Having enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel, we felt a Wes Anderson marathon was in order. Where on Earth did they get that amazing monogrammed luggage in The Darjeeling Limited?
Mr Dapper: Louis Vuitton, would you believe? Well, it would make sense if you were a hip young director hobnobbing in New York’s art and fashion scene, and friends with the then-creative director of Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs. I hasten to add, however, that said luggage was only produced for the 2007 film. It was only later, on the suggestion of Mr Anderson, that four of the bags became available, at an auction that raised US$52,300 for Unicef. What happened to the other seven pieces continues to fuel many a fruitless internet search, I’m sorry to inform you.
Mr Dandy: Dapper may be sorry but I’m not because guess what? I found you some exact replicas of that awesome luggage made by a company called Very Troubled Child (
www.verytroubledchild.com). While the collection is not officially associated with the movie, what you can expect is well-made “inspired by” brown calfskin products with the distinctive motifs of safari animals and palm trees. Oh, and by the way, I’m eyeing the Darjeeling Bag No 4, which costs HK$3,801 without a monogram, HK$4,577 for two hand-painted initials, or HK$5,043 for three letters. How’s that for specific? Delivery time is about six weeks, plus an extra week for monogrammed orders. Smaller options include the No 8 shoulder bag (HK$2,250 to HK$3,026) and the No 9 clutch/beauty case/man bag (HK$768 to HK$1,474).
I’ve been wearing a lot of hats and feeling pretty darn stylish in them, too. The only problem is when I have to take the hat off, my hair looks terrible. Any tips?
Mr Dandy: Wear hoodies! I’m only half kidding. Everyone from Lanvin, Givenchy, Bottega Veneta, and Thom Browne to Gieves & Hawkes is doing them. Nobody really talks about hat hair but it is definitely a “thing”. A common culprit is hair product. Changing from a sticky pomade to a pliable, lightweight cream could be the answer to all your prayers. Try Creme with Silk Groom, by Kiehl’s (HK$175; 28 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2591 0117) or a water-based pomade such as Hard Cream Pomade, by Baxter of California (HK$155;
www.baxterofcalifornia.com). The less “hold”, the less hat hair. I actually find mussed up hair can look sexier than that slicked down, helmet thing you see a lot of, so maybe just embrace it. Anyway, there are mirrors and reflective surfaces everywhere in Hong Kong so a quick re-style shouldn’t be a problem.
