The Basics
- Item - FW17 Céline Box Clasp Bag
- Seller - Min
- WeChat ID - Min1993BSC or MINshop168
- Instagram - @smileangelbubu
Price
$298. Retail is $3400 (!).
Payment
Min is the easiest seller for me to pay using WU bank transfer. I’ve never had verification issues, limit problems, and she receives the funds instantly. Despite there being no fees, WU's exchange rate is less favorable than the banks'. You are not receiving the mid-market rate, but the same applies to PayPal.
Timeline
I preordered the bag in early April and it was ready by month’s end. It was shipped the day after I received PSP. Because of DHL's crazy speed, it was in my hands two days later. Seriously, I get stuff faster from China than whatever is shipped to me within the continental US.
Packaging and Shipping
$45 for full packaging ($35 without) via DHL. In retrospect, the packaging wasn't worth the extra $10. The box is magnetic, which isn't a thing in Philo's Céline as far as I'm aware. Also included were the dustbag, leather care card, and a hilariously inauthentic authenticity card emblazoned with the long retired 70s era logo that I promptly threw away. All the Céline shoe reps I’ve ever purchased came with the same card regardless of which supplier I choose.
Photos
- My pictures
- PSP
- Factory stock pics
- Also released in red
- Céline website photo back when it wasn't a glorified countdown clock
- Link to the auth
Quality - 8/10
When I first laid eyes on this, I thought, “What an odd, ugly, little bag.” Over a brief period of time, it grew on me. That’s the magic of Phoebe Philo’s work. She knows what you want before you do.
After I got over the unconventional shape and visually discordant ruching, I began to appreciate its quirkiness and, better yet, its functionality. Evening bags are usually boring little boxes. Aside from Chanel's and Judith Leiber's whimsical, excessive-in-price-and-appearance, kitschy works of art, or even McQueen's badass bejeweled skull topped options, clutches are forgettable and bothersome to carry. This guy though is the mullet of clutches. Serious architectural lines on the bottom, boho vibes in the middle, and who can say what’s happening at the top. And like a mullet, it forces you look twice.
The wide band of leather sticking straight out of Box Clasp makes it convenient to use. Finally, a formal bag I can quickly slip onto my forearm when I need use of both hands instead of having to abandon it at some random table possibly risking the loss of my phone and overpriced (but still willing to pay it) Pat McGrath lipstick.
It's made with super slick, completely smooth Spazzolato. The glossy black leather is as sexy as a catsuit, but a fingerprint and smudge magnet nightmare. The reasons I deducted points were for the lackluster interior leather, imperceptibly crooked exterior logo (you'd see if you stared at it long enough; like, a good four minutes), and a more noticeably crooked interior MII stamp. The positives? A sturdy polished gold frame, neat stitches (better than the factory photos even), and decent overall construction.
Accuracy - 9/10
For its shortcomings on quality, there isn’t a whole lot for me to criticize in terms of accuracy. The style may look strange, but it's simple. The measurements are exact. There is nothing wrong that I can see with the shape. The ruching varies somewhat on the auth. Some are taller, others puffed out more along the sides. The handle proportion is correct. The leather finish looks as it should. It feels the same as the auth. t's neither too heavy nor too light. I got to play with the auth at the Céline boutique where I was convinced to buy an impractically gorgeous card case that fits approximately four business cards. The hardware tone is pleasingly muted. Overly yellow GHW can make any bag auth or not look so terribly cheap. The stamp is pretty much perfect. It’s the correct logotype that many factories still can’t nail down after eight years of practice. Perhaps they’ll have better luck with Slimane’s iteration. Even the MII stamp is slightly italicized although a tad too deep.
Seller Feedback and Communication - 10/10
I definitely could have gotten this for cheaper elsewhere. I prefer Min's customer service above all the countless sellers I’ve tried over many, many years. I could bargain hunt and risk getting a disappointing bag, or I can pay more, share laughs with a friend who knows what’s important to me, and get a bag packaged like it was delivered to me straight from the Céline boutique. I believe there’s value in loyalty. It’s the case when you’re shopping retail and the same principles apply here. There isn’t one way to buy reps. There's no right way. There’s only the way that works best for you, and I’m happy to say that I’ve nailed my equation.
Satisfaction - 7/10
I try not to stray from my small roster of preferred factories, but sometimes I don't have a choice. When I bought this, the unnamed factory was the only one producing the Box Clasp. I’ve seen other nice looking Céline bags from here like the Mini Clasp, Trio, and Trotteur. They didn’t blow me away, but I am adequately satisfied with what I received for the price paid, and it's always good to test out new places.
I know the score is on the lower end of average especially when there are no issues with the transaction of the seller. I'm not unhappy with the bag. It's well made, but I own too many excellent Céline reps to rate satisfaction higher than I did. The leather quality is not comparable to Marble and Grey Couch. I am guessing the wholesale/quoted price would have been higher had the bag been produced by the better factories. That said, I wouldn’t pay more than what I did. Then again, maybe I am only saying that because I had no other option available to me.
Satisfaction at Hedi Slimane Transforming Céline Into SLP 2.0 - 0/10
It was a shrewd appointment that augurs well for LVMH's future earnings report. It is depressing news for anyone who loved luxurious, forward-looking, challenging, artistic designs that prioritized the female gaze above all else. For once. In an industry purportedly geared towards women, it doesn’t always feel that way. She did things differently and quietly, yet it always managed to be seismically impactful on a personal scale. It’s precisely why Phoebe Philo is so special. I’m gutted that the higher ups at LVMH didn’t think her vision was worth preserving.
You can tell me I need to wait and see his show first before sharing my hot take. That's a fair statement. I love fashion and I follow the industry closely. I know what he did at Dior Homme. I'm familiar with his work at SLP. I've seen the new bag Lady Gaga wore that whipped everyone into a frenzy as if they've never seen the Kelly before. I saw the sequined jacket on IG last night. Slimane is many things, but surprising is not one of them. I'm comfortable in my premature assumptions.
This article, this, and this one more adequately sums up how I feel about #CelineByHediSlimane. It makes me yearn for Céline no credit necessary even harder. And, yes, I wrote this review just to say so. This sucks.
Submitted September 05, 2018 at 06:16AM by good_kuchikopi https://ift.tt/2PG9xKZ
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