When life gives you Louis, make Louis-nade??

Dreams do come true. And apparently so do nightmares... After saving for the day I could buy it, I picked up a Monogram Pegase 55 Business in London last September and babied it all the way to Tokyo, making sure the vachetta did not run into any water stains, scratching, damage etc. ensuring an even patina for the future.

Fast forward to me watching Netflix and eating take-out Chinese food. (It was oily, caloric, and delicious.) You can already tell where this is going? Somehow as I lift up the styrofoam container, a piece of food lands onto the luggage tag. After recovering from my split second anxiety attack, I did my best to remedy the situation including dabbing it lightly with a cloth, though clearly at that point it was unsalvageable.

Being OCD and not being able to handle the fact that the even patina was no longer in my grasp, I took the risk of applying coconut oil to all of the leather areas with hopes of expediting the patina process and attempt give it the seasoned traveler's bag look (despite having only used it once). Just wanted to know what you guys think. Did I just destroy my suitcase? Money down the drain? Keep in mind that it was like basically white literally just a day ago. Or is it not bad?

At the end of the day, I know the suitcase will get beat up in the future. It happened to my old Pegase 60 before it was stolen a few years back.

I'm sure people ask this all the time, but how do you get over the dreadfulness of just a stained section of your bag? This is how I dealt with it.
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You are going to drive yourself insane thinking about this LOL!! Dont-it looks fine to me and I'm straight up OCD like you wouldn't believe. I could picture what you described and I'm sorry but I chuckled a little bit even though I know realistically it was NOT funny when it happened but a serious situation. I have contemplated buying LV luggage a bazillion times but when I think of filthy airports I get my senses. Baggage handlers have carelessly bungled up my luggage way too many times! Overheads are not the cleanest either. I have heard that food products like olive/coconut oil can weaken the thread and rot it out but I still haven't seen anyone show proof of this on a LV item SO......who knows? Your piece looks loved to me so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
This is why I stay away from LV luggage, whether carry on or checked bag size--------------EXHIBIT A.........MARCH 3, 2017/LAS VEGAS TRIPFullSizeRender(52).jpg
 
Hi, I don't think you destroyed your suitcase, it still looks beautiful and I venture to say that it'll look even better as you use it more and it develops darker patina. ok, so the vachetta is not white anymore, it's ok, you've expedited the process but now you don't have to worry so much about it, just continue to use it and enjoy your travels accompanied by your beautiful LV luggage.

Remember life is not about items, it's about experiences, your vachetta develops its own personality and tells the story of where you've been, what you've done and in this case it even tells the story of the Chinese food you ate :smile:
I say don't worry about it, go with the flow and continue to enjoy your beautiful suitcase :wave:
 
Totally understand. Babied my vachetta bag. Was carrying a humidier full of water and dropped it. Like 10-15 feet from the bag and water splashed all over it. :annoyed: Your bag is going to be ok. It looks pretty. Those white handles are always so scary. Better to just be done with it. Louis Vuitton luggage was meant to survive cargo holds of ocean liners crossing the Atlantic. Lord knows what was down there with the luggage. Probably livestock. If a LV bag can handle a voyage across the ocean it can handle some Chinese food and coconut oil. :hugs:
 
As much as I would try and reason to convince myself this is fine, I would have to either have LV replace all the handles and leather or sell it and buy a new one at a loss.

Then I would source Collonil leather protection to prevent the inevitable (one can live in hope).
 
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Dreams do come true. And apparently so do nightmares... After saving for the day I could buy it, I picked up a Monogram Pegase 55 Business in London last September and babied it all the way to Tokyo, making sure the vachetta did not run into any water stains, scratching, damage etc. ensuring an even patina for the future.

Fast forward to me watching Netflix and eating take-out Chinese food. (It was oily, caloric, and delicious.) You can already tell where this is going? Somehow as I lift up the styrofoam container, a piece of food lands onto the luggage tag. After recovering from my split second anxiety attack, I did my best to remedy the situation including dabbing it lightly with a cloth, though clearly at that point it was unsalvageable.

Being OCD and not being able to handle the fact that the even patina was no longer in my grasp, I took the risk of applying coconut oil to all of the leather areas with hopes of expediting the patina process and attempt give it the seasoned traveler's bag look (despite having only used it once). Just wanted to know what you guys think. Did I just destroy my suitcase? Money down the drain? Keep in mind that it was like basically white literally just a day ago. Or is it not bad?

At the end of the day, I know the suitcase will get beat up in the future. It happened to my old Pegase 60 before it was stolen a few years back.

I'm sure people ask this all the time, but how do you get over the dreadfulness of just a stained section of your bag? This is how I dealt with it.
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I think it looks well travelled now and adds a nice touch. Enjoy your beautiful luggage!
 
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This breaks my heart. Not because it doesn't look good, but because I know the effort one makes to keep things looking like new. But hey, it looks like luggage should look. I promise it will look better with time. Just don't go crazy trying to clean it because you may make it worse ( I have experience with this; I know what I'm talking about).
 
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I would have just wiped the luggage tag with a damp cloth (or got a replacement if the stain bothered me) and left the luggage alone. Anyway, what's done is done. :flowers: Safe travels!
 
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Dreams do come true. And apparently so do nightmares... After saving for the day I could buy it, I picked up a Monogram Pegase 55 Business in London last September and babied it all the way to Tokyo, making sure the vachetta did not run into any water stains, scratching, damage etc. ensuring an even patina for the future.

Fast forward to me watching Netflix and eating take-out Chinese food. (It was oily, caloric, and delicious.) You can already tell where this is going? Somehow as I lift up the styrofoam container, a piece of food lands onto the luggage tag. After recovering from my split second anxiety attack, I did my best to remedy the situation including dabbing it lightly with a cloth, though clearly at that point it was unsalvageable.

Being OCD and not being able to handle the fact that the even patina was no longer in my grasp, I took the risk of applying coconut oil to all of the leather areas with hopes of expediting the patina process and attempt give it the seasoned traveler's bag look (despite having only used it once). Just wanted to know what you guys think. Did I just destroy my suitcase? Money down the drain? Keep in mind that it was like basically white literally just a day ago. Or is it not bad?

At the end of the day, I know the suitcase will get beat up in the future. It happened to my old Pegase 60 before it was stolen a few years back.

I'm sure people ask this all the time, but how do you get over the dreadfulness of just a stained section of your bag? This is how I dealt with it.
View attachment 3665282 View attachment 3665283 View attachment 3665284 View attachment 3665285 View attachment 3665286
Oh my, I had to laugh when I saw this - not at you, but at the situation itself and how quickly it escalated. At this point your best option would be to find a vachetta-specific cleaner and conditioner (Cadillac, Apple, and Barbara's Lovin' My Bags come to mind) and to lift out as much of that coconut oil as you can before it has a chance to possibly go rancid. While there's no guarantee that your staining will completely lift it will still help and, with a bit of time and use, the patina will eventually darken and become a little less noticeable. Because it's a suitcase I personally find that a little staining/discolouration on the leather adds an air of being well-travelled:tup: