For the past 4 years I’ve wanted a custom or personalized Louis Vuitton but something always came up and the idea always escapes my mind. Well a couple of months ago the thought came in my head and this time I didn’t let it disappear. Not every store handles special order so I called around to ask some questions, once I got my answers I flew to Miami to order my bag. The service is referred to as “Mon Monogram” which simply translates into My Monogram. The ordering process can be a little confusing so I will do a separate post on ” How to Order a Personalized Louis Vuitton“. For my order I went with two colors blue and ivory, I chose the wide stripe done in blue with an ivory border. For my initials I reversed the colors so the letters are in Ivory with a blue shadow or outline. Personalized orders cost 30% more from the bag’s retail price, plus tax. My personalized speedy 30 came out to $1100 USD.

Louis Vuitton Custom Monogram Speedy 30 Front View

…Click to continue reading | My Personalized Louis Vuitton Speedy 30

Today’s Daily Lust is more of a daily need, specially for me. Ladies and Gentle Ladies not only do I not currently have a wallet but previously I had been carrying a Nylon American Apparel Bi fold (GASP). I’m sure the Fashion Police are on their way to arrest me right now. Not to worry I have found the perfect wallet, a Fendi Ombre Zip- Around Wallet. I may be gay, young and black but my bag screams MOM. I have lots of receipts and notes so a Zip Around is a necessity for my lifestyle. This Fendi wallet is great because it has two gusseted pockets, 8 card slots, two flat pockets (for those receipts) and a zipped coin pocket. This wallet also comes in Red and is available at Fendi Boutiques worldwide, it retails for $495 USD.

Fendi Ombre Zip Around Wallet, Blue $495 USD

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the Smart Car Hermes has lend its design aesthetic to car manufacturer the Como Group. The Fortytwo Edition Toile cars are available in 10 Hermes friendly colors including Hermes orange, gold and even lime green. Each car is complete with leather covered steering wheel and gear stick. The regular smart car retail’s for $12,000 USD while the Hermes version starts at $48,000. The launch event was held at the Grand Palais in Paris, a venue that has been used by Karl Lagerfeld for many Chanel showings

…Click to continue reading | Get in my Hermes!

I’m in late bloomer in the Jewelry sense because only recently( I mean less than 3 months ago) did I start wearing even a watch. I for the life of me hate things that are too heavy or I constantly feel which is why I wasn’t a fan. But after trying on some light pieces I now have have a thing for bracelets and Cuffs. Most recently I purchased a Tory Burch Resin cuff and I can almost sleep with that thing on.Which brings me to my next obsession the Hermes Collier de Chien Bracelet. I had the pleasure of trying on this bracelet at the Hermes Boutique in Bal Harbour and I’ve been lusting over it ever since. The Bracelet retails for $1,000 USD, it’s available in Black and Gold or Black and silver. It can be purchased at Hermes online or Hermes Boutiques worldwide.

Hermes Collier de Chien Barelet $1000 USD

…Click to continue reading | Daily Lust: Hermes Collier de Chien Bracelet

The Birkin Bag:

The Birkin bag came about when Jean Louis Dumas (Chairman and former CEO of Hermes SA) caught the actress Jane Birkin fighting with her straw bag as she was trying to store it in an overhead compartment on a plane. At that point he decided she needed a better bag and he was going to design her one. The idea of the Birkin bag came from the Hermes Haut-Au-Courrois, meaning high belt. The HAC as it is referred to today was used in the late 1800’s to carry riding gear i.e. saddle, riding boots etc. The measurements for the HAC are quite large so Jean Louis Dumas tweaked them to make the bag more versatile as well as easier to carry and modern. The Birkin bag is produced entirely by one person called a craftsman from beginning to end. The average production time for a bag ranges from 18 hours for a 25cm to up 30 hours for a 40cm.

Pharrell Williams picking up his purple Hermes croc HAC

The Birkin bag comes in four different sizes. The size of the Birkin depends on the width of the bag. A 40cm Birkin, simply means that the bag is 40 centimeters wide or 15inches. The standard sizes are 25cm, 30cm, 35cm, and 40cm.

Hermes Birkin Bag Size Chart

Every season Hermes releases a list of colors that the Birkin will be available in. The selection of colors is also related to the skins available. The colors are divided into Blues, Greens, Pinks, Reds, Black and Greys, Purples, Yellows and Beige, Oranges, and Browns. Please note that not all skins are available in every color.

Blue Jean- a very popular color at Hermes its an amazing Sky Blue.

Vert Amande- a grassy green color.

Rouge Vif- a very bright red, sort of a lipstick shade.

Skins:

Hermes uses a mixture of exotic skins; Crocodile, Lizard (available in a 25cm or smaller), Mississippi Alligator, and Ostrich as well as a variety of leathers; Calf, Goatskin, Bull Leather etc. Click here to read | The Hermes Birkin Skin Guide.

The Niloticus Crocodile from Africa- A very popular choice at Hermes this croc is mate and very rich.

Veau Togo- The most common leather at Hermes is from a female calf and has a grainy feel.

Chevre Mysore – An amazing goatskin that is very rare due to the difficulty of finding it at Hermes quality.

Black Croc and Diamond Hermes Birkin

The Birkin Spa:

As part of the cost of the Hermes Birkin bag, once a year you may choose to have your bag freshened up at Hermes. In the US it is done in New York and LA where they have master craftsmen.

Shooting Star Birkins:

A shooting star Birkin is a Birkin bag that a craftsman makes for his wife. The bag is marked with a shooting star blind stamp and does not qualify for Birkin Spa treatments.

Chocolate Croc Hermes Birkin Bag

Blind Stamp:

Every Hermes Birkin bag comes with a set of blind stamps, a letter and a number. The letter refers to the year of production. J was 2006, K 2007 and now L for 2008. The number stamp is the craftsman ID number.

Pricing:

The starting cost of an Hermes Birkin Bag is roughly $6,000 for a 25cm in leather and can go as high as $120,000 for a 40cm Croc with the palladium hardware emblazoned in diamonds.

Acquisition:

Victoria Beckham and her insane collection of Hermes Birkins

Victoria Beckham with a Raisin Hermes birkin

Victoria Beckham with her Fuschia Ostrich Hermes Birkin Bag

Victoria Beckham with a white Veau Togo Hermes Birkin Bag

Victoria Beckham with a 40cm Rouge Vif Hermes Birkin bag

Marc Jacobs has always offered a snippet of swimwear but never a full collection. Earlier this week Jacobs signed a licensing agreement with Swimwear Anywhere Inc., to manufacture the collection. Swimwear Anywhere Inc., is the go to swimwear licensing firm for Juicy Couture, Michael Kors, DKNY Swim, Carmen Marc Valvo and a slew of other designers. The Marc by Marc Jacobs swimwear collection will feature swim separates and beachwear.

These suits are from last seasons limited pieces Marc by Marc Jacobs Swimwear Collection

…Click to continue reading | Marc Jacobs to launch Swimwear Collection

Remember Joey Potter/Katie Holmes from her Dawson’s Creek days? You know she played a tomboy, always sneaking into Dawson’s window; she had that super tough exterior. Well if you don’t remember her that’s a good thing, and if you do aren’t you so proud of her. Katie Holmes is the perfect example of it doesn’t matter how you start but how you finish. Early on in her career she was cute and always put together but never had an OMG did you see what Katie Holmes wore moment. That all changed in 2005 when she started dating Tom Cruise. Now I used to have a big crush on Tom Cruise before the whole Scientology thing. And I was shocked when he started dating Katie Holmes because I for sure thought he was going to turn her into a crazy Scientologist, boy was I wrong. …Click to continue reading | Katie Holmes: From the Creek to Hermes

I honestly will flat out come out and say that I have a shoe fetish. Not the odd kind where I want to mount the shoe but the feeling that I get when I slip on that pair of stiletto, or ankle boot. There is something about shoes that changes everything, it makes you happy, changes your posture, enhances your calves, makes you look taller I mean I can go on. My two main reasons for loving shoes are the height and the statement. Shoes make more of a statement than clothes sometimes. If you live in off the rack clothing like 99% of us then you can agree when I say the right shoes can make or break a look. I don’t spend very much on clothing so I can splurge on shoes and accessories. My main shoe collection consists of pumps, black pumps to be exact.

If you saw my closet 3 months ago you’d swear I was an administrative assistant from left to right in one line were all black pumps. Its not that I didn’t like other shoes, it was just my preference and what I could find that worked for me. Plus black is slimming and I wear a size 10 so anything that I can do to minimize the size of my canoes is usually taken into serious consideration i.e. not wearing cut outs or peep toes. …Click to continue reading | 10 Must Have Shoes For Fall 08

Not in a million years would I’ve believed someone if they told me that I Jet Set Junior or just Junior in some circles would be caught wearing fringe boots. I mean that’s something that even TMZ couldn’t catch on film. But believe it or not I did, I guess I was afraid of the fringe because of all the character. I do have a thing against too much character, as it could become a joke if overdone i.e. a Spanish person living in a Spanish style house. Does anyone see where I’m going with this? That being said after starring at the boots for three weeks I decided it was time for me to try them on and style them my way. Not how anybody else would wear them but how Junior would, you can say I Junior-ized it. For a top I chose a button down short sleeve shirt, a Chinchilla vest, Skinny Jeans as a bottom, and the piece de resistance the fringe boots.

…Click to continue reading | Fur and Fringe Oh My!