Thanks everybody! and yes, the leather is sooo yummy! according to my bank account, it cost $1180, with a foreign transaction fee of $11.80, but a VAT refund of 70.3 Euros, which is about $102 USD, so it came to a total of $1089...which isnt THAT much cheaper but it was just the thrill of buying it in Paris haha =)
btw, my friend's LV bag is quite new, thus the pristine condition! should I be warning her that her jeans might rub off on it?