TDM
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Visit of the Delvaux store in Paris
After visiting the Moynat workshops, we are walking down the street when we pass by the Delvaux boutique. It’s a brand I’ve been following on Instagram for several months, so I’m pleased to see the bags in person. We are very, very well received. The store is almost empty, so we can ask as many questions as we want to our salesperson. He is extremely passionate, and very proud to have visited the Delvaux workshops in Belgium (of which he showed us photos). When he saw that I knew about leather, he was able to give me even more details about the exotic leathers in the store. In short, a…
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Special Days: Tour of the Moynat Workshops in Paris
The visit took place in October 2022, but I’m only getting around to writing a post about it now 😀 I’m not paid by anyone, no one’s sponsoring me, these opinions are my own, thanks! I first heard about and Moynat on YouTube: fashionistas frustrated by the cold, dismissive reception at Hermès and Goyard are turning to Moynat to get products they claim are “equivalent” to Hermès for less money and, above all, available. After doing some research, I found out that Moynat is part of the LVMH group, and that’s perfect! The LVMH Special Days offer a tour of Moynat’s workshops, and since most shareholders have never heard of…
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A Long Stay in Hanoi (Vietnam) in 2022: Between Gastronomy, Shopping, and Frustrations
Every time I’m in Hanoi, my hometown, I struggle to post on the blog because I don’t have a moment to myself. There’s too much to do, too many people to see, too many dishes to try, too many weekends to plan in the North… We spent several months in Hanoi, and here’s a summary of what we did. We flew from Paris to Hanoi in March 2022 on a nearly empty plane. We each had three seats to ourselves. I slept straight through. Because of the war, we had to take a longer route to avoid flying over Ukraine. The usual 10 hours turned into 11 hours and 20…
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Custom leather goods: My hand-stitched saddle-stitch bag in Novonappa Gold
Today, I’ll tell you how I had my custom leather bag made by a Vietnamese leather craftsman. It’s entirely hand-stitched (saddle stitch) and made of Novonappa leather, lined with Sully goat leather. Story time This section could have been titled “how I got here” because I didn’t like leather to begin with. In 2020, I bought my first Hermès scarf and fell into a kind of obsession with this luxury brand. I learned that it’s one of the few luxury brands that still hand-stitches a small part of their bags (the others do it by machine). I read several books on Hermès and started familiarizing myself with the different leathers…
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Yen Tu & MGallery Legacy: The Most Spiritual Place in Vietnam
At the end of JB’s recovery in Nha Trang, we return to Hanoi for a month. Due to our very busy schedule, we only have one long weekend to recharge our batteries. Having lost a lot of energy in that “surprise” surgery story, we all (my parents & us) need to recharge. That’s when I think back to a 5-star hotel not far from Hanoi whose photos made me dream a few years ago: Mgallery Legacy Yen Tu (Booking link). Note: we paid for everything out of our own pockets Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Yen Tu is a name that vaguely rings a…
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My bespoke Himalayan Crocodile Bag #bespoke
As everyone knows, the most expensive bags in the world are sold at auction, and the records are held by Hermès bags made from Himalayan crocodile skin. “Himalaya” is simply the name of the Hermès color for this particular combination of white, beige, and gray. It is meant to evoke snowy mountains, which is the only reason Himalaya comes into the equation here. Apparently, light colors and shade transitions are particularly difficult and time-consuming to create. Light colors are especially hard to achieve on crocodile, so getting this shade requires considerable skill from the tanner, as the natural color must be completely removed. The most expensive bags in the world…
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How to withdraw money without fees in Vietnam
When you withdraw money from an ATM outside the eurozone, you’re likely to pay two types of fees: To avoid currency conversion commissions, you absolutely need a bank card that applies the real exchange rate without any markup. I recommend the following free cards: As for the fixed fees from the ATM bank, there’s no secret: you have to try several banks and see if they charge fees. In Vietnam, most banks charge 55,000 VND in fees, with a maximum withdrawal limit of 3,000,000 VND. That’s 1.8% in fees in the best case. Like everyone, we don’t like paying fees. When it’s below 1%, we accept it without complaint; above…
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Round-the-world trip: suitcase or backpack?
I decided to write this article after reading a heated discussion on the topic on a Facebook group for travelers. I don’t claim to be able to settle the “team suitcase” vs “team backpack” debate, but I do think I can offer an objective opinion. Indeed, I’ve been “team backpack” and then “team suitcase.” In 2016, we left for a “classic” year-long round-the-world trip with backpacks. We changed accommodations very frequently, every three days on average. I think we would have had a hellish trip if we had been with suitcases 😀 Since 2017, we’ve become digital nomadsour accommodation changes are much less frequent (about once a month) and I’m…
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My Current Favorites [August 2022]: My First Leather Project
I was supposed to take a leatherworking class in Hanoi in mid-August, but due to JB’s surgery, we had to reschedule. To minimize the disappointment, I bought a mini kit on Taobao (Taobao doesn’t ship internationally, so I use the service Wegobuy to buy and ship for me), I bought a minimum of tools, and here’s my very first charm in leather. Work charms are used to decorate bags. This one is big enough to hold my AirPods or my Insta 360. The design is inspired by the famous Hermès Birkin bag. The kit includes all the leather pieces already cut and lined. The instructions are on YouTube. The seller…
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Recovery in Nha Trang (Vietnam)
It’s August 2022, and after emergency surgery in Nha Trang, JB is recovering for a month. My parents know people in Nha Trang (even though we’re from Hanoi), and during JB’s hospitalization, my mom and I get to visit two apartments. Located in a condominium, presented by her friends, and we end up choosing, of course, the most beautiful one, with an incredible view of the beach from the 24th or 36th floor. In short, paradise! It’s perfect for recovery. Don’t ask me how to rent it, because it’s been resold since. Every day, we can enjoy the beautiful morning light. It’s a three-bedroom, so my parents can stay with…
