baggies

I love bags. LOVE them. Can't get tired of them. Buy waaay too much of them. And this fall, they're already hawking the big bag as the bag of the season. Which is totally my kind of bag. Which I also already own a lot of so I'm in no rush to buy any.

I did, however, see one very lovely one from Mango when I was out today. Mango is absolutely one of my favourite labels available in Singapore because they serve up a fairly reliable mix of chic, trendy and classic, which works for me. They don't do trendy nearly as well as some of the other stores, but then I don't really follow those anyway.

Anyway I have no picture of that one, but I was checking out their website and I saw this one, which looks kind of yum to me (ignore the horrible photography which makes the bag look like it came out of some catalogue for elderly people), I like the unique shape.



It looks like of bashed up, which I always like, and it doesn't really look like any designer bag (that I've seen anyway). It's also nice size for a rat pack like me - to stuff essentials like iPod, bottle of water, a book, etc etc.

I dusted out a bag of my mother's that she hated - she thinks it's dowdy. Me and my sis think it's nice in a "so dowdy it's cool" way.

Anyway it's supposed to be Gucci, a really extravagant gift from my dad to me mum a long time ago when he bothered with such romantic gestures and it really pissed my mum off because they didn't have much money then and yes, she thought it was dowdy. Ah well.

But my sister and I doubted its provenance (so terrible of us, no?) so we searched it up and found some handy tips on eBay, and after checking out the little details like the little coat of arms inside, the serial number, the quality of the lining, and the fact that the leather still smells pretty good, we decided we had some authentic vintage Gucci on our hands.

Which we shall use liberally. It works when you sling it across, which is my fave style of bag. I have a gold leather one that I sling for parties and clubbing and a cream leather one for day. I have nylon ones that I use for travelling and school, and a seriously cute canvas one with a rhino print that I use all the time. I like having my hands free and not having a bag in the way when you move around.

My dream bag from the latest fall collections is actually this one from Prada -

Ah well, I can dream no? Miu Miu also did some great things for fall - they generally do pretty great bags and clothes and I like how their things don't look all that status-y. I also like the cool new ads featuring Zhou Xun, Dong Jie, and Rina Ohta, shot at the Laperhouse.

I thought the ones with Evan Rachel Wood, Lou Dillon, and Selma Blair were pretty good already, but this one is my favourite so far. They are so different from your usual ad campaigns and seem less about a hard sell, even if it is. I like that fact that a label like Miu Miu is showcasing a different kind of beauty and not the usual brand name celebrities and models. None of these women look like an Asian stereotype, style-wise.

I also like the way the images all look like film stills - it suggests a story behind everything and it's very intriguing. I try and capture the same mood when I take my own photos, but nah, not there yet.

And did you see that bag?

Do check out the rest of the campaign at http://www.miumiu.com/ Even the production shots are beautifully done.

Anyway I think I will go back and grab that Mango tote, might as well cheer myself up before school gets going. It's $99, which isn't cheap at all, but hell, you can't skint on bags, and seriously, what's $99 compared to a few thousand for a Prada or Miu Miu?