the turquoise prada

Three years before Pantone named "turquoise" the color of the year, I bought a Prada Crispy Nylon - Turchese. I have been using it almost every day since. People hardly see me without it.

I got the bag from the Prada-owned and operated "Space" in South Horizons in Hong Kong, where off-season Prada items are marked down. "Space" also has several branches in Italy and other major fashion capitals. It's like an insider secret. The stores are hard to find.

This was the bag's first "unveiling" from its big Prada box, which I first opened (very excitedly) in the suite in The Royal Plaza (which, by the way, is the room that inspired the condo). My heart was leaping out of my chest as I removed all the acid free paper that protected it. Finally:



I quickly took it out for a spin, but NOT JUST around Hong Kong. I whisked it right away to Macau, no less. Here it was on the ferry from Kowloon:



This Prada has since traveled with me to everywhere.

• It was with me in the Petronas Tower in Malaysia.
• In Paris, I lugged it around the Louvre and other touristy places. It sat with me in cafes and bookstores.
  
• It watched the waves of the Meditteranean coast in the South of France, and then went on a road trip to Monaco.
• It saw a bullfight in Madrid.
• I clutched it while tipsy in Barcelona.
• Heck, it even suffered with me during the dreaded train delay in Montpellier, near the Spanish border.
• Etc, etc, etc.
  

This sturdy bag is easy to clean and easy to use. Unlike other designer bags, it does not need too much pampering. It has survived confusing Asian airports and the even more confusing Eurail / has flown economy and business class / has stayed in affordable bed and breakfasts and in 5-star suites. It's so easy to take everywhere.

Some of the Prada's details:



The tags, handles, and the strap are actually LEATHER. They don't seem like they are (because they are shiny), but they are patent leather.

The markings are brass, and the links are very sturdy.



Three years ago, a few people (with poor taste and ugly Louis Vuittons) told me that my Prada's color was too loud. But now, these pathetic trend followers all want my bag because turquoise is the color of the year. Pantone describes the color as "an inviting, luminous hue, combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, evoking thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world."

What can I say?

I always had taste.