Louis Vuitton

This is another fashion related post. Just warning you.
Sometimes I wonder about Value Village and the people who directly donate their stuff to them. I mean, usually they go to charities which collect the items and then the vintage store people come in and take the best stuff and the rest is shipped to thrift stores, Africa and companies that use them to make rags (yes I have read up on this. This time I have cold facts from the toronto star... or was it the globe and mail..). Anyway since it was such a nice day out, I decided to walk to Value Village- it takes 3.25 rounds of 'Come What May' to get there (I know I'm getting a little obsessive over a thrift/junk store.. but I'm helping charity and recycling. I think Value Village can be far more interesting than Hillcrest Mall). Anyway I was wandering around when I saw the very common poo brown and mustard yellow bag. And I could not believe it! In the dark musty corner of their display case, was a squashed Louis Vuitton bag (the one featured in the picture. I researched it later and found out it was their Montsouris backpack named after a park in Paris or something). I took it out to see while the store clerk just stood there and then seriously contemplated on whether or not to sign up as an employee to get some great discount on already heavily discounted stuff. I mean the bag was a freaking $60!! Do you understand how cheap that is??? No probably not. That bag runs from $700-$970 US in stores. Geez. So I took note of all the details of the bag from the stitching (if it was consistent and clean) to the monogram and stamp (to see if it said 'made in china' or was really lightly stamped- a tell tale sign of a fake) to the colour and texture of the leather to the hardware details (LV written on the zipper and 'Louis Vuitton' on the rivets) because the store people didnt know if it was real or not. I'm pretty convinced it's a real one- the one at the store. It just puzzles me that some dumb person donated it. I'd sell it on ebay. Oh well, better for vultures like me. Some other lady in the store had a lime green Prada purse in her shopping cart. Geez.. I think value village really has upped it's wares- I found a Sisley sweater there too except it was ugly.
Anyway though I've always hated the stamped LV bags, I have been entertaining the thoughts of getting it in the next few days (trust me, things go in a couple of days). When it comes to discounts and thrift finds, I can be a label whore. I went onto the LV website and just watched this mini video clip on how they made their suitcases and I am mesmerized by every process (I had to study their suitcases for my picnic basket project). If I ever become rich, I'm getting a custom made trunk- they're so cool. Not because of the label but they have the most interesting ways of opening and closing things, storing things and I find it so entertaining and appreciate the craftsmanship after so many hours of slaving away at a warped picnic basket (actually very few people can tell it was done by me with all the staining and fancy gold hinges. It has become one handy night table).
Anyway I ended up just getting a $3.99 bag.


My mom asked me how I could stand looking at fashion so much. I actually really do get sick of it- I'm not big on seeing celebrity clothes. I get tired of it when I'm surrounded by it 24/7 at school with all the 'fashion' kids who have to look like 'fashion students' by dressing in labels. I'm really into watching actual people in the streets of New York and on online blogs and forums. Personally those are a lot more inspiring than Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan (did you know she spent about $1 mill on clothes the past year). But my mom is slowly getting into the clothing thing. Although she doesn't really buy much, she now reads the Toronto Star Fashion section on Thursdays, and tells me what she reads over email and saves me articles and free magazines. She also reads the chinese weekly magazine on asian celebs and such.
I enrolled into sewing classes at the Bayview community centre and I hope they'll have enough people to hold the lessons. I really want to learn despite my fear because I want to get a head start when going into 'Garment and Body 1' course in Parsons come fall. I also want to be able to make my own clothes whenever I want and be able to personalize things rather than buy in stores. That way I can examine how a piece of clothing is made, deconstruct it and recreate it with a few yards of cloth and a sewing machine. It's also a very useful and practical skill to have. For example I had just purchased a new shirt from that store in FMP- er- JYC or something and one part wasn't sewn on really well and partially fell off yesterday when I was downtown so today I got out my mom's sewing box and pretended I knew what I was doing by copying what I saw within the other stitches in the shirt. haha... er it's holding up now- so far.