausa dal lavoro un paio di anni fa e in quel periodo ho viaggiato con un budget limitato e le borse di design erano davvero lontane dalla mia mente. Penso che questo abbia cambiato il modo in cui li ho visti; Qualcosa che sembrava così essenziale quando l’ho acquistato, all’improvviso non aveva posto nella mia vita. Sono stato contento di tornare e ricominciare a usare le mie borse quando ho iniziato a lavorare, ma non mi mancavano.
Ti senti come se le tue borse cambino le percezioni delle persone su di te o come sei trattato? Sì, in alcuni casi mi sento autocosciente quando porto qualcosa di un po ‘più riconoscibile. Adesso ci sono abituato, ma mi chiedevo se sono visto come materialista e consapevole dello stato. Perfino gli amici hanno fatto commenti come “Non sapevo che sei il tipo di persona che spende qualche migliaio di dollari in una borsetta”. Ti abitui. Tutti i giudici quando le persone spendono ingenti somme di denaro e fintanto che stavo spendendo in modo responsabile, non mi sento come se avessi bisogno di discutere o scusarmi per questo.
Una volta, in uno dei miei precedenti lavori, un collega ha riconosciuto che stavo trasportando una borsa di San Laurent e mi ha gridato all’infinito. Ero piuttosto infastidito, non perché mi vergogno della mia spesa, ma perché era solo ficcanaso e alla ricerca di qualcosa su cui esprimere il giudizio. Ricordo di aver incontrato: “Stai cercando di scoprire quanto faccio? Pensi che sia appropriato? ”
Che la zitti. Ma mi ha fatto capire che le persone guardano molto da vicino a ciò che usi/porti/indossi, e devi sempre essere pronto per questo tipo di assurdità, altrimenti potrebbe trasformarsi in qualcosa di inutilmente drammatico.
Il rovescio della medaglia, adoro incontrare un collega filofilo. C’è qualcosa di speciale nell’incontro con qualcuno che comprende quella piccola reazione emotiva a determinati oggetti. E questo non è come, una ragazza implica, “chi è dentro e chi è fuori”. È come incontrare qualcuno a cui piace lo stesso film o libro.
Lo shopping
Quanto spesso acquisti nuovi bagagli? Ogni due anni, sembra. Continuo a dire, niente più borse! Ho acquistato il Baobao nel 2018 e spero che sia l’ultimo per un po ‘. Sono diventato molto più interessato alla produzione etica per la moda e questo aiuta – voglio davvero sapere come vengono fatte le cose e che il processo non era dannoso per le persone o l’ambiente. Pochissimi marchi di lusso hanno quel tipo di trasparenza.
Quali negozi frequenti di più? Mi piace vedere cosa sta succedendo a Loewe. Mi piace il lavoro di Jonathan Anderson e le sue borse sono eccentriche e fighi. Non mi sento come se avessi lo stile di vita per loro, ma visivamente, è divertente. Mi piacciono anche i negozi come su pedder, che trasportano una gamma di designer ed è bello vedere cosa stanno facendo marchi o designer emergenti.
Hai mai acquistato borse di seconda mano? Dove acquisti usato? My only secondhand bag is the Chanel reissue, and sadly I can’t remember the name of the resale forum I got it from. In realtà ho fatto una tonnellata di ricerche su TPF nel 2011 ed è stato morto utile in termini di immaginazione quali domande dovrei porre ai venditori. I delight in looking on TRR but honestly, I won’t pull the activate unless it’s something you know no one can be arsed to copy. The big names and styles are too pricey and risky for me to roll the dice, no matter what TRR says about their authentication process.
Vendi vecchie borse per pagare nuovi acquisti? No! I’m not precious about my possessions and many of what I have is probably too battered to be worth the hassle of selling. Plus, I like my collectionand have no desire to part with them.
Do you ever feel societal pressure to purchase much more bags? No. I have two sisters and in some cases they purchase a beautiful bag that makes me a bit wistful, but mostly, I know my practices well by now and I know having much more things doesn’t make me happy. Also, bags are not like t-shirts – you can’t really only use so numerous at once, and leather bags really don’t do well if they just sit in a room collecting dust. The leather deteriorates in condition and then it just becomes something you have to maintain and fuss over. Where’s the delight in that?
Do you consider your bag purchases investments? Nope, I purchase for keeps, and I am not my hedging my retirement on handbags. how numerous of them appreciate in value? people say that about Birkins and Kellys, but you know, there are so numerous on the resale market, you wonder how numerous of them really sell, considering how much they opt for new these days.
Who influences your purchasing decisions? I do follow a few influencers on Instagram, but I’m inspired primarily by their vibe rather than to purchase particular items. I think Instagram hints me onto which brands are giving away bags, because you all of a sudden see them everywhere, and that makes me not want something, lol.
Are sales partner relationships instrumental to your shopping? I’m not a big enough buyer to have this type of relationship. but I do have a funny story about the YSL Tribute. I remember passing by the boutique and spotting it. I went in, tried it, loved it, but felt it was too much money for me to spend, even though it was 40% off. So I left. I went back the next day, and the same sales associate, who was very sweet, told me it had sold, and it was the last one. Five, six hours later, I passed the boutique again because I had dinner nearby, and I heard someone calling “Miss! Miss” behind me. I turned around, and it was the same sales associate, who ran after me when she saw me pass the shop, because she had found one last bag in the stockroom! She was like, “I was so upset I didn’t take your details down, and I spent the whole day looking out for you.” Needless to say, I purchased the bag. It was a good moment.
Why do you delight in shopping, beyond just acquiring something new? I love beautiful things and good design. I guess I am a very material person! I find it quite emotionally soothing to have things that are aesthetically pleasing, whether it’s a easy stool from Ikea or a bag from Celine. It can be hard to resist things I find beautiful but I’ve learnt to admire from a distance. I can shop for hours and not purchase something but I find it quite fun just to admire stuff and maybe learn a little about it. This is why I don’t like shopping online – the tactile aspect of shopping is missing when you can’t analyze and feel it.
Have you ever felt like you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity or gender? nothing too awful, but I think in Europe, in the bigger luxury stores that see a lot of Asians, the sales associates in some cases give me the vibe that they’re just tolerating me for the commission. I remember a sales partner yawning while I taken a look at a view and I said, “I’ll leave now so you can go to bed.” She actually rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders, and said “You can leave any time.” It’s not the first time I’ve been on the getting end of racism, and you can always tell. This was certainly one of those times.
I soldi
Chi paga per le tue borse? Io faccio.
Metti da parte un budget per gli acquisti di bagagli? No. I set aside savings and I pay all my bills on time, and that’s about it. So long as I think it doesn’t affect my overall budget for the month, I’m good.
Gli argomenti tabù
Have you ever bought a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? No. I think it’s because I don’t really purchase stuff for the status. Also, you never know what you are funding when you buy