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New Line for Lilac Blue London. 2018 is our 10-year handbag anniversary! We sold our first Hermès bag in 2008. And we've now been in Mayfair for 8 years.
So we thought, finally, it is time we found a new brand worthy of your attention. We have chosen Llora handbags.
Llora handbags is a Singaporean brand creating exquisite crocodile handbags and clutches. The craftsmanship is just beautiful, the designs exciting and elegant. The brand has a core following in the Far East, opened in the United States in October, and comes to London in March.
Here is a preview of the Sam in matte black crocodile with malachite stone which will be retailing at approximately £10,000.
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It's that time of year again: when Hermès has all the resellers and key clients guessing as to what date stamp they are going to put on the bags. It used to be a matter of a simple alphabetical listing from A to Z. But 5 years ago they started missing letters, in order to dupe those naughty people making bad bags. This week the first new date stamps have been released and we can report they are C stamp. 2017 was A stamp; 2018 is now C stamp. There is no B stamp! If you have a problem finding your stamp, be aware that it moved 3 years ago from behind the metal part of the strap to the top right inside corner. And if you do get confused , do not worry: most people have been confused by this!
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Handbag Review:
the Birkin 35cm in Gold Fjord
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We sold our first Hermès handbag in 2008. Since then the most popular bag we have sold, by far, is the calf leather Birkin 35cm. So we thought this the natural place to start our new series of reviews.
And to add a little spice, the bag we have chosen will be appearing in the new movie 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' next winter, on the arm of the beautiful Anne Hathaway. 
Here it is in Mallorca where they filmed on location. The colour is the true Hermès gold, a dark rich tan and a classic colour which is increasingly hard to find as Hermès releases more and more shades, each for one season only.
We bought this bag from a British businessman, and examined it in the dimly lit Starbucks on Holland Park in West London - these were the innocent days before our Mayfair showroom. I accepted his word that it was brand spanking new, but once we had bought it and found the date stamp it was clear the bag was already 3 years old. Oh the silly novices that we were! It had not, however been worn and was the first non-brand-new bag we bought. So a great piece with which to start our reviews.
It has become one of my favourite Birkins: because the colour has been so well applied it seems the leather was born this rich dark shade, and because of the deep marks in the 'legs' running through the leather which makes the bag utterly unique. Beyond that however, is my deep respect for the craftsman who made it: I have spent more than 10 years professionally examining the world's most beautiful and expensive handbags. This bag is the most resilient calf leather piece I have ever tried. It does not try to be anything remarkable, but it is a trusty and reliable companion.
Design and practicality
So as many of you will know, the Birkin handbag has become a fashion icon. It was originally designed in the 35cm for Jane Birkin as a roomy handbag she could use when travelling. And the 35cm is indeed roomy: this is the lit of items I carry in a 35cm when travelling:
- Laptop
- Ipad
- 2 large Iphones
- Make up bag
- Large wallet
- Travel documents
And I can report that it all miraculously fits in and still the bag maintains its shape.
On the outside, the Birkin is highly structured and quite boxy. The two handles are well proportioned and will allow you to carry the bag on the forearm and immediately add a certain elegance to your gait. There are two leather straps, finished in metal, which gather the leather and close over the lock in the centre of the bag. It is not however, designed to be often closed, and works well open. Because it has a flap, which partly covers the contents, it does not offer the easy access of a tote bag to passing thieves to help themselves to your possessions?
The bag is made of two layers: the outer textured calf skin and an inner layer of smooth goatskin. It is therefore not always advisable to pack it full of goods as it does get heavy. We have had several customers complain of tennis elbow after years of carrying their Birkin on their forearm. Importantly, there is no shoulder strap, so you always have to have an arm available to carry the piece! This Fjord leather is even more durable than the classic Togo leather, and the bag will stand up with no sagging for many years. Sadly, it was discontinued a few years ago.
The goatskin lining is soft and pliable but extremely strong. There is an inner zip pocket on one side, which always opens seamlessly. The end of the zip features a quirky metal H which people often quote as being a sign of authenticity. The other side of the interior carries a flap pocket, useful for the occasional document. The base of the bag is wide and deep, which allows you to find items with relative ease.
There is a lock and key. I have never understood the purpose of this. Surely if someone wants access to something in your bag they just take the whole thing? Answers on a postcard please (or on the blog here: http://www.birkinbagblog.co.uk/)
In conclusion, this 35 Birkin bag gets top marks for style and for longetivy of life. The extraordinary and brilliant practicality is tempered by the weight and the lack of a shoulder strap. We'll be reviewing bags every 2 months, so if there is a particular bag you'd like to know about, please get in touch via contact@lilacblue.com
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Lilac Blue help with authenticating
Hermès Handbags
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With the rise of popularity of the Hermès Birkin and Kelly, we are seeing a range of new sellers of Hermès bags, and a growing awareness of the dangers of buying inauthentic pieces.
Often, a little information on how to tell a bad bag will point the customer in the wrong direction. Hermès changes details on the handbags all the time, cleverly keeping ahead of the illegal manufacturers in China, Turkey and even Italy. There are plenty of online services offering advice and authentication, but we would advise you to be very wary of these: most of them have had very limited experience of looking at good, and bad, Hermès handbags. The one we would recommend is Bababebi in New York: Dimity Giles has been authenticating for many years and knows her stuff. http://bababebi.com/
If you are in London we will authenticate for clients at no charge. We also hold private parties for clients wanting to learn a little on how to authenticate Hermès bags themselves. Let us know if you'd like to know more about them.
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Our Non-Bag Special Item:
IWC Pallweber Limited Edition 2018
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IWC made a very unusual piece in December as a tribute to the 150th Anniversary of the watchmaker Pallweber. In 1884 Josef Pallweber created a pocket watch which showed a digital display of hours and minutes. This was the first watch to show the time this way and has become a timepiece of history. The IWC homage is a wristwatch which displays the hours, minutes and seconds in the same format, fronted by a glossy lacquer that looks like the original enamel.

In December IWC introduced a red and a gold model, and now in February they have launched 25 blue watches. The retail price is £55,000 and we have one at £53,000.
For more information email us on: contact@lilacblue.com
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Next month:
Introducing Llora handbags
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