its all about hot broads on hot rods

the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2008 Ad Campaign





starring: Stephanie Seymour, Eva Herzigova, Angela Lindvall, Claudia Schiffer, Natalia Vodianova and Naomi Campbell.


Mert & Marcus' formula of writhing, high gloss bombshells is getting kinda tired. but i guess it works for them. i must admit, the images do look stunning.

elegant sufficiency

*BURRRRP*



how's everybody's holiday feastings? in our household, we practically eat continuously for three days. every year we always have dinner at the Hyatt before attending Midnight Mass, lunch on Christmas Day (which usually extends to dinner) and high tea on Boxing Day. as per usual, mum overdid it once again. but im not complaining =P here's a couple of snaps from our Christmas Day lunch with the usual suspects:




i love this year's Xmas centrepiece:





and Boxing Day (Dec 26) high tea:




nothing beats fresh scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam *drool*... my mum is a tea fanatic and she had at least 10 different varieties - from English Breakfast to Buddah's Tears - to choose from:




i love coming home for the holdays. i get to indulge in another aspect of "Excess Baggage-ing" hehehe... bring on the New Year's celebrations!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!







i trust that you've been good this year

my idea of heaven

here's a photo from the LV White Party in Beijing:





aren't they cute? thanks to Andri of www.vuittonguy.com

the countdown starts now

YIPEEE!!!!!

snapshots

bullseye?

i was checking out my blog statistics today and found out someone was searching Google with the following terms - suicide+wainwright+dido+blog+balenciaga - and there are no other exact matches besides mine. someone must've stumbled upon my little blog a while back but forgot to bookmark it. ;-)

the ultimate luxury gift for a worthy cause

11/12/07

Louis Vuitton has collaborated with London Times fashion editor Lisa Armstrong in designing this one-of-a-kind travel bag for the CLIC Sargent Foundation







named "The Ultimate Travel Bag", it is a customized Monogram Eole 50 roll aboard luggage trimmed in rich purple patent leather and embellished with the signature Inventeur plaque.







contained within is a set of specially designed pouches and compartments for clothes, shoes, toiletries, and even your laptop. it also includes an evening clutch and a travel blanket:









here's the story behind its creation written by Lisa Armstrong: <click>



the "Ultimate" is up for auction with the funds put towards the care and support of children suffering from cancer and their families.

for more information or if you are interested to place a bid for the silent auction online (reserve is £10,000 by the way) check out the CLIC Sargent website <click here>.



Comments
> (no name)
kalowka the beauty. :-)
11 December 4:49 PM
(http://cid-4dcf17954be00f90.spaces.live.com/)

blown away

07/12/07


im not really a sneakers-and-tee kinda guy. though i do own a few pairs, i’ve never really gone loco over this type of casual footwear. not until these came out a couple of months ago:




named after the Greek god of the west wind, they are the Zephyr sneakers in calfskin and buffalo leather. my first sighting was when the lovely Chuvaness posted her photos from the LV press launch she attended in Vietnam last May:




the moment i saw this photo, i knew right away that i had to have them. i really love the retro bowling shoe style, but it is the colour combination of cocoa and ultramarine that i like best about them...




...and they will look even better when the vachetta leather "V" on the sides gain that signature caramel patina. plus, they are very comfortable to wear too - a gentle breeze indeed! i must say, LV footwear are the only ones i never have to break-in.

here's a photo of my two newest additions and current faves:




don't they just look good together? i think they're a perfect complement to each other. im absolutely nuts about them.




Comments
> deLuxeDuck
hi Allan. i keep the straps in the bag for most of the time. but i like to have that hands-free option when i need it. i will be featuring my Utah Doctor's bag soon. but i have selected a different one to feature this month. hang in there. for now, you can work out the bag's proportions in from this entry: http://deluxeduck.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2BC97BC284A007FF!354.trak
08 December 2:32 PM
(http://deLuxeDuck.spaces.live.com/)

>(no name)
the comment above is from me, Allan (http://ofaj.blogspot.com). Clearly, I need to edit my spaces page so that my name would appear.
08 December 1:21 PM
(http://cid-4dcf17954be00f90.spaces.live.com/)

>(no name)
ay ang ganda! shet. I want those too!
I hate you! Hahahaha
P.S.
I just learned how to comment. If I knew how to comment before, I would've said something about that Kiowa tote bag. By the way, have you blogged about your Doctor's bag? I want to see how big it really is and what the inside looks like.
P.P.S.
You don't use the straps of the vertical bag, no?
08 December 1:19 PM
(http://cid-4dcf17954be00f90.spaces.live.com/)

I spy with my little eye.... or maybe not?

24/12/07

the new Kiowa Cabas in Utah leather:


me want! me want! me want


UPDATE (29 Nov): i just saw this photo and it kinda dampened my excitement a bit:

maybe it is the way the model held it that somehow turned me off slightly. plus it appears smaller than i thought. i was hoping it would be larger or oversized. i'll keep an open mind about it until i see it in real life.

recommended viewing

i must admit, im too cheap to pay the additional €44.00 shipping fee to Australia. so i waited until my parents were in Paris to buy it for me. and here it is:




from the jacket:

"The documentary looks at designer Marc Jacobs and his career as creative director at Louis Vuitton. The DVD contains more than an hour of bonus footages from a party in NYC, to a Marc Jacobs press conference in Tokyo. It also provides an insight in to the working process of designing goods for Louis Vuitton."


i highly recommend it to every LV lover out there. i gained further respect and admiration - not to mention understanding - of Marc Jacob's creative process. im so pleased to know out that he's such a nice, down-to-earth, normal guy. you can see it in how he interacts with his design team in New York and Paris and even with the press. not once did i sense any prima donna attitude. i also urge LV "unbelievers" to go watch this documentary too.


available to order online at Colette. go get your copy NOW!

"The Darjeeling Ltd." the Duck's must-see movie for 2007

27/09/07

i've never been this excited about a movie since the release of "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". "The Darjeeling Ltd." is director Wes Anderson's latest movie. he is by far my utmost favourite movie director. he also wrote and directed "The Royal Tenenbaums" and produced "The Squid and the Whale". these two and "The Life Aquatic" are three of my all-time favourite movies. i particularly love the quirky, retroesque, Wallpaper*-magazine-the-Tyler-Brulee-years look of his films. but what makes "Darjeeling" even more exciting (well, to me anyway) is the participation of a special cutom-made set of Louis Vuitton luggage and leather goods. Marc Jacobs - a good friend of Mr Anderson - specially designed a unique set of luggage in what appears to be Nomade leather hand painted with rather naïve drawings of jungle animals by Anderon's brother Eric. here is a photo of the luggage:




here they are in a still shot from the movie:



these one-off luggages are currently on display at the LV flagship store in New York and will be later auctioned off for charity.



more information about the movie can be found HERE

i absolutely can't wait!!!!



Comments
>deLuxeDuck
rd1880 > i'd LOVE to own that Nil reporter bag on Jason Schwartzman. "9" is my favourite number. but it'll be too expensive i would think.
27 September 1:09 AM
(http://deLuxeDuck.spaces.live.com/)

>rd1880
Utterly fabulous! I wonder what they will go for at auction.
27 September 12:39 AM (http://rd1880.spaces.live.com/)

that time of the year is nigh

here's a sneak peek of LV's holiday window art display for 2007:




you can check out the details and more photos from this BLOG

thanks to the wonderful and fabulous Chuvaness for sharing. you're the best!

bag doppelgänger? i think not.

18/09/07

as i was browsing eBay last night, a particular auction stood out to me like never before. an eBay seller has taken photos from my blog to use for their auction!

check out the eBay auction HERE

here is my original entry: Feature Bag #9

i immediately asked them to take the photos out because
a) they're mine;
b) my bag is definitely NOT for sale
c) do we even know if there is a bag up for sale?

i was astounded with the nerve of the seller's reply asking me to provide the blog address to prove that it is indeed I who requested it. is that so you can pilfer some more in case prospective buyers wanted more detailed photos?

if you're reading this, yes it's ME and i want those photos taken out or i'll do all i can to have you banned from eBay for good.



good day.





Comments
>(no name)
You might wanna let the bidders know that those aren't the pictures from the auction. It's already up to more than 2k.
27 September 8:10 AM

>renier again.
btw, my usrname is clearstatic if you ever want to pm me. :)
thanks!!!
19 September 6:06 AM
(http://myspace.com/renier)

>Renier
OH DUCK! how horrible! and just last month i was praising that same bag. i wonder if his is a fake. if its real the price is reasonable unlike the last seller that tried ripping me off. but i still find that i would prefer the mocha color. :( i called 2 weeks ago 866 vuitton and at first they said they didnt. by mistake last week i pressed redail and it dialed 866 vuitton. I curiously asked about the sacoche and they had the mm in a store some where in the states. but only one in this color. :/ i hope it doesnt sell out before i finish raising the money. im not that far. anyway, do you consider i should still get it? do you find yourself using it alot? i bought an abbesses thinking i was going to use it alot, but i havent. what do you think i should do?

please help.

ps. im addicted to TPF! lol

take care dear.
19 September 6:05 AM
(http://myspace.com/renier)

>HL
That's so inurbane. some one should come out to stop this kind of things!
strongly support u!
18 September 5:48 PM
(http://harryliu.spaces.live.com/)

the others

a reader asked the other day if i own other bags besides LV. the answer is yes, but not as many or exciting as you guys might expect. im still very loyal to LV more than any other. but here they are:

l-r: Prada Sport maxi tote, Gucci belt bags, YSL Odeon duffle-tote, Paul Smith flight bag, Balenciaga Men's Day bags.

Comments
>Da_3o5_PreP
paulie. oh paulie smith. how much i love thee and your collections
and that oddly intruiguing flight bag.
andddddddddddddddddddddd....
ah, the odeon! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BAG!!!!!
you are an idol to me.
28 August 2:23 PM

Excess Baggage (part 2)

ok, i think that's enough music videos for now. back to LV! here's a group photo i have taken a few months ago of just my LV limited edition bags and accessories (minus a couple i have since acquired):




they are all from the men's collections from 2000 to the current S/S 2007 collection. just a few more and my collection will finally be up-to-date.




Comments
>renier
hi duck. im a huge admirer and hope to inherit your estate one day. HAHA! its beautiful and tasteful.
but dont you have any goyard, prada, gucci (ive seen your balenciagas) any other designers?
id love to see!!

i have been wanting the soana sacoche bag that you have but in mocha for quite sometime now. I luckily ran into a guy that wanted to sell his. He started off at $5000 USD. I turned it down faster than lightning. He then offered a $3000 USD price tag. Im sure it was used very little as i noticed the handles were in tip top shape. Perhaps it also has to do with the leather? By being Kangaroo leather, im sure it maintains well. LIKE ALL LOUIS VUITTON BAGS.

ive also been dying for the raymundo glasses but they sell so fast here in miami, and the damn millionaires, well there are tons on ebay but im afraid of them not fitting well on my face. i have a VERY wide and round face. In pictures, and im more than willing to show you, or just go to my myspace, it may not look as if it were so, but it is. my current favorite and only sunglasses (that i use) are a pair of dior homme's from several collections ago. Ive been dying for an LV pair but the obsession glasses were too too girly. though they ARE BEAUTIFULLLLLLLLLLLL! what should i do? should i buy a pair but previous to that ask the seller if he will allow me to have a "no questions asked policy for returns?"

PLease advise, oh yeah and FANTASTIC SUPERFRAGALISTICEXPIALADOCIOUS COLLECTION MATE!!!!!!

i am a HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE fan, of your style and page though i have never commented.
take care!!
27 August 7:07 PM
(http://myspace.com/renier)

> deLuxeDuck
thanks Renier. im always excited to read commments left in my blog. i do have a few other non-LV bags but i guess im really faithful to Vuitton (except for that one serious but brief fling with Balenciaga back in 2005). by the way, you have just given me an idea for my next entry!

the Soana Sacoche MM is truly a fantastic bag. i'd urge anyone who likes it to get hold of one if they can. although USD$3000 is way above retail, if you really want it and can afford it plus you have exhausted all other means and sources then why not? it is highly unlikely that there would be fakes around - they'll be VERY poor copies if ever - so the only issue is the condition and if the seller is reliable and won't just leave you empty-handed.

i have to admit that the Raymundos are more "me" than my other two pairs. but i do love and use them equally. the Millionaires are oversized and will definitely fit a wide and round face just like mine. if you can fit into a pair of Obsession carrés or even the Bindis (which i wont recommend guys buy), then you'll be fine with the Millionaires.

if you have any other questions don't hesitiate to contact me. im always happy to enble... ooops i mean help.

cheers!

j
28 August 12:53 AM

beauty in sadness

last night's viewing of "In The Mood For Love" by Chinese director Wong Kar-Wai left me in so much awe. this has got to be one of the most beautiful films i've ever seen. one of the very few that i deem "life-changing" in how it has left a mark in my memory forever. it is a movie set in Hong Kong in the 60's about two people's repetitive, empty existence and the platonic romance that develops between them. every single scene is shot so beautifully, the stills are worth its own exhibition. Shigeru Umebayashi' haunting "Yumeji's Theme" is so moving and a perfect fit for those slow-paced scenes of mundaness. a lot is said but not much spoken.

here's a clip of one of the most memorable scenes of all time:




i don't know why, but i can esily find beauty in sadness more than in mirth. i wish i can understand Chinese as im sure the English subtitles miss-out on the little details. i highly recommend this film!

a new direction

LV is known for hiring celebrities to flog their wares - Uma Thurman, Chloe Sevigny, Pharrell Williams, Christina Ricci, Diane Kruger, Hayden Christiensen, Scarlett Johansson and *cringe* J-Lo - have all posed for LV. i guess it works, but im not a huge fan as i believe it diverts attention from the bags and clothes. plus the fact that people are swayed into buying a certain LV item just because their favourite celebrity is clutching it on their ads. its not real LoVe in my opinion. for F/W 2007-08 they're sticking to this formula but with a totally new look and feel. out with Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott's (who have done all their print ads since 1998 i believe) highly glossed-out style and in with the renowned Annie Leibovitz's softer, more realistic & sentimental photographs:

Andre Agassi & Steffi Graf:


i was rather hesitant at first about the notion of hot head Andre modeling for a luxury goods brand, but i really like the tenderness of this photo.

Catherine Deneuve:


although she looks highly botulized, its still a great photo.

Mikhail Gorbachev:


my favourite photo of the three. his selection was a total surprise, but a pleasant one at that.


the bags and luggage don't take centre stage, but are shown to be part of their everyday lives.

just as it should.

statistics

i just found out that my little blog has had over 20,000 visitors since it began. im sure its minute compared to most blogs, but im still surprised that people actually DO read it. THANKS EVERYONE!




Comments
>renier
:] youre welcome. sorry i dont comment as much as i would like!!!
27 August 7:33 PM
(http://www.myspace.com/renier)

call it cheating...

... but i really love these militaristic totes from Burberry Prorsum S/S 2008:


(photos from men.style.com)

LV Men's S/S 2008 Runway

here are some photos of what's in store for the boys next year:

Bequia leather is in its third season straight, i wonder if this will finally become a full fledged permanent line:



i really like the slanted zip on the side. i wonder if it is a separate flat pocket or does it give direct access to the main compartment. not too crazy about the powderblue coloured bag though.

Kangaroo is back! i was pleasantly surprised to see Sonana leather once more:



this is the style im most drawn to at the moment:



the LV website describes it as "pearl finished kangaroo leather bags in lustrous oyster colours." i think im SOLD!

at first i thought these bags had a pattern of little trunks on uncoated canvas, but upon closer inspection and more detailed photos later, it is actually a new Damier line:



"...others in horsehair with sea-wolf (a type of tanned fish skin) straps and kangaroo handles." they're definitely refering to the bag on the right. exotic indeed, but not prohibitively expensive like croc or snakeskin i would think.

oh, and i really like these retro specs too:



one of my grandfathers had a very similar pair.

i know this won't be the most popular to a number of people because of the complete absence of the LV Monogram pattern. im fine with it, i actually LoVe it!


(photos courtesy of men.style.com)