Happy New Year - My HK Trifecta Reveal, Part 3!

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While I know the new year was almost 3 weeks ago for most people, today is technically Chinese New Year Eve so Kung Hei Fat Choi to everyone who is celebrating! Now that I'm based in HK, it's such a treat to celebrate new year twice... and the 5-day weekend is just a bonus!

Anyway, this reveal is comprised of 3 parts... as some of you would know from Part 1 back in 2010 and Part 2 just last Sept 2011. Personally, I blame my new SA plus my weak resistance levels to BV for this third installment. Yikes, I can't believe the trifecta has turned into a trilogy! (and I'm hoping it's the last of its kind)

One of the items was something that's been revealed here a couple of times already, so why don't we start with that. Ladies and gents, presenting my medium Tourmaline Vachette Cabat from the F/W 2011 collection!

Yes, it's heavier than the standard nappa cabats but it has the right stiff-to-slouch ratio for me. I'm not really into floppy Cabats that puddle to the floor. Since BV introduced the Bitter Cabat 2 seasons ago, the weight of Vachette Cabats in my opinion have significantly been reduced. You can also see from the photos below that you can easily fold the sides without any prior training. The lanyard wrapped around it is Assenzio from S/S 2011.

 

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Wow, I must say I'm loving the way you no longer need to enlarge the pictures! I've actually had this Cabat for about a month now (it was my Christmas gift for myself). I should've posted it sooner but work and life has gotten in the way these past 3 months.

Vachette has this certain luster unlike nappa. The surface is much smoother and sometimes, it's hard to photograph the leather in detail. It is completely normal that some parts of the fettuce have creases and I can't wait till this gets much more use and develops a shinier patina.

Just for fun, I took this photo around Christmas when I tried to match my nails with it. I've also attached some close-up pictures of the weave for reference. The last one is a comparison of the 2 blues from F/W 2011... Sapphire and Tourmaline.

 

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More blue comparisons! Tourmaline is really very dark IRL... it's a very dark navy and also has the tendency to look like Nero (black). I threw in my navy coat, printed scarf, cashmere blanket and my Sapphire Fuzzy Veneta.

 

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A comparison of BV blues...

Tourmaline (vachette, calf) - F/W 2011
Ink (ayers) - F/W 2010
Sapphire (nappa, lambskin) - F/W 2011

Once upon a time, lusted after a blue BV and it's interesting how I now have 3 in that particular color.

BTW, where is everyone? It feels pretty lonely out here!

 

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Before you all get sick of more Tourmaline Cabat pics, here are some outdoor shots taken with and without flash so you can all see how the color transforms under different lighting. The first version is taken under natural lighting without flash. The picture with the darker surroundings is when the camera's flash was turned on.

I'm actually quite surprised that you can see the blue in here because all previous pictures I've seen look really close to black.

 

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Last 2 on Tourmaline before we move on... sorry, I got a little obsessed taking pictures in the park.

I must say that despite weighing more than its nappa counterparts, I haven't stopped using it for close to a month now. My other cabats are made of calf and goatskin so weight was never really a factor for me. It truly is a versatile color and while I was initially worried about vachette leather being harder to maintain since I was told it was more prone to scratches, it really is a hardworking bag.

Ok, that's it for the first one folks. I'm off to resize other pictures... hang tight!

 

[LLANeedle]

It's a beauty!

 

[asianjade]

Very beautful! Love the color! Congrats!!!!

 

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Thanks so much, LLANeedle and asianjade! I like blue but I love green so I'm quite surprised both the recent F/W blue shades just called out to me.

 

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And now for the 2nd one...

This warrants a story since this was a bag that grew on me for a couple of months until I could no longer resist my bag lust. Frankly, it was not love at first sight since I don't usually like cross-body bags or satchels. Surprise surprise, this was both those personified!

Then came the Cruise 2011-2012 catalog and I spotted the Safari Ricamato Veneta that instantly called out to me. I decided to wait till I saw the Safari IRL before making the final decision. By the time the Safari Veneta arrived, I thought it was lovely but decided that this other bag was really the one for me! Sadly, it was completely gone. I was surprised because it is not exactly a popular choice since it doesn't really look like a BV bag.

I begged, pleaded and asked my SA to double-check the warehouse (there are 7 BV boutiques in HK). I even emailed our resident BV ninja who confirmed that BV US had 3 left but shipping and logistics was somewhat of a challenge. Just 2 weeks ago, I got the greatest of news from my local SA that they've found the last piece in the warehouse still waiting to be shipped to Italy and the rest is history. I had to wait a week to finally have it in my hands and I just got it yesterday. Suffice to say, I am happy broke!

Presenting... the Rust Resina Python Velvet bag! It's a satchel that could be converted to a cross-body bag. While I may not be using it as the latter, it's great to know that this can be worn 2 ways!

 

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Did I mention it came with a python covered mirror?

 

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A bag this stunning warrants a closer look at the details!

Check out the interior lined in buttery soft nappa leather in Rust! It's a fairly small bag that packs a lot! It's divided into 2 sections on top of having a zipped compartment in the middle. It measures 10.6" W x 7.9" H x 3.1" D.

As mentioned, it also come with a detachable cross-body strap made in python (Resina, Plaster, Nero combo with brunito hardware).

The mohair velvet pieces have a vintage look to them with BV expertly combining Rust and Resina colors in a gradient pattern that adds further accent to the bag.

 

[balenciaga-boy]

Oh my goodness!!!

 

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If I may, I'm reposting the Vogue Aug 2011 article that luxury.ninja shared on this thread -
http://forum.purseblog.com/bottega-...hread-thread-3-a-637445-189.html#post19486996).

(article text enlarged below)

"Take a closer look at Tomas Maier's satchel for Bottega Veneta. Is it (a) velvet on python, or (b) python on velvet? Given its entirely seamless construction you'd be forgiven for going with option (a). The house was built on a tradition of meticulous craftsmanship (mastering the art of intrecciato, its signature weaving technique, requires three years of training), and this bag takes that tradition to painstaking new levels of opulence. Hand-painted snakeskin pieces are precisely aligned on velvet, scale matching as if one continuous, naturally occuring serpentine pattern. So do we want one for fall? Now, that's an easy question."

Whoa, with a description like that, I could not resist! I'd say this is what started it all. And I'm so happy that the bag even looks 100 times more stunning in person!

 

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More pics to showcase BV's outstanding craftsmanship! It becomes even more apparent with exotics. For some reason, the way they cut the skin in specific sections is superb. It was even more challenging with this bag since it had to look like one pattern though the sections were infused with alternating velvet pieces.

I personally love the first handle photo. It looks like the skin is alive and I love the color combination.