Once in a while, something from the past suddenly pops into the present. Not something sinister, but it is something welcome.
It is a Mulberry Ted Messenger Bag!
Back in what may be around 2010 when Mon and I were browsing in a record store in Greenbelt 3 (I think it was in the now defunct Music One Record Store), I’ve seen a guy with the coolest leather messenger bag with a triple postman’s lock.
Triple postman’s lock
And just like that (I felt like I had to start with these because of HBO’s season 2 of And Just Like That…), I officially ended my Bottega Era.
As soon as we decided that we’ll be going to Europe this year, I already began planning what bags to bring to the trip. I knew I’d go for those that are as discreet as possible, knowing how rife of pickpockets most areas in Rome and Paris (our major destinations) are.
I did not want to attract much attention, although I have not been using any bags with identifiable logos for quite some time. And so, I had Bottega Veneta in mind.
Inside the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Yes, I carried two bags because I was extra. LOL
Every once in a while, something nice really comes up. While I have not been buying anything that much in the last couple of months because I’m trying to be a responsible adult, I just can’t say no if it is really a good deal. But for this, it was ridiculously a good deal.
Case in point: this Pandora.
Named after a Greek mythological figure, the Pandora was straightforward a reference to its box shape. No ills nor menace to be released in the world, fortunately.
When I saw the bag up for sale, I asked the seller what were the issues. He said he could not guarantee the bag and it was sold as is. I did my best to keep a straight face, but I was already jumping inside. As soon as the sale was concluded, I was so ecstatic to get such as great deal on such an amazing item!
I thought this was orange, but, welp, it was tan
The grain of the leather is reminiscent of this Alexander Wang Diego. The size is supposed to be a medium, but as a guy, it just seemed smaller to me. The photo above does not show much of its usage, but under natural light, I could see some slight discoloration on ‘high traffic’ areas.
One great thing about Mon and I’s work set-up is that we are sometimes able to go anywhere on a whim. We had been chatting lately in passing that perhaps, we could drop by Ongpin and just have lunch. And today, we did.
With the rising oil prices, we had been trying to cut back on taking Grab. I think it is one of those conscious choice we had to make that even if we can afford it, it does not mean we had to do it.
We took a jeepney and then the LRT going to Manila.
Old Manila has always fascinated me. If the weather permits or if we have time, we usually just scoot around Manila especially towards dusk. There’s really something that’s very charming about this cityscape in the evening.
With full knowledge that we have a very problematic past as a country, I am still always in awe of Old Manila’s architecture and the what ifs if we were able to maintain its grandeur.
And I also always imagine the stories that these structures could tell. Only if the Intramuros walls could talk!
Hello Ongpin!
Yes, this page is now 10 years old. I can’t believe it is a decade already. It seems only yesterday I was figuring out how to set-up WordPress.org and posted my first ever post here on June 1, 2012. Surprisingly, my Tumblr is still alive and turned 12 last April.
I can’t stress enough that, in the midst of the ever shortening lifespan of people, I still manage to maintain these pages. And to commemorate this day, I decided to recreate the first ever photo posted:
An interesting thing about the first photo:
Since finishing my final school requirement, I finally have the time to start cleaning out my bags. One night, of course, won’t be enough. While we were watching a movie on Netflix, I was busy cleaning the leather bags with some leather cleaner spray.
I am not sure when (i.e. what date) I would finish, but I had to start somewhere, right?
Cleaning day! The ‘Bayswater’ family: Piccadilly, Bayswater and Small Bayswater
On the other hand, from time to time, I stumble upon a nice bag for sale.
I have not been buying bags since the start of the pandemic because not only of adulthood (I had to renovate a house for months!), but also I have nowhere else to go. I even switch things up a bit just to go to the grocery so as to air some of my bags out.
But this showed up. And of course, I had to get it:
In all its glory: Mulberry Walter
I’m already halfway the semestral break and enlistment is due to start soon. With a little trick with our pocket Wi-Fi, I have been watching a lot of videos from YouTube.
I enjoyed Graveraven’s channel on YouTube a lot. It has a series of fashion documentaries by Loïc Prigent, and I started off with Donatella Versace. I adore her candor and warmth towards her staff, especially her fondness and longing to her brother Gianni. Sure, her physical appearance was nowhere near the late 90s, but she is commanding and humorous at the same time.
The last documentary I’ve watched is Alexander Wang’s. With his relatively younger label and no fuss approach to his personal style. Come to think of it, it might be something I’d like to adopt in real life.
As days pass by, I find myself picking just a plain black or dark blue shirt. I’m also beginning to wear black pants that I ignored for months. But expect me to jazz it up with a bag, of course. I came to the conclusion that I should start being unapologetic about myself, unlike what I mentioned before.
Rise above the mess
As today is a holiday (i.e. the 119th Independence Day), I took the whole day to sort my things and clean my bags. I had already run out of leather-cleaning stuff, and I’ve been wanting to drop by SM Megamall to buy some.
It was a quick and breezy ride going there, as there was no traffic. As expected, there were a lot of people inside the mall, though.
Getting the good stuff
I went straight downstairs to the Lower Ground area, where this leather-care Mecca is found. I have been hoping to go there again, but could not find the time as SM Megamall was out of the way.
After careful consideration of what I needed (not to mention foresight of not being able to go back again for months), I was able to buy a couple of products to help me on the day’s agenda.
A shelf of leather care products
Sometimes, I cannot believe my luck when it comes to bags. It was so random to chance upon something as cool as this. I just hope that I get to be as lucky with other endeavors that I have. ^_^
I remember seeing this crushed patent leather tote at the Purse Forum years ago. At first, I thought it looked glittery. However, it was just the effect of, well, crushed patent.
Fast forward to last weekend, this beauty landed on my lap (or shoulders to be more correct):
Details of the suede and patent leather
Aside from the Bayswater, the Roxanne is considered as one of the iconic styles from Mulberry. While the design itself has a smaller (Blenheim) and bigger (Rosemary) variety, the Roxanne hit the Goldilocks’ zone for being ‘just right’.
Mulberry Roxanne Bag in Apple Green Darwin Leather