Item Of Interest: A Luxury Quencher
In this fortnightly column, we take a keen interest in things, celebrating the moods and whims that fuel desire. In this edition: luxury quenchers! Little knick-knacks, tchotchkes and trinkets for when a big ticket item is a touch out of reach.
By Gordon Ng,
These days, luxury brands are coming up with more and more interesting miscellaneous items. Broadly, they go by ‘lifestyle’, or ‘other accessories' if categorisation is tricky. But I like to call them luxury quenchers.
The gist is that these ‘quenchers’ (which includes but is not limited to water bottles, thank you) are smaller-ticket pieces from luxury brands that are a little more accessible.
Which is great news if you’re anything like me and often get a sudden, sometimes irrational, urge to shop. Maybe you’re just bored after almost two years of limited travel, social life and opportunities to turn a look. Maybe you’ve had a bad day, found yourself in a rut, and want to inject some desire back into your life.
Whatever it is, there’s a big wide world of quenchers out there. My personal caveat: three figures only (also very apt as gift ideas!), but you’re welcome to dream bigger. Here are some ideas to get you started.
I had my heart broken about a month ago when I walked into a Prada boutique, my mind made up to buy one of its wildly popular water bottles. I say wildly popular because on that day the last of the lot had been entirely sold out, with absolutely no word of new incoming stock. Well, I’m happy to announce that THEY ARE BACK! This time in the really chic flask shape with a high-shine metallic finish. Choose from red, black or off-handedly glamorous gold.
Stainless steel water bottle, $185, Prada
Still reeling over Daniel Lee’s abrupt departure from Bottega Veneta? Why not remember his tenure by appreciating the way he introduced unexpected materials (hello, Puddle boots) to a luxury brand that's ostensibly all about leather. One of the friendlier-priced examples to get into are these AirPods Pro cases, topped off with a lovely leather cord, that comes in a fun array of colours. This one's a cheery yellow called 'Mirabelle'.
Silicon and calfskin AirPods Pro case, $230, Bottega Veneta
I only realised how tricky it is to find a good looking umbrella after losing a trusty, nondescript pair. Now short of a bag essential, I’m thinking of an upgrade. Burberry, a London (read: rainy) brand naturally makes a stylish one. Quite importantly, it’s the kind that comes with a button that launches the canopy open with a satisfying click.
Logo print folding umbrella, $360, Burberry
Hermes, as one of the most vaunted luxury houses, can be a little intimidating. Which is why it’s a thrill to discover they make teeny tiny versions of their famous silk scarves. These are hand-rolled like their larger counterparts, and arguably take a little more work because the print designs need to be scaled down to this little 20cm format. Tie it around the wrist as an alternative bracelet, or stuff it into the back pocket of a pair of jeans.
Ex-Libris nano silk scarf, $165, Hermes
I think Cartier’s line of leather goods and accessories is kind of underrated. The grained leather they use is quite sumptuous, and this double-duty keyring and card holder is pretty great if you too are on a style journey to becoming the kind of person who can leave the house without a bag.
Must de Cartier calfskin keyring and card holder, $450, Cartier
Hedi Slimane’s Celine really started to click for me after his collections became overtly inspired by petit bourgeois teenagers. The idea back then (which many dubbed the TikTok collections) was that these were young people pulling pieces from a stylish parent’s wardrobe. There’s something quite chic about casually borrowing these old world affectations, and I think this comb (with a leather sleeve, too!) neatly encapsulates that spirit. Think River Phoenix, less Grease.
Celine by Hedi Slimane acetate comb with calfskin sleeve, $350, Celine
One for my best pal, one for me. These, sold as a pair, make for a cute grownup version of friendship bracelets. Keep the second one for yourself if you’re not in a generous mood.
J'adior embroidered cotton bracelets (sold as a pair), $680, Dior
The great thing about vaguely-described small leather goods is that their use is entirely up to interpretation. This one’s obviously good for cash and cards if you like. But I also think it’s a rather chic way to store letters – it’s sized just a bit bigger than standard envelopes. Or tickets to a show, if you're feeling optimistic. Another idea: take a leaf out of Saint Laurent’s own styling in its Spring Summer 2022 runway show and stick it in the waistband of your pants.
Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Uptown canvas and leather pouch, $710, Saint Laurent
Since becoming a participating member of the cashless society, it has been a pain to find oneself at the supermarket looking desperately for a dollar for a trolley. No more! Stylish coin purses to the rescue. This one from Jil Sander is a tried and true style with an attractive bonus: order it for the holidays and it comes wrapped in a silk scarf!
Leather coin purse, $375, Jil Sander
Living through a pandemic has changed my bag organisation priorities. I now keep a pouch that I transfer from bag to bag. Inside: hand sanitiser obviously, hand cream, spare face masks, and three lipsticks in nominally different shades of nude. It is, basically, a nomadic carrier of essentials! This one from Loewe does the job with great style, with an arts-and-craftsy herbarium print from their holiday collection.
Herbarium canvas drawstring pouch, $450, Loewe
I found this one from the kid’s section, and came to a happy realisation. In addition to generally having quite adorable offerings, a kid-sized bag turns out to actually be roughly the size of a grownup’s mini bag. Kind of perfect if you like Marni’s famous market totes but are looking for something niftier and smaller on both the size and sticker price fronts.
Marni woven polypropylene bag, US$115 (S$156), www.sssense.com