Might be difficult to understand being heart broken over something as silly as a bag. What you may not know, is that I actually love to collect handbags. A somewhat strange addiction brought on by my sister’s love of bags. I distinctly remember that day about 15 years ago, when she introduced me to the world of Vuitton. I was enthralled by the craftsmanship, style, travel and luxury of the brand and their bags.

Bag: W PM Vuitton ; Sungalsses: So Real Dior

Since then my collection has grown year by year. Each piece holds a story and a memory of different moments, places and much more.

So getting back to my bag heart break story. Walking around in the sweltering heat of Singapore today, I decided to carry my beloved W bag around town. Unfortunately for me, the glue on the handles began to melt staining my crisp white shirt. A bit annoyed but concerned cause I love this bag, I visited the Vuitton store to get the bag repaired. Unfortunately for me, Vuitton can not repair the bag as some of the the initial W bags had a fault. As dismayed as I was there was a glimmer of hope… I was informed that I could choose another bag to replace my W. So I figured I will just get another W. I knew that it would be impossible to get the exact same piece and colour combination, as I had bought the last piece of this particular bag in the flagship store in Paris and I have not seen it in any of the other stores I had visited. While these thoughts were rapidly going through my mind, the Client Advisor proceeded to inform me that the W bags are no longer in production. To say I was gutted was an understatement.

This bag meant so much to me. It was bought on a beautiful weekend getaway with my better half to Paris, after working intensively with little to no sleep on the launch of the tech startup I was involved in at the time. It is the only bag in my collection that was an impulse purchase. It was not only a gift from my other half but a reward to myself for everything I had achieved. I had managed to transition from being a medical doctor to successfully pulling of a launch in London while being based in Singapore as the Head of Marketing. Needless to say I am shattered.

I guess sometimes I need to learn to let go. Two years have gone by and a lot has changed again in my life. And with a new bag (albeit a replacement) comes yet another story of a different time, place, moment and memory.

So the question remains, what do I choose next?

As some of you may know, I'm a self confessed bagaholic! To me the Hermes Birkin is the the queen of all bags. So what makes me give this bag royalty status? And no its got nothing to do with the fact that the bag has been adopted as a status symbol for many. It has everything to do with quality of leather, craftsmanship, attention to detail and sheer perfection. It's hence no surprise that I found myself drawn like a magnet to the Leather Forever exhibition by Hermes.

The exhibition show cases the mastery of leather, craftsmanship and heritage of the brand through a series of 12 little room of wanders. My favourite rooms were the following:

Room 1 & 2: Savoire - Faire

Get a chance to touch and feel the various types of leather and see some of the renowned pieces from the house of Hermes.

Room 4: The Horse, The First Client

A beautiful look into how Hermes started with the horse as it's first client. A display of saddles, riding equipment and the oldest bag created by Hermes the Haut a courroies bag in 1892. The bag was created specifically for riders in mind to carry their riding equipment.

Room 9: Variations on kelly and Birkin

A magnificent display of the two legendary bags in various colours and sizes. It's hard not to want a few pieces!

Room 12: Star Bags

Last but definitely not least, this is by far the most incredible room and my favourite. From the moment you step in, you feel as if you have been transported to a magical garden with five unique Kellydoll inspired bags placed on swings. Each bag has been created in honour of Singapore. One bag for each decade. Each piece a work of art.