Ninos Youkhana

* 1 min bold read

I am neither Kanye West nor a fashion blogger. I don’t really follow fashion trends. But the Angel of Good Fortune blessed me and was able to visit Italy last month. Walking on those ageless streets, I was seduced by some shopping and treated myself to a few luxurious items.

Shopping makes traveling even more memorable. We never forget some moments from our lives; one of them is buying a timeless piece of Louis Vuitton.

One day we were walking on Via dei Condotti, and I saw a crowd waiting outside a fancy boutique. Located on the same street of Gucci, Prada, Burberry and many others, it was a Louis Vuitton store. It was the only store with a crowd of people waiting to get inside.

It was time for me to explore the world of Louis Vuitton. Wandering around the men’s section, I saw a fancy wallet with multiple pockets and slots, unmistakably stylish in Monogram. Strategically placed with other accessories to noticeably stand out, it caught my attention immediately. I coveted it. Even though I was able to afford it, I kept debating whether or not I should. To a certain extent, I felt guilty paying so much for a wallet. You see, I’m a giver and buying something like this for someone else (mom, sister) doesn’t bother me one bit. It seemed quite ironic to me. But the impulse to own a piece of brown Monogram stamped with LV overpowered my rationale. It is a symbol of status and fashion.

We are all sensitive to public opinion; what others think matters to us. In a jocular way, the act of pulling a Louis Vuitton wallet out of pocket invites attention. Isn’t nice to flaunt it? – putting the wallet next to my iPhone on the table in restaurants so everyone can see. It draws the inverse sign of “nobody” to “somebody”.

The sound of the credit card swipe reminded me when I was student at the University. I was broke. I came from a poor family who barely paid house bills. I used to shop at Target and Marshalls for clothes. I rarely bought brand name items. Calvin Klein was a reach to dress a little fancier. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Diesel Jeans and Boss were out of the picture. Even when I to went out with my friends, I bought Mad Dog 20/20 – a cheap liquor $3.00. We parked on the streets in downtown Chicago and drank inside the car before we went inside a club.

Twenty years later, I own timeless piece of Louis Vuitton, a beautiful wallet in an era where I rarely even carry cash.

Another day, I was sitting under the column of the Immaculate Conception Piazza di Spagna waiting for my girlfriend to finish her facial treatment. I saw her approaching me with excitement, asking me to come and try something interesting and good for my eyes. We walked inside a store. A few minutes into the conversation with the salesman, I found myself lured in and lying on a bed, my eye covered with a 24k amalgam Gold eye mask from Adore – not even Roman emperors did that!

I was fully aware that the salesman was on a mission to convince me to buy the pricey treatment, but now that I had already purchased an expensive wallet, I figured why not just splurge some more since I can?

From iNeed-iWant-iWish, it feels good to be able to afford a European vacation, a LV wallet, and a gold eye mask. I have worked hard to be successful, and as a result, I feel I have earned the right to be lavish. It feels incredible, BUT…(check for part 2 next week)

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