Chanel Gadgets

Spotted at the London New Bond Street-store last weekend: The Chanel Matroushka purse. I think this edition is once again too darn cute but my boyfriend just doesn't understand... Is the KL-doll a better option then, uh? No, don't think so either.

Chanel Store, New Bond Street, London

Random toy store in Knokke, Belgium

Why I'm never buying a white bag again ...

I still love it though ...

white City-bag, 4 years old

Louis Vuitton Cruise 2012

Can someone please tell me when the collection will hit the stores?
Seeing this new Sofia Coppola-line makes me want the bag even more!

image via ELLE - December 2011-issue

I like.

chanel spring-summer 2011

Cayman Collection

Finally I got the chance to see my new case -since I had it delivered to my parents' house. I absolutely love the flashy color, the croc-texture and the smell of the Italian leather, which reminds me of old southern shoe shops. Just as I thought it would be the first time I spotted the case on carolinesmode.com

My leather goods are becoming a bit too matchy-matchy though.

D&G Bag - Graphic Image-case & Marc Jacobs-key ring

Btw. The service by Graphic Image is amazing - the case wrapped nicely in a cotton cloth/nice box and the package arrived from NY in only one week.

Wishlist - A new bag

Dear Santa, I'm still in love with this lovely Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton-bag. I'm willing to pay for it myself, completly.. Could you just ask LVMH to lower the price just a tad?

Dior Film 4

Lady Grey.
Get ready for december 8th.

Tiffany & Co.-Bags

During my morning ritual -trying to find a way to put on my T&Co.-bracelet without asking for help- I was thinking of the memorable store. And I suddenly thought of the classic eyewear the jeweler makes and if they retail it in their NYC-store as well, or only through opticians, in order to be omni-present and this at a lower rate...

And only yesterday, I came across this following article: Tiffany & Co will sell handbags as well, launching today. .

At first glance, the blue details is a nice and subtle way to identify and mark the bag. However, I can't help but wondering how this doesn't seem as a credible way to expand the brand. Sort of like clothing brands that launch their own watch-collection but only give manufacturers permission to use their logo and don't care about the mechanism inside the watch itself. So hopefully, this isn't the case in new product-line...

Eitherway, I had a look at the slideshow, and I must admit that the bags look too classic and maybe even dull to me. I don't think they look different enough from other handbag brands to make it to a true must-have/it-bag, or at least not for someone my age... What do you think?

By the way,
every time I hit a Tiffany-store and see what a tremendous line there is at the Sterling-department, I always start nagging to my boyfriend on how that line is a way for a high end brand to reach the crowds and to increase brand awareness. Think: Chanel-perfume/make-up/nailpolish-strategy: "Now everyone can be a Chanel-girl, and this just by buying the relatively cheap product"...  Now, have a look at this:

Still, roughly 90% of the luxury chain's sales remain in jewelry. The biggest share of Tiffany's total sales of $2.71 billion last year, 31%, came from its lowest-priced merchandise category—sterling silver jewelry with no gemstones and an average price of $200, according to the company's most recent annual report. Bridal jewelry, including diamond rings and wedding bands with an average price of $3,300, made up about a fifth of all sales.


Note to BF: I don't wear rings. Ever. 

Balenciaga

During the last few days, all I did was spend my time working on my thesis, analyzing those four movies again and again. Today I haven't even left the house even though it was such a beautiful day. So I don't care what I'm doing tomorrow as long as I can take these two favorite items out, preferably out in the sun!

Presenting my old, grey Balenciaga The Brief bag, paired up with some grey faux python heels by Zara. 

Louis Vuitton and Environmental Design

A few weeks ago, I had my oral exam of Human-Computer Interaction. One of the questions I had to answer was how context-aware interfaces can be relevant for augmented reality. I answered with what I wrote down in class and with the content of the slides and I think that went pretty well. It was harder though to give a precise, and original application-example of the two technologies combined.

How I wish this news got out before the exam took place: Louis Vuitton has developed a jewelry line, to attach to your bag or wallet, that detects the user's emotions. Kind of like those old fashioned mood rings, only digitally and so much cooler.

Art director Fernando Lahoz explaines: "The bag incorporates a new HERM (heart and emotion rate monitor) in the form of a beautiful piece of jewelry which can be purchased with a bag or separately at Louis Vuitton stores. When attached to a bag the HERM automatically transmits your location and heartbeat via Bluetooth/WiFi to the owner’s smartphone. This heart and emotion rate monitor is automatically tracking the heartbeat and transmitting the information via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi to a smartphone, creating a heartbeat path and storing all the data. The bag is connected to the owner more than ever, saving a trustworthy reminder of the feelings and emotions of the owner during each journey." Plus, the journey the bag's owner made, is then laid out in a map through an iPhone application.


Not only is this a great example of experience design, but it also contributes to the relationship between the 'user' and the brand. And even cooler, and in relation to the context-related exam question, the walls of a Louis Vuitton-store can then e.g. reflect the customers' excitement when visiting the shop. Red being then the color of passion for Louis Vuitton's latest handbag collection for instance.


More info on Lahoz' website, which was also the source for these pictures.

Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton

For years now, movie stars have been appearing in ad campaigns of famous fashion houses and by doing so, contributing to their and the brand's image. Another aspect which interests me for my fashion/film thesis, is when a celebrity takes on the role as a guest designer for a brand. And so, I'm pretty sure that I will include the collaboration between film director Sofia Coppola and Louis Vuitton, in my project.

I'm not a huge fan of Louis Vuitton's monogram bags, but I do however love the line Sofia Coppola designed for the french luxury brand. The small black clutch has been on my wishlist for a while now, and seeing the bag appear on the Jak & Jil blog today, makes me a bit jealous of the owner.

(source: Jak & Jil Blog)

(source: e-shopping page of Louis Vuitton)

Oh and I am a bit shocked of that price tag by the way, since it is such a small bag. Maybe it will be better to just save up for classic watch, like the girl is wearing in the picture above? I'm guessing it's the Rolex Day-Date.