FollowOH Louis, how i LOVE thee!
i’ll be honest, i didn’t leave much room in my bags for purchases. c’mon, i was going for 30 days to Europe and i wanted/needed to look good. that meant lots of options and i wasn’t going to leave that up to shopping days. in reality, there were 2 days in all of the 30 days that were lent to some shopping time. anything else was a stumbled upon type of thing. it was the least shopped travel experience i can remember and the truth is i don’t even shop that much when traveling. PS – i didn’t miss it either.
the things i bought i can practically count on one hand. a FAB poncho in Milan. a handbag in Positano. costumes in Barcelona. (yes, that) a fur scarf in Burgundy. a sweater & boots in Paris.
and then there was one, iconic, impressive, important and expensive purchase. one i hadn’t planned on making. it may be that i bought next to nothing in 30 days and had intended on buying many things (like gold charms for my charm bracelet) that influenced this purchase. i like to think it was an “in the moment” situation. something i couldn’t pass up. something presented to me in such a way i could not say no. that would be a sign of true salesmanship and guess what, it was!
bonjour Mr. DiCaprio i mean Kevin
Kevin, aka personal shopper to the rich and famous at Louis Vuitton Paris, could not have been a better match for me. he looks like a more handsome version of Leonardo DiCaprio and knows the history of the fine leathers of Louis Vuitton like the back of his hand(bag). 😉 HELLO…what’s not to love with all of that?! you may be wondering how i ended up with Kevin’s assistance that day. sheer luck and the fact that every sales associate was busy and Kevin didn’t have an appointment at that time. LUCKY ME!
i was traveling with my travel partner in crime, Leah, as you probably recall. we were dared to go into Louis Vuitton, check out some bags, take photos smelling the leather and then leave. first of all, you cannot take photos in the store. secondly, we have no willpower. this magical purchase started with Leah asking to see that bag, oh, and that one too. what about that one over there? and soon enough Kevin was pulling out a secret stash of bags that weren’t up on the wall. that’s when it happened. when i FELL IN LOVE. there was one bag screaming out at me to try on. so i did and that was it. it was decided.
Kevin explained that the graphic logo which is synonymous with the Louis Vuitton brand didn’t exist in Louis’ lifetime. in fact, it was a tribute to Louis from his son George on the fourth anniversary of his father’s death. the flowers that make up the monogrammed canvas are symbolic of George’s father’s deep religious roots and love of Asian art. another tidbit Kevin shared is that every bag is made with one single piece of leather.
French champers sil vous plait
after we each decided on our bags, Kevin decided to give us a little VIP tour of the flagship store located on Champs-Elysees in Paris. as we walked the different floors he explained that you were meant not to notice that you were changing floors. the store just flows. everything has a point and a purpose. the thoughtfulness, care and craftsmanship is evident in everything. such amazing pride makes Louis Vuitton so exquisite. Kevin’s love for the brand and the information he shared only solidified my favorite purchase of a Louis Vuitton bag. it didn’t hurt that when excused himself to go wrap our purchases he brought us a glass of Veuve Clicquot to enjoy in the women’s shoe department. when he returned with our packages he had with him Ludovic, head of the concierge team, to also greet us in case we ever needed anything more. talk about service – TRES FAB!
Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854 and, consecutively every year since 1996, Louis Vuitton has been named the world’s most valuable luxury brand. YES the price tag stung but it’s a purchase i will never forget OR regret. i carry my LV bag practically every day and it is timeless. plus, purchasing it in France costs less than if i had bought the same bag in the USA. *BONUS* don’t forget your VAT tax ladies!
MERCI dear Kevin for giving me a day and a handbag that i truly amour!
XO – lola
and needless to say, it is loooooooooooovvvvveeeeeeeelllllllllyyyyyy!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted…A perfect day in Berlin, Germany
i know. i really do love it and who knew the style bag i choose would be a popular style for Spring?! i’m soooo fashion-forward 😉
GORGEOUS choice!
thanks Andi. if you think so, then it must be true!!
I loved this afternoon. And that Keven, he was such a CHARMER. He charmed the credit card right out of my wallet. I agree, it was money well spent as I carry mine all the time.
Leah Travels recently posted…48 Hours in Paris
hahaha. you were planning to pull that credit card out from the moment we stepped into the store. Kevin was just a handsome, charming, added bonus.
Very cool! Love the personal tour of the shop. You may have not bought much (I have calmed my shopping down so much since my travelling tripled!), but everything you bought was fab. Love your poncho – it was beautiful! And that bag….well, what needs to be said about the stunning works of LV! Nice.
Anita Mac recently posted…Monday Morning Series: Lazy days by the pool in Barbados
thanks Anita! yes, if you find yourself in Paris, i would recommend going over to LV and asking for the tour. it was interesting…very. what an amazing brand.
In Hong Kong, my sister tried to convince me that we should visit the Louis Vuitton store. Suffice it to say that I was happy to watch from a distance, especially as I got to watch the many mainlanders lining up to enter the store. My sister looked happy, just like you two ladies there … 🙂
fotoeins | Henry recently posted…Finding religion in Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame
it was a great day and a FAB purchase i’ll always adore 🙂
ugh.. so jealous. It’s beeeaUtiful!
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted…Hong, Samui, Phi Phi: Koh hopping in Thailand
don’t be jealous. go get one yourself one of these days…it’s timeless and a brand that’s not going anywhere!
Yeah…we’ve walked by that store a few times, and I always say to MJ “we should just go in to say we did.” Thank goodness we never did…sounds like it would have been an expensive detour…
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted…The 17th Hole at TPC Sawgrass – Picture of the Week
hahaha. oui DJ, keep out unless you’re ready to throw down some cashesh. it’s impossible not to want/get something.
Oh dear, be careful with future dares! That office building used to be the office building I worked at times when I lived in Paris. Now I think it is all LV. Great location. I watched Lance win his first Tour de France from the balconies of that building!
Raul (@ilivetotravel) recently posted…Kilimanjaro: The Descent from Uhuru Peak
cool Raul. i like dares & i like to follow through. it’s fun 🙂
you have to buy at least one expensive item while in paris. it’s in the rule book. or it should be.
i think it’s in the rule book. 😉
LOVE the Louis – so glad we got to meet in NYC. 😉 That is absolutely a perfect Paris purchase!
thanks baby. cannot wait to see you at TBEX in Toronto.