Excuse me, are you an LV?

I have been itching to blog about this but didn't have time to do it when it happened. But yay, it's the weekend so here goes. As I mentioned in my previous post, I went to Kuala Lumpur where I was on a Support Local Artisan Shopping Spree and bought quite a few things made locally, including two bags made from floral/batik like prints which the girl assured me were printed in Malaysia.

I used the red floral bag last weekend (as intended when I bought the bag cuz it just felt like a weekend bag) and happily went for hula class and then walked around in town before meeting up with Slawek. Bumped into a work colleague and we were just chatting about this and that. Then she noticed my bag and guess felt that she had to say something about it so she said, "So cute your bag, it's so eeerrr .... hmmmm....". To end her misery, I jumped in and said, "It's from Malaysia, part of my support cottage industry products" and I gave my bag a lil pat! And her reply,"Yes, it looks very handmade ...".

And I was surprised not by what she said but the tone she used as she said those words and as she clung on to her LV tightly as if my cottage-industry bag will infect her LV bag with some bag disease *laughs* It was actually quite funny and I would have burst out laughing but I am too nice so I just smiled back at her.

I guess this work colleague of mine would rather die than be seen carrying a non-branded bag. It's funny she probably defines herself by the material things that she carries. My lil cottage industry bag could easily have a fancy label or have a celebrity be photographed carrying it and this Missy would be dying to be seen with the same bag! We are such suckers *laughs*

On my trips to Chatuchak Market in Bangkok, I saw gorgeous plates, vases, pottery ... lots and lots of things which were stacked up in shops and you have to get down on your hands and knees to plough through to pick the ones that you want to cart home. And when I come back home, I see the same wares but with the dust removed, items placed on shelves in shops with fancy names and people are willing to pay so much more for stuff that they would probably shun if they saw the same items in Chatuchak Market.

Look, I have no problems with LV, Gucci, Prada and the whole lot. They do have some nice things that I salivate over. But for me, it's not the brand or what I pay for the bag. If I like the bag, it doesn't matter if it costs $15 or $1500. I am a bag lady and I have too many bags for my own good I know. Yes that is my vice. But I don't discriminate my bags. My Neverfull gets placed on the floor when I am out (to the horror of others who think that I am disrespecting the bag by just placing it on the floor *grins*). Isn't it all so funny? Anyways, read this article, 'Slaving in the Lap of Luxury' some time ago but thought it makes interesting read. So anyone interested, check it out.