The Fendi Bag Lady

Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, star of the hit show Sex and the City, explains that she has no money and is in fear of losing her home. She exclaims, “I'm homeless! I'll be a bag lady! A Fendi bag lady, but a bag lady!!” This is one of my most beloved quotes, that I keep near and dear to my heart.

For fear that those words might become a reality to me; I have started a small savings account entitled, “Do not spend on bags.” Paying full price is not something I am prepared to do all the time. My latest purchase included the words “Marc Jacobs” and “on sale.” As an Internet savvy person, I am always getting mail telling me about sales and discounts, and this one was for shoes! I ventured into the city that lives and breathes fashion, New York. On the shelves of tossed up shoes were my latest conquest. There they were Marc Jacobs lace-up, taupe colored espadrilles with coordinating colored ribbon to lace-up the leg. Calling my name from the second I tried them on, the $250 price tag that was marked down to $125, I got them for $99 with no tax, need I say more?

There are many theories of how and where fashion comes from; for me, I use every resource possible to keep up on the latest trends and styles, which in turn, influence, what I will be wearing each day. Fashion publications are huge: Vogue, Vanity Fair and Glamour are all major players in key looks and pieces for each season. Obviously as a college student, I do not have the budget to afford the classic couture looks, but I find a way to make my own and at my own price. I make what I call a “fashion scrapbook.” I tear looks from magazines that I find irresistible and use them when I am shopping for focus. It’s a great way to only buy things you need and to get those hot trendy looks for a fraction of the price. Style I feel is not only a look, but also the attitude in which you carry yourself. If you are confident in what you wear, no matter where you buy it or what it is: if it’s shorts, sweats, or a women’s collared Polo, you have style.

“People watching” is another one of my style influences. Going to school in Manhattan has definitely given me an advantage to see street fashion, turn into runway fashion. In fall 2006, we see 80’s flashback: leggings, long tunics, and big hair. A true people watcher, or lucky resident of SoHo, could have told you this last spring!

Bonjour! Merci! and most importantly, where can I go shopping for exquisite vintage fashions? While attending ModSpe’, a Fashion school in Paris, backed by the French Federation of Woman’s Ready to Wear, I knew that shopping was going to play a major part in my educational “vacation.” At a small consignment shop, I found what would be later known as “The Bag.” Made in Paris, a crème-cotton, vintage Hermes shopper! Not only was it my first Hermes purchase, but also the coincidence that the bag actually says “Paris” on it, how perfect. Hermes Sellier Paris is done is black stencil writing on the front flap, it has silver snaps, and a tanned leather strap for closing. The bag still smells of Dior perfume, and went with me everywhere in my travels through Paris. No matter how many new bags I get, whether it be a new snakeskin Gucci, or a trendy rhinestone Dior, my Hermes shopper will always my most coveted handbag.

Source: handbagdesigner101.com