A Cosmos Bag among the Stars

All Parisian women know this: the Left Bank rhymes with refined luxury. So when the bling-bling trend hit Saint Germain, it wasn’t the flashy, conspicuous kind. On the contrary, it plays on the materials, on the subtle, shiny tone-on-tone leather and deliberately, avoiding the flashy look, banking instead on generous elegance.
That is why this customization on the starry grey Cosmos bag aptly reflects the stars that shimmer on this “It Bag” by using matching smoky silver CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski elements crystals.

Materials :

• – A platinum colored Cosmos bag, medium size
• – 8 Cosmic sew-on stones, 26x21 mm by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski elements ref 3265, Silver Shade
• – 11 Cosmic sew-on stones, 20x16 mm by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski elements ref 3265, Silver Shade
• – 4 Cosmic baguette sew-on stones, 28x8.5 mm by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski elements ref 3265, Silver Shade
• - 8 Cosmic baguette sew-on stones, 18x6 mm by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski elements ref 3265, Silver Shade

You’ll need some transparent slick cord, a leather sewing needle, a thimble, a fine-point marker and, optionally, some special leather glue.

• Step 1 – Create the pattern

  Before starting, stuff your bag with newspaper, bubble wrap, etc. so the front of the bag is stretched tight and smooth. Lay the bag down flat to prevent it from moving once you place the crystals on it, otherwise they might fall off! To create the pattern of an exploded star, place the biggest crystals in the middle, then the smaller ones as you move outwards, and finish with the two sizes of crystal baguettes to make the trail of star dust. Shift the stones around until you get a design you like. Take a digital photo so that, should a catastrophe occur, it’ll be easier to reproduce the pattern.

• Step 2 – Mark the position of each stone

  Mark the position of each stone with the fine-point marker (the point should fit in the hole of the sew-on stone). Do this by making a mark at the level of each stone hole and then join the dots. Now you can remove the stone and easily find where it belongs when you want to put it back. Do the same thing for each sew-on stone.

• Step 3 – Before sewing (optional step)

  It’ll be easier to sew if you stick each stone with a drop of special leather glue. Leave to dry before moving on to the next step.

• Step 4 – Start sewing!

  With a little patience, a special leather needle in one hand and a thimble on your finger, sew the stones that make up the pattern one by one. Here are a few tips to make sure the stones are fixed securely but discreetly :

  • - Use double thread.
  • - Make knots at regular intervals. That way, if it comes unsewn in some places, you’ll only have to replace a stone or two, and not all of them
  • - Sew each one of the stone tips in a V-shape, that is, to the right and then to the left of the tip (see the drawing).
  Ad that’s it! Your Cosmos bag has joined the stars!
• Expert advice :

  Make sure you don’t sew the pockets in the lining. Put your hand in the inside pockets to hold the bag as you sew. Otherwise you’ll sew up those super handy pockets!!!

Ginza

This May, the LONGCHAMP store in Ginza reopened on Harumi-dori Avenue. Only recently, Ginza had been somewhat overshadowed as a fashion district by such areas as Harajuku and Aoyama, but with the continuing influx of fashion brands into Ginza, it has become no less than a trendsetter, demanding attention. This new modishness has made Ginza more or less the “St Germain” of Tokyo.

The main reasons I go to Ginza are for the theater and shopping. Rather than going to the big stores, I enjoy wandering the side streets, such as Namiki-dori and Suzuran-dori streets, and dropping in on the small shops around there. The photograph shows the view from the venerable Paris store, Mariage Frères, looking out over Harumi-dori Avenue. Another classic Paris store, Dalloyau, also recently moved in nearby, giving that area something of a Parisian air. Further along Harumi-dori Avenue you come to a line of brand shops that includes LONGCHAMP Ginza. This is an area I always stop to look in at when I’m in Ginza. With the recent air of trendiness now blending in with the settled atmosphere of the vintage brands, Ginza has even further increased its appeal to the sophisticated adult shopper – a Ginza that finds full expression in the “St Germain” touch of LONGCHAMP.