Walking the Label..

When you think of fashion you think of the big picture and within the big picture – the designers. The designers are the trend setters, the be-all and end-all of fashion, the superstars of the industry, the heroes and heroines of our lives.. Fashion has always been an important part of my life even from my pre-teen years. I knew the mega-designers such as Coco Chanel, DKNY, and Burberry etc from Vogue magazines I used to smuggle from my Mum (I still smuggle btw). But, designers are associated with high cost and it’s this cost that repels many of us away from their boutiques to the cheaper, high street stores. Only now and again will we treat ourselves to the ‘labels’ of fashion. For me, it has been precisely one time that I have treated myself to one of fashions most cherished labels.

  

   I was young, around 12, when I went out on a shopping trip with Mum. Back then I was a little bit of a saver, I used to save my money for short periods of time. I used to love birthdays and Christmases because money would come in large sums without me having to save every penny slowly! It was on this particular occasion that I had managed to save a reasonable amount of pocket money and it was on this particular shopping trip that I intended to spend it and spend it I did! Mum’s a massive fan of handbags, growing up as a young child there was a new one at least every few months. Thankfully I have been influenced by her love of handbags and now have a forever growing collection of my own. So, it’s no surprise one of the first shops we found ourselves in was a handbag retailer! It was like a little piece of heaven, luxury labels, expensive quality and the enriched smell of real leather.. I was like a kid in a playground, running from bag to bag as opposed to swings and slide. It was here I came across the DKNY stand. A little bit star-struck by the label, I inspected every inch of each handbag (checking the price labels to see if it was within my price range too!). Eureka! I found one! I whipped up the bag before anyone else could have the chance to buy it and ran straight to Mum. With a little speck of hesitation, Mum finally gave into my nagging and I walked home with a smile painted on my face (and empty pockets!) for the whole journey home.

  

   Several years later my DKNY bag remains poised on the top of my wardrobe waiting for its first use. I still have not used it. Why? I have developed OCD over my DKNY bag. When people think of luxury labels the call it a ‘fashion investment’.  I’m sure this is true after you overcome the paranoia that it must stay perfect!  I was afraid to use my bag, scared that I would damage it by scratching its beautiful, shiny surface;  by breaking the zip, or by marking it and disgracing its utter perfection with disrespect. I like my bags to be practical, unbreakable and versatile. I was 99.9% sure that my designer bag was at least one of these things – versatile - but the other two factors I had serious doubts about. I knew that if I ventured out with this super expensive bag I would be relentlessly obsessing over its condition, like a mother with its new born child – extremely protective. When the New Year of 2013 came I made a few resolutions, one of which included taking my bag out into the world.. And so, as the heavy snowfall arrived on UK’s doorstep, I finally braved my long-term fear and decided to walk the label….

So, sigh of relief, my bag survived its first day of adventures! A bag is something that should be practical, unbreakable and versatile, and after giving it a test run after so many years, my DKNY bag is all of those things! Preparing for more adventures my bag steps out of the closet and into the world! (Bless it!)