Edward BARSAMIAN

All Consuming | The Céline Bag

Oftentimes, the Internet solves all. Sites like net-a-porter.com, luisaviaroma.com and mytheresa.com have made the act of shopping in person almost obsolete. Still, there are labels that refuse to enter the online arena, and Céline — why, Céline?! — is one of them. I learned this in the winter of 2009 when my need to acquire the king-size Luggage tote escalated to a level bordering on obsession. I loved everything about it — the elegant scrolls, the embossed gold lettering, the rigid structure. But I couldn’t find it anywhere. Naturally, I began my hunt close to home. Barneys? Sold out. Bergdorfs? Wait-listed. Kirna Zabête? Only available in the mini size. It was easier to get a table at the Crown. So, I broadened my reach and e-mailed the “personal shoppers” at international retailers like Browns, Dover Street Market and Selfridges, all of which sell Céline in-store. Only Dover Street Market replied. Actually, the store called me immediately, but only to say that the Luggage flies in and out of the shop, the implication being that I’d have better luck catching a unicorn. Feeling dejected, I clicked on celine.com to get the phone number for the only Céline store in the United States, in Bal Harbour, Fla. Chartering a jet — or more likely, buying a seat on JetBlue — to visit the store was out of the question. I picked up the phone and Doris, a sales associate, answered. She said I should e-mail her — who am I, what do I need and how can she reach me? It was then that I entered into the longest (and healthiest) relationship I’ve ever had. Doris e-mailed me pictures of what she had in stock. I replied they weren’t The One. So she ordered it for me. A week went by. Then, just my luck, FedEx lost the shipment. “Is there no way to order the tote again, from Europe?” I pleaded. No. As a consolation, Doris sent me pictures of everything else: wide-leg trousers, long-sleeved crew-neck sweaters and bags upon bags. In exchange, I shared her contact information with friends whose wardrobes have since benefited greatly from the introduction. So all was not lost. But I still hadn’t won. With my prospects dwindling I halfheartedly turned to the store locator at barneys.com and began making calls. Los Angeles? Sold out. Dallas? Only in yellow. Chicago? Could it be? I was put on hold for what felt like forever, but then yes, Barneys Chicago had my Céline dream! I paid for priority overnight FedEx shipping to my apartment, tracked the package from work the next day, and ran home that night to celebrate the closest thing to Christmas, less than 24 hours after the call. Slipping my BlackBerry in the side pocket made it officially mine. What did I gain from the experience? Doris, no doubt. And a greater appreciation for what bounty hunters do. One year later my Luggage is like a second skin, and I suspect I only love it more for having played so hard to get. Source click here.