The B*tch Is Back: For Him, For Her, For Us.
(Note: Please feel free to use any site or dealer you prefer as I am not endorsing any retailer here EXCEPT of the genuine articles.)
Yes, it has been a while and the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. It has been exceedingly difficult to keep up with the frenetic pace of last year's output with the demand upon my time that this economic malaise has made. The quarter was drawing to a close and I was busy writing reports about various companies and making extremely well-studied statements about what this meltdown will mean to the luxury industry as whole for the higher ups. Could it ultimately redefine what luxury means to shoppers? Would luxury be relegated to the select few as it had always been in the past? Would there be a revolt the likes of which would make the Bolshevik Revolution look like a cat fight between Amy Winehouse and Paris Hilton over the last bag of coke? These were the questions that were burning in my mind as I have watched close friends and acquaintances lose the lion's share of their retirement portfolio's values and more. And as I have had to tell people, the choices I have seen and will probably continue to see people make are not whether to have two bottles of champagne with dinner instead of one; it's life-altering questions that require the involvement of Mayflower to help with the move back to mom and dad's, if they even still have their own home, job or money.
I don't like what I see and it makes me uneasy to walk down the street with my Louis Vuitton on my arm and then get glances, looks that used to, on some level, mean envy but now really telegraph disdain. Before, I barely noticed such looks (but you better believe I would have noticed if they stopped!)maybe because I knew these were all accessories in a game, a game that the owner of those eyes was also playing. But we were both in the running to win! And besides, I cheated; my game pieces were all fake. I want to grab that same woman sneering at me, now a bus stop bench, and say, "IT'S NOT EVEN REAL! IT'S A REALLY GOOD FAKE!" But I can't really do that because I'm driving by in my Mercedes with my cell phone glued to the side of my head and the stereo blasting Chairlift's "Bruises." I sigh. I go on. But does it mean I'm still a good person if I at least thought about it like that? I have been asked why it doesn't seem like my lifestyle has changed by people that don't know me as well as you all do. And, of course, I chalk it all up to my frugality and smile coyly. As I have told you here, I don't buy much of anything genuine, especially luxury goods, and never much of anything new new. Knowing what I know about the world of retail, mass media advertising and "luxury," I already know that a sham is being majorly perpetrated and that buying into it is makes me and anyone, for lack of a more lady-like term, a sucker. Yes, that's right. Keeping up with the Jones (or the Steins) will keep you in the poor house and dependent upon credit to get along in life. Honestly, who needs that? Do you REALLY need to spend $5,000 on a f*cking wind-up WATCH?! (I'm talking to you, idiot Paneristi!) Do you REALLY need to spend $5,000 on a f*cking shiny rock?! (I'm talking to you, Diamond Dolls!) Do you REALLY need to spend $3,000 on a f*cking purse?! Do you REALLY need to spend the extra money to build, heat, cool and clean a 3,000 square foot McMansion?! Do you REALLY want to use the equity in your house to buy a f*cking CAR?! DEBT IS FOR DUMMIES! Yes, my career and livelihood depends on this kind of mentality and inner-dissatisfaction with one's perfectly okay life, but I like all of you so I'm telling you what's really going on. Just say screw it and buy the fake stuff and keep some money in the bank. Warren Buffett says, and rightly so may I add, that true luxury is the luxury of not having to worry about money. And he would know because he drives a Cadillac and lives in the same small house he's lived in for forty years. His income went up but not his stupidity.
Besides all that, my time has been occupied with work and also with doing some writing (for a wee bit of actual money) for a luxury goods and style website, thanks to my work here garnering the attention of an RG member who passed my work along to a person in that company (sans incriminating mentions of replica/counterfeit goods and services). I am terribly sorry if it seemed I was neglecting you, RG. I wasn't. The truth is I never left you. All through my wild days, my mad existence, I kept my promise . . . don't keep your distance.
But this article isn't all about ranting about the money mess and me crying about having missed you all. I managed to get my hot little hands onto a brand new Hermes Clipper Chronograph Maxi that my boyfriend's uncle (who was visiting from Russia) bought about a week and a half ago and got some very decent shots of it before he left. I didn't take the pictures but I directed and that's all that matters. :o) It is a magnificent timepiece and I was pleased to find out that there actually is a replica of this watch readily available. And it's scary accurate except for about three minor things, two of which cannot even be seen when the watch is worn and easily overlooked when it is not. There's no doubt they used an original as their guide. And I also had the distinct pleasure of getting up close and personal with the SC bag, the flagship bag named for Sofia Coppola who designed a collection of very functional, very detailed and very beautiful bags that stand out without being too in-your-face. Under the radar luxury is what 2009 is going to be all about.
Hermés Clipper Chronograph Maxi
No one immediately thinks of Hermés and thinks watches. They think snooty, handbags, fabulous scarves, Jane Birkin and probably puppies, dreams and starlight. But Hermés has a wonderful lineup of watches that are finely detailed and crafted with special attention to how the watch will be used, where it will be worn and how by its future owner. The most popular of a line up which includes such notable sellers as the Cherché, Tandem, Arceau, Kelly and Cape Cod, is the magnificently stately Clipper. The way Hermés treats raw silk is exactly the way they treat steel and gold; the hand is really unrivaled by watches in similar price points. Compared to the way the Clipper feels and moves, the Submariner almost feels unfinished. That's saying quite a bit. If you've never had the opportunity to see the genuine watch up close, make it the first thing you do in a Hermés boutique near you; it's a treat!
Hermés designers take into account many variables before they offer a product to the public. I can assure you, there are very, very few manufacturers that understands moral content quite like Hermés . Moral content refers to the things a customer cannot see, feel or perceive when using a product but are there regardless. Manufacturers of many things, notably in cars and houses, really do try to see what they can eliminate from a product and not affect its overall appearance or functionality noticeably to the consumer. Hermés simply DOES NOT do this which is why their products cost so very much. $50,000 for a handbag isn't an arbitrary number they came up with to see who would buy. It's exactly what an almost completely handmade ultra-luxury item in a First World country should cost. Believe you me, in addition to making a profit, they are passing on the cost TO YOU.
The cost of producing a Birkin in France with highly skilled French workers, all receiving very good pay with benefits and exceptional working conditions, is phenomenally high. But they do it and price everything they sell accordingly. Could they sell purses for less made in other, low wage countries? Absolutely. But it would dilute the brand and bring them down to a level that, frankly, they don't need to sell within at all. The same is true with their watches. They are expensive but priced competitively because the movements are not designed nor made in-house. If Hermés ever decided to expand their watchmaking operations, you could expect they would certainly give Patek Philippe a run for their money.
While the genuine Clipper Chronograph Maxi is made with a modified Valjoux 7750, the type of stainless steel used, the forging of the case and blued screws all add a touch of luxury to an otherwise quite pedestrian movement. The finishing of the genuine's case, dial, band, bezel and caseback are what separates this watch well from the timepieces at this price point. Not one sharp edge is to found anywhere on this watch.
The case itself is 44mm (hence the 'Maxi'), which is far larger than I think is necessary for any watch but, like we're told through your friend and mine, The Advertising Media, bigger, brasher and bolder is simply better. So for many people who think dwarfing their wrist and screwing with their body's proportions means they've made it, this watch will not interfere with those aspirations. This watch will certainly be seen.
The engravings are deep and crisp while the rubber band is impregnated with Terre D'Hermés, the alluring scent they introduced in 2006; for those who want and expect their replicas to give them the full genuine experience, it's a feature I'm certain the replica does not recreate in the slightest. Vanilla scented rubber is infinitely cheaper than Terre D'Hermés.
However, from my examinations of the photos Josh provides of his Clipper, the replica is 99.998% accurate to the genuine. If one had no access to a genuine for an extended period of time, as I did, the replica would have passed easily, even at a Hermés boutique. Of this I have no doubt.
The replica visually differs from the genuine in some minor ways, visually. The seconds subdial on the genuine does not have an arrow pointer whereas the replica does. On the reverse, the rotor screw on the genuine is not blued but on the replica it is, very clearly; perhaps it can be scraped clean, if you're a purist and don't mind opening up the watch. There is one other thing that is not immediately noticeable unless you have a real one to compare against the replica. The bezel of the luminescent pearl is slightly thicker on the genuine than on the replica. But this is negligible. Pearls are lousy on most replicas, as well all know. Thankfully, most people won't know this because although this watch sells well, seeing one in person is not very likely.
The watch itself has a Paul Picot-esque/Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine-ish quality about it, but it looks and feels one hundred times sturdier than both and couldn't be mistaken for either. Like a Birkin, this watch has a vault-like quality that cannot be communicated via pictures. It's exceedingly SOLID because the case is very thick. I'm told by a trusted dealer that the heft of this piece is spot on to the genuine which would make it heavy indeed!
Here's a few more pictures of the genuine watch to use in comparison with Josh's photos or to study if you've already bought one:
Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton: SC Bag Monogram Canvas
I was lucky enough to inspect this bag at an event I attended two months ago and I must say I absolutely LOVE IT. Sofia Coppola, the daughter of Francis Ford, director in her own right and big Louis Vuitton collector, was asked to collaborate with Vuitton in designing a new line of bags after not being able to find a Vuitton bag that embodied all the attributes she thought she needed for her busy life. After a few months of meetings with Vuitton's top designer, including working directly with her close friend Marc Jacobs, she produced this gorgeous number. This is the kind of bag that makes the perfect gift for that fickle purse person in your life. While the genuine comes in two colors of calf skin (Jasper or Cobalt) and black suede, the Monogram Canvas is the only one I really like because it looks so much like a "Mini-Keepall Plus."
The leather replicas I've seen of this bag leave much to be desired but the Monogram Canvas version is absolutely spot on. The dimensions are within one to two centimeters of the genuine and it can be carried by RepGeeks in Asia quite easily without fear of discovery. The genuine SC bag is expensive at about $2,500 just for the Monogram Canvas version; prices escalate with hides. This bag just became available late last month and is expected to disappear completely before spring ends.
I NEED this bag but can't seem to convince anyone else of this fact.And I'm fairly certain everyone else needs this bag as well.
And along with what I feel is THE It Bag for spring, she's created other bags and even shoes to match the bags or stand alone! I enjoy her movies, especially Marie Antoinette, and I greatly admire her professionally. It's always great when companies actually get people to collaborate with them who are as cool and accomplished as Sofia.
And if you doubt the selection of Sofia Coppola by Vuitton as "dubious," once Britney Spears' contract with Candies expires, she'll be able to help Vuitton design a very special line of bags . . .trash bags.
Seasoned Louis Vuitton aficionados will notice immediately that this bag reminds you of someone, several someones probably, all of whom you know and love well. As you can see, the interior of this bag is microfiber and has every single last detail of the original. That means that this bag can be opened and shown off anywhere. It's rare that interiors match exteriors for accuracy but many high-end Vuitton replicas get this area correct.
The SC Bag is reminiscent of the Speedy, the Keepall and a generic doctor bag (because of the large, zippered opening). I have three Speedys (all genuine) and two Keepalls (one real, one replica). I love the fact that this bag embodies the spirit of both of those bags in a form factor that is just big enough to be functional for day and just small enough to not be relegated to short weekends. It's size slots between a Speedy 35 and a Keepall 45, a unisex travel bag that I've seen used as a purse, especially when it was available in Multicolore. The Keepall 45 as purse, in my opinion, is just too big. I do appluad the women who need a big purse who chose this over the mahina XXL. LOL
This bag comes with a shoulder strap, unlike the Speedy, and, like the Keepall, the handles are long and go all the way around the bag to give it the structure the Speedy lacks. There will be no filling it with items and having it sag in the middle. Speedys are great and look their best when kept light.
Unlike both the Speedy and the Keepall, the zippered opening of the SC goes down the sides a third of the way to allow easier access to the interior of the bag. This bag was obviously designed by someone who uses a handbag everyday in every way. I'm certain since Sofia has a new baby that she added these functional things because the bag would probably see a lot of duty in a real woman's everyday life (maybe even as a luxury diaper bag.
It's these useful touches in conjunction with the visual details she had added that makes this bag such a success.
This item is a particular favorite. I love the clochette of the Birkin, a bag I cannot carry at this stage of my life, and this bag has that feature plus a snap closure to protect the keys from the elements and getting lost. It's a Birkin-like flourish that I appreciate since I love that bag. Below, the vachetta leather cover of the lock is another great detail that is frequently wrong on lesser quality bags that I've seen so far. That detailed stitching at the bottom and top of the cover is where most replica bags I've seen so fail. I
If any of these vachetta or hardware details are wrong or "off," skip the bag. If you cannot check these features thoroughly or get photos of any of these things before you buy, online or off, don't buy the bag.
With bags like this and buying online, high quality pictures of every significant and insignificant detail is important so you can understand the strengths and weaknesses of the bag you've selected. Again, if you do not have the photos necessary to make an informed decision, then you shouldn't be buying the bag. The disconnect and dissatisfaction with buying replica bags online starts with people choosing the wrong site for their needs. There really is a site for everybody's buying behaviors and patterns. Also, get to know the bag you want completely so that you KNOW what to look for and what to avoid. This guarantees happiness just about every time.
I always look for things in the replica world that are easily overlooked due to the sheer number of watches and bags replicated. These are both real gems and can be worn and carried in even the most discriminating atmospheres in which you may find yourself.
Thanks, RG!
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Originally Posted by Chris V.
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