IMAGE: KRISTA YEUNG FOR BAGAHOLICBOY

This post has been sitting in my draft box for the longest time, because simply put, it is not one that’s been easy to write. No, no one died, and it isn’t like something that can compare with the actual state of the world today which is much worse, but there is this sense of loss I still can’t quite explain. Maybe it’s because in the 10 years that has passed, it has been one the few brands that I resonated with, less in the beginning but slowly and surely, more towards the end.

And let’s be honest, there great seasons, there were good seasons and then there were the no-so-good ones, but it is these specific things I remember that I’ll cherish. From that seemingly simple tote that had its own ‘face’ which became a hit the world over, to that top that become known as the ‘Kanye’. Ad campaigns that weren’t typically beautiful (or airbrushed to death), but awkward, raw and unfinished. Then there were their beautifully-designed boutiques that I swear singlehandedly made everyone want to renovate their homes all over again, complete with mismatched rectangular tiles, large stone pliths to display all manner of bags and tall fiddle-leaf figs sitting in giant earthenware pots that finished the space.

I could go on. The two-toned totes from the earlier years, the zip clutches that came in all manner of colours and materials, the simplest piece of jewellery that had a knot in the middle, I bought them all. Looking back, it’s also one of the few brands I wanted more and more of, because slowly but surely I believed in the stories she was trying to tell. Of course there were many other things I wanted but they wouldn’t fit, but whenever I saw something I liked, I checked. Those sneakers, you know the ones that look like that retro Chinese brand, do they come in a larger size? They did, and I now own 2 pairs. Oh look, pinstriped trousers with a drawstring closure, surely I could fit? It is still one my favourite pairs to date.

It’s just hard knowing the end has already come, but it isn’t really anyone’s fault. She decided it was time, and after 10 years she deserves to do as she pleases. And while things will never be the same again because we all know he been entrusted to chart the brand’s new course, there’s no point being sad. Instead, we should celebrate the precious two collections that are left (as well as the icons she has left for us), thank her for the decade that has been and pick up those pieces that we know might never be again once the change is truly complete. Because that’s exactly what I’m intending to do.

And if you need help deciding, well, here you go.

IMAGE: KRISTA YEUNG FOR BAGAHOLICBOY
Solo Coin & Card Purse, SGD475 & Clutch Pouch in Lambskin, SGD680

IMAGE: KRISTA YEUNG FOR BAGAHOLICBOY
Egg Shaped Coat in double-faced cashmere, SGD6900, Plastron Shirt in fancy striped cotton, SGD1100, Crombie Coat in double-faced wool, SGD3900

IMAGE: KRISTA YEUNG FOR BAGAHOLICBOY
Micro Belt Bag in Lazuli, SGD2900, Knot Small Hoops Earrings, SGD630 & Knot Thin Bracelet, SGD630

IMAGE: KRISTA YEUNG FOR BAGAHOLICBOY
Luggage Nano Tartan, SGD2600, Luggage Nano Leather, from SGD3350

IMAGE: KRISTA YEUNG FOR BAGAHOLICBOY
Plimsole Sneaker, SGD820, Classic Box Bag Medium in Camel, SGD5600 & Vinyl Shopper + Pouch, SGD780

Images: Krista Yeung for Bagaholicboy