Coveted List October 2015

What are you coveting right now? I always of have lists of things I want. Here are some of the goodies I'm lusting after now that fall is here. Most of them are available at my favorite store, Nordstrom, or on their website, which I have been scrolling around on all day!

Hermes Collier de Chien Silver Bracelet $4300

Prada Platform Sport Oxfords $970. I want them in black but I've also seen them in pink. (I want the pink ones too!) Available at Nordstrom

Lisa Eldridge Face Paint. I can't get enough coffee table books, and clearly I have a mad love of makeup!

Michael Kors Bradshaw Oversized Chronograph Watch in steel blue makes a nice alternative to black. I love his oversized, chunky watches. Available at Nordstrom

Lagos Stacking Rings $200 available at Nordstrom

Temptu Color True Lipstick in Jet Rouge. This season oxblood lips are huge. This isn't necessarily oxblood, but it has that amazing depth and resonance, paired with the magnificent saturated color pay-off that comes with the Temptu Color True lipsticks. Wear it with a sculpted brow, glowy cheek and tons of mascara.

 Chloe medium Gala Calfskin Bucket Bag in Sienna Red $2150 available at Nordstrom. Chloe bags are timeless. I love this sienna red, and the bucket bag shape is super versatile.

Crate And Barrel Camille Wine Glasses, so that I can channel my girl-crush Olivia Pope. 

Caravaggio, A Life Sacred And Profane, by one of my absolute favorite art historians, Andrew Graham-Dixon. 

Diptyque Candle in Figuier ~ I love the woodsy fig perfume for fall, and there is always something a little luxe about Diptyque candles. Stock up on all the different flavors at Nordstrom - they're great for your home and they make fabulous gifts too!

How To Buy Vintage Handbags

I love vintage handbags.
A great vintage bag, in a style you can no longer find, can be the most chic alternative to any season's "It" bag.
I often find them in village markets in Italy, taken from old estates that have changed hands. They don't have second hand stores in Italy, nor do they have Goodwill, so local markets are an amazing resource for finding incredible old furniture, collectibles and on a good day, vintage handbags.

One time at an arts market in my Italian home town of 
San Gimignano I found a lady selling a cache of  Louis Vuitton bags from the 70's. The bags were well worn but still in enviable condition. I pored over them, looking for every conceivable sign of a fake, but they were indeed the real deal.

If you are a lover of vintage handbags, or if you are seeking out a second hand Louis Vuitton, Chanel or any other major designer handbag, it is important to know how to spot a fake and how to identify an authentic bag.

Here in the USA everywhere you look there are girls sporting fake Louis'. I don't think people realize how disgusting the trade in fake designer bags really is. It funds terrorism, involves child labor and human trafficking - it is deplorable. Before you even think about buying a knock off Louis or Hermes (or any other designer) make sure you read this article from Harpers Bazaar magazine about 
The Fight Against Fakes. 
One of the paragraphs that has haunted me for years, and that comes to mind every single time I see a girl cruising along with her counterfeit Louis is this:

Then I read the following passage from my book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. "'I remember walking into an assembly plant in Thailand a couple of years ago and seeing six or seven little children, all under 10 years old, sitting on the floor assembling counterfeit leather handbags,' an investigator told me... 'The owners had broken the children's legs and tied the lower leg to the thigh so the bones wouldn't mend. [They] did it because the children said they wanted to go outside and play.'"

It's barbaric.

So now that we are clear on why we should never, ever buy counterfeit handbags, lets look at an article I found on The Zoe Report on how to buy an authentic vintage designer handbag.

How To Buy Vintage Handbags

Red Flags To Look For

"Luxury brands will always use quality leather, so expect an even and consistent skin. Red flags include crooked stitching or lettering and gold flaking off the hardware. Dust bags, boxes, and authenticity cards aren't always included, but this doesn't mean the bag is a fake. A few examples of other authenticity markers are Chanel always has a hologram sticker listing the serial number, and for Hermès Birkin bags there is a special stamp embossed into the leather strap."

• c1990's Chevron Stripe Crossbody Bag, Chanel $1900

Coveted Styles Will Get Top Dollar

"The rarest and most coveted bags are the Hermès Kelly and Birkin. For Birkin bags, styles made of exotic skins are the most sought after, while Kelly bags from the 1970s are also constantly in demand."

• 1978 Box Calf Kelly Handbag, Hermes $5900

Only Consider Bags In Good, Excellent or Mint Condition

"Most reputable vintage dealers are highly selective. For example, at Resurrection we only carry bags that are in excellent-to-mint condition. When shopping, we recommend following our standard checklist: Make sure the bag has no stains, tears or rips; that the lining is unstained and intact; and that the hardware has no scratches or tarnishing. The corners can sometimes have slight wear, but that can always be easily fixed."

• c1970's Speedy Bag, $395

Beware Of Deals That Are TOO Good

"Always buy from a reputable source and do your research to make sure the seller has an authenticity guarantee. A common mistake is someone buying a bag online for a price that is too good to be true. Usually, it turns out the deal was too good to be true. Most vintage bags will go for around the same price across the board. If you see a Chanel bag for $200, and it is in perfect condition, be wary."

• c1970's Tote Bag, $530

All Images courtesy of The Zoe Report

Before purchasing a vintage designer handbag you can also google how to spot a fake for that brand.

If you are in Europe and are thinking about buying a knock off handbag from a street vendor (or anyone else) make sure you are aware of the penalties for doing so. They do look out for counterfeits at the airports.

A few years ago an acquaintence told me she was stopped at JFK

because traces of cocaine were found on her counterfeit Gucci handbag. She had a hard time explaining that she knowingly bought a counterfeit handbag from a street vendor in Florence, and found herself in a world of trouble.

Go Totally Nude ~ The Coveted List April 2015

My favorite color palette for summer is crisp, vibrant white.
Its so fresh and clean, looks wonderful with a tan, and makes an easy transition from day to evening.
Whether the total look is white or whether white is an accent, I love it.

Eileen Fisher Summer 2015

This month's Coveted List looks at pieces to pair with whites, offsetting bright white with easy nude.

Go Totally Nude

Totally Nude Coveted List clockwise from top left:

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Crumpet
Kevyn Aucoin Expert Lip Color in Faith
Hermes Cape Cod Watch
Celine Butterfly Sunglasses in Transperant Saffron Acetate
Jimmy Choo Pledge Wedge
Scott Barnes Body Bling
 Chanel Large Tote in Nude





Expert Lip Color in Faith

Iconic Women ~ Happy Birthday Jane Birkin

Can you imagine being so iconic, having such a timeless style, that Hermes named a handbag after you?

A handbag known worldwide and coveted as the ultimate expression of luxury, the pinnacle of chic??

British actress and singer Jane Birkin came to fame during the swinging 60's in London, before moving to France to star alongside Serge Gainsbourg in the film Slogan, in 1969.

Gainsbourg became the love of her life. They recorded many songs together including "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (I love you... me neither) a song banned in several countries at the time due to sexual explicitness.
The couple had one child together, french singer Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Birkin is frequently cited as being celebrities' style icon, which is somewhat unusual as her personal style has been so laid back. She is known for wearing her jeans until they frayed, often bare foot, carrying a wicker basket, even after Hermes designed perhaps the most expensive handbag in the world for her.

Victoria Beckham is frequently seen with Birkin bags

I love the story:

In 1981, Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. Birkin had just placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents fell to the floor, leaving her to scramble to replace the contents. Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked. In 1984, he created a black supple leather bag for her: the Birkin bag,^[4][5] based on a 1982 design. She used the bag for herself for quite some time until developing tendinitis, switching to other types at that point.^[6]

Jane Birkin's Style

Today, December 14th, fellow sagittarian Jane Birkin turns 68.

Happy birthday Jane.

Fabulous Quotes ~ Manolo Blahnik

I adore great quotes.
And I adore Manolo Blahnik.
In the September 2014 issue of Allure Magazine he listed 10 beautiful things a woman should own. Or maybe it was just a list of 10 beautiful things.
Anyway he had some glorious quotes in there.

The first was expected "A high heel transforms you. It changes the way you walk, the way you dress..."

But my favorite was when discussing Hermes bags.
He loves an Hermes Tote that I couldn't find online, but I liked the bag below, The Garden Party Bag $3450.00

And the quote?
"I like all things from Hermes, but the problem is that you have vile celebrities in America wearing a Birkin like it is a trophy. So I like this one that is very simple."

Haha!