Kim Kardashian’s recent Chanel story shared on The Late Late Show with James Corden led me to a memory that I had not revealed with all of you. Let me take you back… sometimes you do get what you pay for… and this time, a luxury price tag translated to luxury service. Bear with me, as this story begins on a very sad note, but fortunately, thanks to Chanel, changes its tune.
As some may recall, now we’re digging deep into the PurseBop archives of 2013/14 – one of my favorite special evening bags is my Chanel lego clutch with Swarovski sparkles, aptly nicknamed Miss CinderLego. She was featured in a three part series with multiple photo shoots, Miss CinderLego marked a turning point in my blogging endeavors.
Recapping the series:
#FFFF Fun Filled Fall Feast
Lost Her Shoe… Found Her Clutch
What’s in a name?
Miss CinderLego traveled to Dallas with me to witness the famous Mr. Lagerfeld receiving an award from Neiman Marcus at its flagship store in Dallas. She also won PurseBop’s “Chanel Championship” modeled after the Final Four college hoops tourney (definately my really creative days of blogging).
Read:
March Madness PurseBop Style
She continued to be my go-to pick for a night out on the town. At least she was… until one GNO (that’s Girl’s Night Out) a few winters ago.
Naturally, alcohol was involved, at least tangentially. We (the gal pals) had finished a much-belated birthday celebration dinner and were enjoying some after-dinner cognac at the bar. Although I usually wear the bag crossbody, for some unknown reason, I placed my beloved CinderLego atop my coat on the bar table. When I grabbed my coat to leave, the bag tumbled to the floor and one corner completely shattered into pieces. I was in shock and totally crushed. I gathered the pieces, as many as I possibly could. Unfortunately I did not document the episode with any photos (understandably).
Miss CinderLego is resin-made and Chanel clearly warns that it cannot be repaired. I knew right there and then that it was game over. I had ruined one of the most coveted pieces from my Chanel collection.
A visit to the Chanel boutique (five and a half years after her purchase), with bag, box, receipt in hand, only confirmed that resin could not be repaired. Nevertheless, they sent Miss CinderLego to Paris. Not one to leave any Chanel bag to chance (let alone Miss CinderLego), I also wrote a heartfelt letter to Chanel to accompany the sparkling treasure, explaining how important this bag is to me and her special place with my readers here on the blog.
Seven or eight months passed without any news. The service team at my local boutique only knew that it was still in Paris. They were not optimistic there would be a positive outcome as the fate of these broken resin bags was openly known.
Then… finally… in September of 2019 I received a voice mail message that the bag was on its way back from Paris and I would be notified of it’s arrival in Chicago. It arrived to the store the next week. No one knew what to expect. No one had opened the sealed box until I arrived.
At the boutique, the moment arrived. They opened the box. Magically, Miss CinderLego appeared in perfect condition. In fact, it appeared to be a brand new piece… although no one officially could confirm that. It was pristine, not a scratch, not even a finger print.
A collective sigh of relief was breathed by all.
Sept 2019 at the Chicago boutique opening the new box. Ms. CinderLego lives to see another party.
Ironically, until I sat to write this story, she remained tucked away untouched. Revisiting these memories, even if sparked by Kim Kardashian, make me appreciate the uniqueness and rarity of this piece, especially in light of Karl Lagerfeld’s passing.
And so, Miss CinderLego survives to see many more festive events, sure to be photographed and featured here.
A huge shoutout to Chanel Chicago and Paris and everyone who worked on and decided to replace this treasure. Who knows… perhaps it was Karl himself.
See @pursebop for video coverage.
@pursebop
Love PurseBop,
XO
Updated: September 24th, 2022
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