A return to the splendor of color has been an intent of this season on the blog. It definitely feels like I’ve moved into the winter of this website’s lifespan, and with archived work that now spans well over a decade (and unarchived posts that have been lost since its inception in 2003) there is an albatross-like sense of baggage to the whole scene, a heaviness that one might want to release at some point. To shake things up, and keep this space as visually appealing as possible, I’ve tried to inject some stronger hues to the layout and the posts. Hence this bag, in which I’ve been carrying toiletries to and from Boston on recent visits there. The colors are gaudy, the design is ridiculously over-the-top, and the overall effect is one of magnificent bagnificence.
For a very long time, I kept my travel items subtle and unobtrusive. A monogrammed Louis Vuitton Keepall and its iconic ‘LV’ design was the showiest I got, and toiletry kits were even less fancy. I’m not sure why – maybe because travel status is so temporary and fleeting. I didn’t want to get attached or love something that I would only use a few weeks out of the year. What an idiot I was! How much joy have I cheated myself out of over the years? These days I use the brightest and gaudiest carrying accoutrements I can find, such as the little floral piece seen here, or this item from this post, originally intended to accompany me to a fabulous weekend in New York.
Such frivolous joys, such silly accessories – and such giddy effects. Trinkets and charms do make the day go by, and in such pretty fashion why would we settle for something in any way dull or merely utilitarian? Too many opportunities to be colorful go to waste. No one wants to cause a scene or make a production. No one wants to make waves or cause a commotion. Here’s to starting a riot with a bag of flowers! Here’s to engulfing your head in a scarf of scarlet fire! Here’s to skating through life in a pair of lime-green-soled sneakers! With so little to create allure these days, such tiny frivolities feel like home, and I find comfort in all this color.
