Originally Posted by
wiredboy10003
Okay, being the fashion victim that I am... I admit to having a JV leather duffle. It was a gift, and I know that someone knew someone who knew someone when they bought it.
The models change slightly every few months. Mine is larger than the one on the web. Large enough in fact that I took it to Spain last summer on a two week trip. It held up just fine. My only minor criticism was that being black and brand new, it left just a little dark scuffing when I was wearing white pants. I love the hardware on the bag. It's slightly antiqued and feels solid.
I realize that on this forum it's all about road warrior stuff. And practicality. I have to say I love JV leather goods. You know how women drool over certain handbags? Like $6,000 Kelly bags? I feel the same way about JV leather goods. Of course it's not rational. All I know is that when I'm at Zurich airport running from one concourse to another, I feel like a movie star.
What I like about JV stuff vs. some other high end brands is kind of hard to verbalize. If I had a Porsche Design bag, or Valextra for example, and it got a huge scratch across it, I'd be heartbroken. They depend on being new and in perfect condition. JV stuff is designed to look like you've had it since the 1970's. It arrives looking beautiful, but if my duffle got some huge gashes on it it would look even more authentic.
Good post. I think you are a photog in the fashion world anyway, no? So that's perfectly understandable. And anyway to each his own. Plus, as a present, can't really argue with it.
Porsche Design is nice but still kinda lame. Valextra or Swaine or MB will age beautifully and acquire the patina over time that is built into the JV from the start. I prefer the real wabi-sabi to the pre-stressed items. It's like in the denim community where the "freaks" will go out of their way to give their jeans a used look but won't accept jeans that already have a used look when you buy them because that would be artificial. My eyes get wet when I imagine a nicely aged Swaine or Tusting.
Tusting is still affordable but Swaine at more than $2k is a bit tough to swallow, at least for my limited means.
Till