Issue 14: Next Best Thing
HANDBAGS AT DAWN // Sometimes, the ultimate bag hunt ends up being about settling for less then perfection. But when do you buy and when do you hope for something better?
Handbags at Dawn (@h4ndbagsatdawn) is a fortnightly newsletter that lands into your inbox every other Thursday – around lunchtime, London-time.
I learned how to settle for less early on in my life. When I asked my parents for a Game Boy they laughed, said no and bought me a used Play Station One. When I begged for a giant pack of Haribo fizzy colas, I got a small bag of bears because they were a favourite with the rest of the family. I wanted a Barbie as my birthday prezzie, but boo, all I got was an Action Man. Thanks to my parents teaching me the art of compromise, I knew how to tame my greediness even before I reached adolescence. Now, that doesn’t mean I suddenly became a modest little boy who was happy playing with a stick and some mud. Oh, not at all. I would still beg and try to push the limits of my privileged childhood. But I also learned how to find joy in something that wasn’t exactly what I wanted. When I got a mountaineering bike with my Action Man instead of a cute pink Barbie scooter, I played with it as if it was my favourite toy ever.
This isn’t a tale of personal evolution or humility, though. It’s one of developing such a broad sense of preference that makes me the successful vintage shopper I am. Honestly, if I can be proud about one part of my personality, it’s the fact that I’m just not that fussy of a person. I eat and drink most things, watch a lot of different genres of films, and will happily wear most clothes. Unless they’re by Dolce & Gabbana – that’s where I draw the line. At certain points in my life, I thought of this openness as a negative – as if a lack of unique taste buds made me bland and low-brow. Whether it’s my parents’ lessons in compromise or being an open-minded person (is there even a difference?), I just don’t like to be exclusionary.
This aspect of my personality particularly comes into the spotlight when it comes to finding the perfect bag. And by perfect, I mean as near as perfect as possible in that very moment. I’m not fussy with shapes or colours, sizes or materials. I know what I like but will always happily compromise on certain/most elements. This means that, like a hungry person going grocery shopping without a list, I often end up up with bags of bags I fell in love with even though I didn’t need. But when I saw fashion designer Martine Rose herself sporting a stunning bag on her shoulder, I knew it was (yet another) one I absolutely needed in my life. Here is a photo I asked to take of Martine at the launch of her Nike kitten-heel-cum-football-trainer at Dover Street Market a couple of weeks ago:
With as little chill as possible, I approached the lovely Martine and asked (shouted): “OMG THIS BAG! WHERE IS IT FROM? IS IT YOURS?” As you could expect from a total legend, she replied with a smile: “Yes, it’s mine.” For a second, I thought I got a global exclusive on an upcoming Martine Rose leather bag, before realising she meant it as in: “yes, I haven’t stolen the bag off anyone, it’s in my possession and is filled with my personal belongings.” I then asked who was it by, and while she totally could’ve just politely pied me off by saying “vintage” or “can’t remember”, she gave me arguably one of the hottest tips of 2022 by revealing this was a Chloé bag from the early noughties.
That night, after coming home around midnight with my first pair of kitten heels in tow, I spent approximately 9 minutes on Vogue Runway before finding *the* Chloé collection with my future favourite bag. Designed by Phoebe Philo for autumn/winter 2003, the show was an explosion of boho fabulosity, almost like a parody of Sienna Miller’s noughties wardrobe. As someone who considers themselves an aspiring bag connoisseur, I was slightly devastated by not knowing this specific silhouette – especially as it seemed so optimal: available in a range of colours and textiles; a chunky, cross-body strap that’s terribly noisy; a size that just seems ideal for every day. While I didn’t understand how I hadn’t stumbled upon it before, I knew I needed one ASAP. Specifically in black leather, just like my new BFF Martine Rose, as I had previously decided I needed a solid black bag – mostly because it’s something everyone says at some point in their life.
A quick scan of Vestiaire revealed very few options, including a vivid fuchsia in actual lizard skin. Though I’m a pretty passive meat eater, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable with such a statement bag in an exotic skin. And then there was my lord saviour eBay christ, delivering one of these chain strap bags in a deep scarlet red leather, textured and barely worn with a Selfridges price tag still in it. Half-jokingly, I offered £145 as I continued scouring the interned for a black one. And before I could even type ‘black chloe chain strap bag’ into Google, the seller accepted my offer. In that moment, I didn’t have time or desire to look further for the right one – this red one was mine and it was perfect for exactly that reason. I can’t really explain that sensation of nailing a good deal on something that’s kinda what I wanted – but I know it fills me with way more joy than waiting around in the hopes of something better/cheaper/in a different colour. Though many may differ, vintage shopping for me is about living in the moment and not thinking about every single detail. Sometimes, the right now is the right one. Don’t waste your time overthinking the bag – that’s where love, family and relationships come in. Thanks mum and dad, I blame my hoarding tendencies on you. xxx
*PEEK OF THE WEEK*
While my shopping techniques are all about settling for less, I don’t believe in the same methods when it comes to friendships. I believe in finding only the right people that support, love and question you when necessary. One of those in my life is Ekaterina Turkina aka Turkina Faso (@turkinafaso), a talented photographer, director and one of the first true friends I made in London. We’ve partied and cried together (sometimes in the same night), fought over shirts both of us wanted to buy in charity shops, yet were always there for each other in the end. She’s a person that inspires me in the way she combines chaos and calm, and I always wondered whether that side of her character comes across in her bag’s interior. So here we are, as Kati shares what’s inside her totally overpriced, dainty leather bag she got from one of those fancy Notting Hill vintage shops.
What does the inside of your bag say about you?
Turkina: “You caught me in a minimalistic phase as I recently cleaned it up, but it says that I love reading and I shouldn’t smoke, but I do. Also, the orange lipstick can fix a lot by the end of the day. I keep my expired passport with me in case of a night-out emergency. At 34 I still don’t get any alcohol or club entrance without age validation. It makes me feel fab, actually.”