Books are devoted to that list of iconic must-have items integral to the wardrobe of anyone with more than a passing interest in fashion: the LBD, the Chanel jacket, a Cartier Tank Americaine, Vuitton luggage, a Savile Row suit for men, etc. I will fully cop to the idea that one of these elements resides at the top of my most-wanted list, the thing I long to purchase in that fantasy moment when money isn't a concern. Yep, it's a Birkin, the Hermes bag so highly desired it has spawned books of its own (the most recent, "Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag," came out in paperback last month). If it's an obvious answer, feel free to say so, but it offers every element that would cause it to reside firmly in my No. 1 spot: A Birkin has history (launched anywhere from 1981 to 1984, depending on the anecdote, spawned by a conversation between the actress Jane Birkin and then-CEO of Hermes, Jean-Louis Dumas); a devotion to craftsmanship (always handmade in a factory outside Paris, each Birkin can take up to 48 work hours to construct); and it's just simply lovely to behold. For Fall Hermes tweaked the Birkin with a minimalist version featuring straps that were embossed onto the bag (style name: the Shadow Birkin). I can't say I love it as much, but I still love it. All of which leads me to ask: What resides at the top of your list? What's the thing you dream about? Not necessarily the one item you long to own this season, but for all time?
Sunday, August 02, 2009
What's No. 1 on Your List?
Books are devoted to that list of iconic must-have items integral to the wardrobe of anyone with more than a passing interest in fashion: the LBD, the Chanel jacket, a Cartier Tank Americaine, Vuitton luggage, a Savile Row suit for men, etc. I will fully cop to the idea that one of these elements resides at the top of my most-wanted list, the thing I long to purchase in that fantasy moment when money isn't a concern. Yep, it's a Birkin, the Hermes bag so highly desired it has spawned books of its own (the most recent, "Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag," came out in paperback last month). If it's an obvious answer, feel free to say so, but it offers every element that would cause it to reside firmly in my No. 1 spot: A Birkin has history (launched anywhere from 1981 to 1984, depending on the anecdote, spawned by a conversation between the actress Jane Birkin and then-CEO of Hermes, Jean-Louis Dumas); a devotion to craftsmanship (always handmade in a factory outside Paris, each Birkin can take up to 48 work hours to construct); and it's just simply lovely to behold. For Fall Hermes tweaked the Birkin with a minimalist version featuring straps that were embossed onto the bag (style name: the Shadow Birkin). I can't say I love it as much, but I still love it. All of which leads me to ask: What resides at the top of your list? What's the thing you dream about? Not necessarily the one item you long to own this season, but for all time?
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