Thursday, June 12, 2008

Call Me Cheap AND Stylish

Being a born fashion addict I naturally took to thrifting at an early age. During my tenure as a flea market diva I have scored more than my fair share of gorgeous vintage pieces. I’ve also been around long enough to experience firsthand the “inspiration” pieces by many of today’s top designers. So you can imagine my surprise when I found this lovely Brian Atwood clutch on Saks.com:

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Très chic, no? Made in Italy of buttery leather and finished with gold metal corners this envelope clutch is so beautifully made it’s a Must Have even with a price tag of $1,580.

Or maybe not.

Because you see my friends….

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Behold my lovely, Made in Italy, black leather envelope clutch with gold metal corners that I paid, oh $5.00 for at a NJ thrift only 2 years ago. And oh yeah, I bet ya $1600 that Atwood version doesn’t have camel leather interior or this cute mirror and change purse.

Now I realize that you need to dig through a lot of grody items encrusted with god-knows-what to unearth such a treasure but c’mon I find it appalling that 1) a designer can so blatantly rip off a vintage piece and 2) charge such an exorbitant price for a fairly simple item.

What do you think about designer’s inspiration pieces? Are they merely ripping off the past or paying homage to the classics? And on a more upbeat note, what was your best vintage find?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

unbelievable find! plus, that change purse and mirror add to the vintage appeal. i haven't put down my new snake skin clutch i scored at the flea market last week in a bright blue.

Fab Over 40 said...

Inspiration from vintage is one thing, but blatant copying is another! You scored big!

Reena Rai said...

Amazing! I have never been able to find a vintage bargain that good....it's so cute and very similar to the designer one.

Cammila said...

Oh HELL YES! That clutch is the thrift find of all time, you'll be bragging about it when you're 80. I mean, on top of everything it has that little mirror inside? Gorgeous.

nv said...

thats amazing! they're identical but I like yours better because of the handy mirror and change purse :) great find!

Anonymous said...

what an amazing find, such a treasure!

Anonymous said...

Now THAT my friend is what I call a majorrrrr vintage bargain! :D ahh

Danz said...

When designers rip off past designs, I think it's sad because they're supposed to be the ones with the creativity and skill to come up with fresh, new ideas. I don't mind copying of designer items for the less affluent masses like myself, just as long as it's a very good copy! I love your clutch by the way :)

Terren said...

wow. lovely clutch. nothing really rounds off a day as nicely as scoring something cool at a second-hand shop. great find!