<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion, a form of nonverbal communication, allows us to express our identity to the world. As a child, my fashion sense was heavily influenced by my mother, whom I revered as my hero and role model. When I was home sick and couldn’t attend school, I would delight in playing dress-up in her heels and pearls. Her makeup, perfume, and skincare products fascinated me, especially her nightly routine. Like most daughters, I saw my mom as the epitome of feminine beauty and fashion.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a child, my mom and I would often go shopping for bolts of fabric, which she would then have our family friend, a seamstress, turn into matching outfits for us.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Looking back, it’s truly remarkable to have pictures of us in those matching outfits. Some of these pictures are still displayed at my house today, a testament to how much I cherished those moments.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, as a child, I remember a day when I woke up feeling a strong desire to break free from my mother’s fashion choices. I wanted to choose my own clothes and be my own person, no longer wanting to be her miniature version. When I broached the subject with my mom, I was met with hurt and disappointment in her face. She was taken aback by my feelings about her wardrobe choices for me.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eventually, she allowed me to buy the clothes I wanted to wear to fit in with my friends at school. During the 90s, popular fashion included Guess jeans, plaid shirts, and Vans sneakers.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I was thrilled to finally “fit in” and avoid standing out. At that age, being accepted and liked by my peers was everything to me.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only with time and hard-earned wisdom do I realize that in both cases, I was dressing for others’ love and approval rather than expressing my true self. I didn’t know myself yet, so I blended in with the crowd to avoid drawing undue attention.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I matured and gained a better understanding of myself, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my style is very feminine and floral. Growing up in a household with older brothers, I often identified as a “Tomboy” to fit in with them. While fashion choices can have various meanings for different people, they serve as cues about who we are, whether explicitly or implicitly.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion is a dynamic aspect of self-expression that evolves with the times. It allows us to communicate our changing identities in relation to our environment, whether for work, travel, social gatherings, or significant life events. The constant evolution of our style enables greater self-expression and the opportunity to embrace new aspects of ourselves as individuals.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion goes beyond purses and clothing; it’s a means of expressing our identity, values, and worldview. Through our choices, we can communicate our feelings, culture, ideas, and creativity without uttering a single word. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trends change, and so do individual tastes, both of which have contributed to fashion’s ongoing development.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But through fashion, we are all constantly in the process of self-discovery, adapting to change, and continually exploring our true selves. Fashion can help us reconnect with our cultural roots, develop our individuality, and build confidence through our clothing choices. It continues to play a pivotal role in shaping our identities and connecting us to the world around us. Fashion encourages us to embrace our uniqueness while fostering connections with the world we inhabit.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO 💋 Lady Astrid

<em style="font-size: 16px; border: revert; color-scheme: revert; math-depth: revert; ruby-position: revert; writing-mode: revert; display: revert; font-family: Assistant, &quot;Assistant Fallback&quot;; font-feature-settings: revert; font-kerning: revert; font-optical-sizing: revert; font-palette: revert; font-size-adjust: revert; font-synthesis-small-caps: revert; font-synthesis-style: revert; font-synthesis-weight: revert; font-variant-alternates: revert; font-variant-east-asian: revert; font-variant-ligatures: revert; font-variant-numeric: revert; font-variant-position: revert; font-variation-settings: revert; font-width: revert; text-orientation: revert; text-rendering: revert; zoom: revert; -webkit-font-smoothing: revert; -webkit-locale: revert; -webkit-text-zoom: revert; text-autospace: revert; background-image: revert; background-position: revert; background-size: revert; background-repeat: revert; background-attachment: revert; background-origin: revert; background-clip: revert; mask: revert; accent-color: revert; place-content: revert; place-items: revert; place-self: revert; alignment-baseline: revert; anchor-name: revert; anchor-scope: revert; animation-composition: revert; animation: revert; appearance: revert; aspect-ratio: revert; backdrop-filter: revert; backface-visibility: revert; background-blend-mode: revert; baseline-shift: revert; border-collapse: revert; box-shadow: revert; break-after: revert; break-before: revert; break-inside: revert; buffered-rendering: revert; caption-side: revert; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); clear: revert; clip: revert; clip-path: revert; clip-rule: revert; color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color-interpolation: revert; color-interpolation-filters: revert; column-count: revert; column-fill: revert; gap: revert; column-rule-color: revert; column-rule-style: revert; column-rule-width: revert; column-span: revert; column-width: revert; contain: revert; container-name: revert; container-type: revert; content: revert; content-visibility: revert; counter-increment: revert; counter-reset: revert; counter-set: revert; cursor: revert; cx: revert; cy: revert; dominant-baseline: revert; dynamic-range-limit: revert; empty-cells: revert; field-sizing: revert; fill: revert; fill-opacity: revert; fill-rule: revert; filter: revert; flex: revert; flex-flow: revert; flood-color: revert; flood-opacity: revert; flow-tolerance: revert; glyph-orientation-horizontal: revert; glyph-orientation-vertical: revert; grid: revert; grid-column-end: revert; grid-column-start: revert; grid-row-end: revert; grid-row-start: revert; hanging-punctuation: revert; hyphenate-character: revert; hyphens: revert; image-orientation: revert; image-rendering: revert; isolation: revert; lighting-color: revert; line-break: revert; line-height: revert; list-style: revert; margin-trim: revert; marker: revert; mask-composite: revert; mask-mode: revert; mask-type: revert; math-shift: revert; math-style: revert; mix-blend-mode: revert; object-fit: revert; object-position: revert; offset-anchor: revert; offset-distance: revert; offset-path: revert; offset-position: revert; offset-rotate: revert; opacity: revert; order: revert; outline: revert; outline-offset: revert; overflow-wrap: revert; page: revert; paint-order: revert; perspective: revert; perspective-origin: revert; pointer-events: revert; position: revert; position-anchor: revert; position-area: revert; position-try: revert; position-visibility: revert; print-color-adjust: revert; quotes: revert; r: revert; resize: revert; rotate: revert; ruby-align: revert; ruby-overhang: revert; rx: revert; ry: revert; scale: revert; scroll-behavior: revert; scroll-snap-align: revert; scroll-snap-stop: revert; scroll-snap-type: revert; scroll-timeline: revert; scrollbar-gutter: revert; scrollbar-width: revert; shape-image-threshold: revert; shape-margin: revert; shape-outside: revert; shape-rendering: revert; speak-as: revert; stop-color: revert; stop-opacity: revert; stroke: revert; stroke-color: revert; stroke-dasharray: revert; stroke-dashoffset: revert; stroke-linecap: revert; stroke-linejoin: revert; stroke-miterlimit: revert; stroke-opacity: revert; stroke-width: revert; tab-size: revert; table-layout: revert; text-align-last: revert; text-anchor: revert; text-box: revert; text-combine-upright: revert; text-decoration-skip-ink: revert; text-emphasis-color: revert; text-emphasis-position: revert; text-emphasis-style: revert; text-overflow: revert; text-shadow: revert; text-underline-offset: revert; text-underline-position: revert; text-wrap-style: revert; timeline-scope: revert; touch-action: revert; transform: revert; transform-box: revert; transform-origin: revert; transform-style: revert; transition: revert; translate: revert; vector-effect: revert; vertical-align: revert; view-timeline: revert; view-transition-class: revert; view-transition-name: revert; visibility: revert; will-change: revert; word-break: revert; x: revert; y: revert; z-index: revert; -apple-pay-button-style: revert; -apple-pay-button-type: revert; -webkit-backdrop-filter: revert; -webkit-background-clip: revert; -webkit-background-origin: revert; border-spacing: revert; -webkit-box-align: revert; -webkit-box-decoration-break: revert; -webkit-box-direction: revert; -webkit-box-flex: revert; -webkit-box-flex-group: revert; -webkit-box-lines: revert; -webkit-box-ordinal-group: revert; -webkit-box-orient: revert; -webkit-box-pack: revert; -webkit-box-reflect: revert; -webkit-box-shadow: revert; -webkit-column-axis: revert; -webkit-column-progression: revert; -webkit-cursor-visibility: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-after: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-before: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-lines: revert; -webkit-initial-letter: revert; -webkit-line-align: revert; -webkit-line-box-contain: revert; -webkit-line-clamp: revert; -webkit-line-grid: revert; -webkit-line-snap: revert; mask-size: revert; -webkit-mask: revert; -webkit-mask-composite: revert; -webkit-mask-source-type: revert; -webkit-nbsp-mode: revert; -webkit-rtl-ordering: revert; -webkit-ruby-position: revert; -webkit-text-combine: revert; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: revert; -webkit-text-fill-color: revert; -webkit-text-security: revert; -webkit-text-stroke-color: revert; -webkit-user-drag: revert; -webkit-user-modify: revert; -webkit-user-select: revert; border-radius: revert; inset: revert; contain-intrinsic-size: revert; height: revert; margin: revert; max-height: revert; max-width: revert; min-height: revert; min-width: revert; overflow: revert; overscroll-behavior: revert; padding: revert; scroll-margin: revert; scroll-padding: revert; width: revert; block-size: revert; border-block: revert; border-end-end-radius: revert; border-end-start-radius: revert; border-inline: revert; border-start-end-radius: revert; border-start-start-radius: revert; contain-intrinsic-block-size: revert; contain-intrinsic-inline-size: revert; inline-size: revert; inset-block: revert; inset-inline: revert; margin-block: revert; margin-inline: revert; max-block-size: revert; max-inline-size: revert; min-block-size: revert; min-inline-size: revert; overflow-block: revert; overflow-inline: revert; overscroll-behavior-block: revert; overscroll-behavior-inline: revert; padding-block: revert; padding-inline: revert; scroll-margin-block: revert; scroll-margin-inline: revert; scroll-padding-block: revert; scroll-padding-inline: revert;">Lady Astrid is an independent contributing writer to RETRO//VRS. The views and opinions expressed in Notes From a Founding Collector are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of RETRO//VRS.

Lady Astrid reflects on childhood dress-up, fitting in, personal style and the role fashion plays in shaping identity, confidence and self-expression.

The Role of Fashion in the Evolution of Self

<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Purses <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are more than the sum of their stitching and cloth: they are a form of language. When we get dressed, we ask something of the world. All purses speak. They say “desire me”, or “ignore me”, or “endow my words with greater seriousness than you would were I not using this luxury designer purse”.<div><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps the best purses are the ones that give you courage. Bill Cunningham famously said: ‘Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life.’<span style="border-color: var(--border); border-image-source: none; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When choosing a purse I like to consider each purse’s retail demand and resale liquidity. When a bag is easy to buy and easy to sell, you’re protected on both ends and that’s the whole point having a luxury purse as an asset.&nbsp; You get to enjoy the purse until you either want or need to sell it for money.<span style="border-color: var(--border); border-image-source: none; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my experience, men tend to put their money into stocks, real estate, etc; those kind of assets, while women are more often willing to spend their money on handbags, shoes, and makeup as an investment into themselves.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border-color: var(--border); border-image-source: none; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Investing in yourself means spending your time, energy, and money to grow your skills, health, and happiness.</div>

<p dir="ltr" style="border-color: var(--border); border-image-source: none; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.505455;">That’s why women shouldn’t be afraid to “treat” themselves to these luxury goods.&nbsp; Life is already hard as it is, but when you find the right purse that reflects you as a person, it gives you that spark of “joy” that makes life worth living. <span style="border-color: var(--border); border-image-source: none; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO 💋 Lady Astrid

<div><em style="font-size: 16px; border: revert; color-scheme: revert; math-depth: revert; ruby-position: revert; writing-mode: revert; display: revert; font-family: Assistant, &quot;Assistant Fallback&quot;; font-feature-settings: revert; font-kerning: revert; font-optical-sizing: revert; font-palette: revert; font-size-adjust: revert; font-synthesis-small-caps: revert; font-synthesis-style: revert; font-synthesis-weight: revert; font-variant-alternates: revert; font-variant-east-asian: revert; font-variant-ligatures: revert; font-variant-numeric: revert; font-variant-position: revert; font-variation-settings: revert; font-width: revert; text-orientation: revert; text-rendering: revert; zoom: revert; -webkit-font-smoothing: revert; -webkit-locale: revert; -webkit-text-zoom: revert; text-autospace: revert; background-image: revert; background-position: revert; background-size: revert; background-repeat: revert; background-attachment: revert; background-origin: revert; background-clip: revert; mask: revert; accent-color: revert; place-content: revert; place-items: revert; place-self: revert; alignment-baseline: revert; anchor-name: revert; anchor-scope: revert; animation-composition: revert; animation: revert; appearance: revert; aspect-ratio: revert; backdrop-filter: revert; backface-visibility: revert; background-blend-mode: revert; baseline-shift: revert; border-collapse: revert; box-shadow: revert; break-after: revert; break-before: revert; break-inside: revert; buffered-rendering: revert; caption-side: revert; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); clear: revert; clip: revert; clip-path: revert; clip-rule: revert; color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color-interpolation: revert; color-interpolation-filters: revert; column-count: revert; column-fill: revert; gap: revert; column-rule-color: revert; column-rule-style: revert; column-rule-width: revert; column-span: revert; column-width: revert; contain: revert; container-name: revert; container-type: revert; content: revert; content-visibility: revert; counter-increment: revert; counter-reset: revert; counter-set: revert; cursor: revert; cx: revert; cy: revert; dominant-baseline: revert; dynamic-range-limit: revert; empty-cells: revert; field-sizing: revert; fill: revert; fill-opacity: revert; fill-rule: revert; filter: revert; flex: revert; flex-flow: revert; flood-color: revert; flood-opacity: revert; flow-tolerance: revert; glyph-orientation-horizontal: revert; glyph-orientation-vertical: revert; grid: revert; grid-column-end: revert; grid-column-start: revert; grid-row-end: revert; grid-row-start: revert; hanging-punctuation: revert; hyphenate-character: revert; hyphens: revert; image-orientation: revert; image-rendering: revert; isolation: revert; lighting-color: revert; line-break: revert; line-height: revert; list-style: revert; margin-trim: revert; marker: revert; mask-composite: revert; mask-mode: revert; mask-type: revert; math-shift: revert; math-style: revert; mix-blend-mode: revert; object-fit: revert; object-position: revert; offset-anchor: revert; offset-distance: revert; offset-path: revert; offset-position: revert; offset-rotate: revert; opacity: revert; order: revert; outline: revert; outline-offset: revert; overflow-wrap: revert; page: revert; paint-order: revert; perspective: revert; perspective-origin: revert; pointer-events: revert; position: revert; position-anchor: revert; position-area: revert; position-try: revert; position-visibility: revert; print-color-adjust: revert; quotes: revert; r: revert; resize: revert; rotate: revert; ruby-align: revert; ruby-overhang: revert; rx: revert; ry: revert; scale: revert; scroll-behavior: revert; scroll-snap-align: revert; scroll-snap-stop: revert; scroll-snap-type: revert; scroll-timeline: revert; scrollbar-gutter: revert; scrollbar-width: revert; shape-image-threshold: revert; shape-margin: revert; shape-outside: revert; shape-rendering: revert; speak-as: revert; stop-color: revert; stop-opacity: revert; stroke: revert; stroke-color: revert; stroke-dasharray: revert; stroke-dashoffset: revert; stroke-linecap: revert; stroke-linejoin: revert; stroke-miterlimit: revert; stroke-opacity: revert; stroke-width: revert; tab-size: revert; table-layout: revert; text-align-last: revert; text-anchor: revert; text-box: revert; text-combine-upright: revert; text-decoration-skip-ink: revert; text-emphasis-color: revert; text-emphasis-position: revert; text-emphasis-style: revert; text-overflow: revert; text-shadow: revert; text-underline-offset: revert; text-underline-position: revert; text-wrap-style: revert; timeline-scope: revert; touch-action: revert; transform: revert; transform-box: revert; transform-origin: revert; transform-style: revert; transition: revert; translate: revert; vector-effect: revert; vertical-align: revert; view-timeline: revert; view-transition-class: revert; view-transition-name: revert; visibility: revert; will-change: revert; word-break: revert; x: revert; y: revert; z-index: revert; -apple-pay-button-style: revert; -apple-pay-button-type: revert; -webkit-backdrop-filter: revert; -webkit-background-clip: revert; -webkit-background-origin: revert; border-spacing: revert; -webkit-box-align: revert; -webkit-box-decoration-break: revert; -webkit-box-direction: revert; -webkit-box-flex: revert; -webkit-box-flex-group: revert; -webkit-box-lines: revert; -webkit-box-ordinal-group: revert; -webkit-box-orient: revert; -webkit-box-pack: revert; -webkit-box-reflect: revert; -webkit-box-shadow: revert; -webkit-column-axis: revert; -webkit-column-progression: revert; -webkit-cursor-visibility: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-after: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-before: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-lines: revert; -webkit-initial-letter: revert; -webkit-line-align: revert; -webkit-line-box-contain: revert; -webkit-line-clamp: revert; -webkit-line-grid: revert; -webkit-line-snap: revert; mask-size: revert; -webkit-mask: revert; -webkit-mask-composite: revert; -webkit-mask-source-type: revert; -webkit-nbsp-mode: revert; -webkit-rtl-ordering: revert; -webkit-ruby-position: revert; -webkit-text-combine: revert; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: revert; -webkit-text-fill-color: revert; -webkit-text-security: revert; -webkit-text-stroke-color: revert; -webkit-user-drag: revert; -webkit-user-modify: revert; -webkit-user-select: revert; border-radius: revert; inset: revert; contain-intrinsic-size: revert; height: revert; margin: revert; max-height: revert; max-width: revert; min-height: revert; min-width: revert; overflow: revert; overscroll-behavior: revert; padding: revert; scroll-margin: revert; scroll-padding: revert; width: revert; block-size: revert; border-block: revert; border-end-end-radius: revert; border-end-start-radius: revert; border-inline: revert; border-start-end-radius: revert; border-start-start-radius: revert; contain-intrinsic-block-size: revert; contain-intrinsic-inline-size: revert; inline-size: revert; inset-block: revert; inset-inline: revert; margin-block: revert; margin-inline: revert; max-block-size: revert; max-inline-size: revert; min-block-size: revert; min-inline-size: revert; overflow-block: revert; overflow-inline: revert; overscroll-behavior-block: revert; overscroll-behavior-inline: revert; padding-block: revert; padding-inline: revert; scroll-margin-block: revert; scroll-margin-inline: revert; scroll-padding-block: revert; scroll-padding-inline: revert;"> </div><em style="font-size: 16px; border: revert; color-scheme: revert; math-depth: revert; ruby-position: revert; writing-mode: revert; display: revert; font-family: Assistant, &quot;Assistant Fallback&quot;; font-feature-settings: revert; font-kerning: revert; font-optical-sizing: revert; font-palette: revert; font-size-adjust: revert; font-synthesis-small-caps: revert; font-synthesis-style: revert; font-synthesis-weight: revert; font-variant-alternates: revert; font-variant-east-asian: revert; font-variant-ligatures: revert; font-variant-numeric: revert; font-variant-position: revert; font-variation-settings: revert; font-width: revert; text-orientation: revert; text-rendering: revert; zoom: revert; -webkit-font-smoothing: revert; -webkit-locale: revert; -webkit-text-zoom: revert; text-autospace: revert; background-image: revert; background-position: revert; background-size: revert; background-repeat: revert; background-attachment: revert; background-origin: revert; background-clip: revert; mask: revert; accent-color: revert; place-content: revert; place-items: revert; place-self: revert; alignment-baseline: revert; anchor-name: revert; anchor-scope: revert; animation-composition: revert; animation: revert; appearance: revert; aspect-ratio: revert; backdrop-filter: revert; backface-visibility: revert; background-blend-mode: revert; baseline-shift: revert; border-collapse: revert; box-shadow: revert; break-after: revert; break-before: revert; break-inside: revert; buffered-rendering: revert; caption-side: revert; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); clear: revert; clip: revert; clip-path: revert; clip-rule: revert; color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color-interpolation: revert; color-interpolation-filters: revert; column-count: revert; column-fill: revert; gap: revert; column-rule-color: revert; column-rule-style: revert; column-rule-width: revert; column-span: revert; column-width: revert; contain: revert; container-name: revert; container-type: revert; content: revert; content-visibility: revert; counter-increment: revert; counter-reset: revert; counter-set: revert; cursor: revert; cx: revert; cy: revert; dominant-baseline: revert; dynamic-range-limit: revert; empty-cells: revert; field-sizing: revert; fill: revert; fill-opacity: revert; fill-rule: revert; filter: revert; flex: revert; flex-flow: revert; flood-color: revert; flood-opacity: revert; flow-tolerance: revert; glyph-orientation-horizontal: revert; glyph-orientation-vertical: revert; grid: revert; grid-column-end: revert; grid-column-start: revert; grid-row-end: revert; grid-row-start: revert; hanging-punctuation: revert; hyphenate-character: revert; hyphens: revert; image-orientation: revert; image-rendering: revert; isolation: revert; lighting-color: revert; line-break: revert; line-height: revert; list-style: revert; margin-trim: revert; marker: revert; mask-composite: revert; mask-mode: revert; mask-type: revert; math-shift: revert; math-style: revert; mix-blend-mode: revert; object-fit: revert; object-position: revert; offset-anchor: revert; offset-distance: revert; offset-path: revert; offset-position: revert; offset-rotate: revert; opacity: revert; order: revert; outline: revert; outline-offset: revert; overflow-wrap: revert; page: revert; paint-order: revert; perspective: revert; perspective-origin: revert; pointer-events: revert; position: revert; position-anchor: revert; position-area: revert; position-try: revert; position-visibility: revert; print-color-adjust: revert; quotes: revert; r: revert; resize: revert; rotate: revert; ruby-align: revert; ruby-overhang: revert; rx: revert; ry: revert; scale: revert; scroll-behavior: revert; scroll-snap-align: revert; scroll-snap-stop: revert; scroll-snap-type: revert; scroll-timeline: revert; scrollbar-gutter: revert; scrollbar-width: revert; shape-image-threshold: revert; shape-margin: revert; shape-outside: revert; shape-rendering: revert; speak-as: revert; stop-color: revert; stop-opacity: revert; stroke: revert; stroke-color: revert; stroke-dasharray: revert; stroke-dashoffset: revert; stroke-linecap: revert; stroke-linejoin: revert; stroke-miterlimit: revert; stroke-opacity: revert; stroke-width: revert; tab-size: revert; table-layout: revert; text-align-last: revert; text-anchor: revert; text-box: revert; text-combine-upright: revert; text-decoration-skip-ink: revert; text-emphasis-color: revert; text-emphasis-position: revert; text-emphasis-style: revert; text-overflow: revert; text-shadow: revert; text-underline-offset: revert; text-underline-position: revert; text-wrap-style: revert; timeline-scope: revert; touch-action: revert; transform: revert; transform-box: revert; transform-origin: revert; transform-style: revert; transition: revert; translate: revert; vector-effect: revert; vertical-align: revert; view-timeline: revert; view-transition-class: revert; view-transition-name: revert; visibility: revert; will-change: revert; word-break: revert; x: revert; y: revert; z-index: revert; -apple-pay-button-style: revert; -apple-pay-button-type: revert; -webkit-backdrop-filter: revert; -webkit-background-clip: revert; -webkit-background-origin: revert; border-spacing: revert; -webkit-box-align: revert; -webkit-box-decoration-break: revert; -webkit-box-direction: revert; -webkit-box-flex: revert; -webkit-box-flex-group: revert; -webkit-box-lines: revert; -webkit-box-ordinal-group: revert; -webkit-box-orient: revert; -webkit-box-pack: revert; -webkit-box-reflect: revert; -webkit-box-shadow: revert; -webkit-column-axis: revert; -webkit-column-progression: revert; -webkit-cursor-visibility: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-after: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-before: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-lines: revert; -webkit-initial-letter: revert; -webkit-line-align: revert; -webkit-line-box-contain: revert; -webkit-line-clamp: revert; -webkit-line-grid: revert; -webkit-line-snap: revert; mask-size: revert; -webkit-mask: revert; -webkit-mask-composite: revert; -webkit-mask-source-type: revert; -webkit-nbsp-mode: revert; -webkit-rtl-ordering: revert; -webkit-ruby-position: revert; -webkit-text-combine: revert; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: revert; -webkit-text-fill-color: revert; -webkit-text-security: revert; -webkit-text-stroke-color: revert; -webkit-user-drag: revert; -webkit-user-modify: revert; -webkit-user-select: revert; border-radius: revert; inset: revert; contain-intrinsic-size: revert; height: revert; margin: revert; max-height: revert; max-width: revert; min-height: revert; min-width: revert; overflow: revert; overscroll-behavior: revert; padding: revert; scroll-margin: revert; scroll-padding: revert; width: revert; block-size: revert; border-block: revert; border-end-end-radius: revert; border-end-start-radius: revert; border-inline: revert; border-start-end-radius: revert; border-start-start-radius: revert; contain-intrinsic-block-size: revert; contain-intrinsic-inline-size: revert; inline-size: revert; inset-block: revert; inset-inline: revert; margin-block: revert; margin-inline: revert; max-block-size: revert; max-inline-size: revert; min-block-size: revert; min-inline-size: revert; overflow-block: revert; overflow-inline: revert; overscroll-behavior-block: revert; overscroll-behavior-inline: revert; padding-block: revert; padding-inline: revert; scroll-margin-block: revert; scroll-margin-inline: revert; scroll-padding-block: revert; scroll-padding-inline: revert;">Lady Astrid is an independent contributing writer to RETRO//VRS. The views and opinions expressed in Notes From a Founding Collector are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of RETRO//VRS.

Lady Astrid reflects on purses as language, armor, joy and assets, and why the right bag can become part of how a woman invests in herself.

An Ode To Purses

<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I used to live in New York City in my mid-20s, one of my favorite things to do when I had free time was go to Canal Street in Lower Manhattan.&nbsp; Canal Street is widely seen as the main artery of New York City’s historic Chinatown.&nbsp; There are lots of restaurants with amazing food and shops that sold touristy knickknacks. But the main reason I liked going there was to look at all the fake designer bags and accessories that I could actually afford on a student’s budget.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even if I couldn’t afford the real thing, browsing the “fakes” was aspirational for me and motivated me to do well in school so that one day I could afford the real deal.&nbsp; Because selling fake or counterfeit items is technically a crime, sometimes I would find myself in a hidden back room of a shop or in a difficult-to-find sweatshop on the third floor of a nondescript building in order to browse the latest fashionable “dupes” available at the time.&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many people don’t know that the quality of counterfeit goods is actually on a sliding scale.&nbsp; You can have the obviously fake “Rolox” watches to Louis Vuitton purses that look so authentic, even an LV sales associate couldn’t tell the difference.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even back then, I knew buying counterfeit designer wares was “shady” and often funded horrible illegal activities like illicit drug dealing and even human trafficking.&nbsp; Despite my reservations, I justified it to myself based on the price point and my status as a broke, struggling student.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember one of the first counterfeit designer items I acquired was a mid-quality Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami cherry blossom Papillon purse.&nbsp; I had a friend who bought the real thing for around $800 at the time, but the fake one I had was only $20 and from afar it could pass for authentic if you didn’t examine it too closely.

Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami Cherry Blossom Papillon, the style at the center of Lady Astrid’s story about counterfeits, quality, and authenticity.

<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wore that bag with pride in my heyday, despite it falling apart after a few uses.&nbsp; The quality of the canvas was obviously subpar, but the real fatal defect was the stitching.&nbsp; If you stuffed your bag with items like I did, the stitching of the purse handles could not accommodate the weight, and often the straps would break.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The good news was I only spent $20 on it and could just replace it with a newer style. The bad news was I loved that specific print, which was only produced for a limited time and for a specific season.&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember thinking, even if I have to buy 10 fakes of that purse, it would still be a better bargain than buying one authentic one based on the price point alone.&nbsp; Back then, as a young single woman living in NYC, I tended to prefer quantity over quality because I didn’t know any better.&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember seeing my friend use her authentic bag for years, and despite what she put in it, it was so well designed and constructed that it never broke.&nbsp; If anything, the purse’s vachetta would patina and darken over time and would make it even more beautiful.

<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I told myself that once I “made it,” I would only buy authentic luxury goods because when you love something as much as I loved that purse, you want it to last forever.&nbsp; You want to take care of it and pass it on to your kids like a treasured inheritance.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even though I’m older now and have substantially more money and resources at my disposal, I still live by the credo of quality &gt; quantity.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO 💋 Lady Astrid

<div> </div><div> </div>Lady Astrid is an independent contributing writer to RETRO//VRS. The views and opinions expressed in Notes From a Founding Collector are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of RETRO//VRS.

A $20 counterfeit Louis Vuitton bag changed how Lady Astrid thought about quality, value, authenticity, and what makes luxury worth owning.

Blog posts for the tag "Notes From a Founding Collector"

Articles tagged with "Notes From a Founding Collector"

The Role of Fashion in the Evolution of Self

An Ode To Purses

Quality Over Quantity: The Counterfeit Bag That Changed How I Thought About Luxury