I can’t remember which teenage year it was, but I recall eyeing a photo of Jackie Kennedy. She was polished, elegant and beautiful. Oh my goodness was she beautiful. Later, a photo of Audrey Hepburn with the same beautiful bag draped over her arm as Kennedy. This single common denominator in my mind turned out to be only one of their shared qualities. Me being my clueless teenager self, I had no idea who the women were or who crafted the bag both carried. I just knew I adored their classic styling and grace. Women I did not know made me do a double take and cemented my love of coated canvas and the unpickable lock. It’s my vintage love affair with Louis Vuitton, a travel expert in longevity, long before his time.

That was my beginning of my champagne taste.

As I grew older, I learned of Louis Vuitton and its cost. I became resigned to the fact that I would have to admire from afar and promised myself that, one day as a reward for something really big, I would have my LV.

As I grew older, I researched and created a ‘wish list’ on the site. That wish list is decades old by now, but I still add the items that catch my attention. Also as the years go by, I’m learning it’s not the new creations but the old ones that fit my lifestyle, my budget, and that Kennedy-Hepburn flair. Most vintage bag experts tout that the vintage ones are made better, more durable, and definitely, more affordable.

More than simply an expensive collection, it was crafted and created by the demand of the traveler, to ensure that personal belongings journeyed from one place to another with security, and yes, style. The designer’s firstborn was the trunk (and in 1886 with his father, Georges, the unpickable lock). The 16-year-old arrived in Paris and became an apprentice to Monsieur Marechal; horse-drawn carriage transported travelers and their luggage, which was bounced here-and-there without care. He crafted custom boxes according to what the client needed and worked there for 17 years before opening his own workshop.

My eyes are always open for that tucked-away gem that just might be authentic. I’ve learned the clues and codes, so that when I do find one, I’ll be ready.

Today, my collection is small but one that I hope will grow and be one that will be passed down to my daughter and granddaughter. It took me until I was 64 to ‘deserve’ (I say that with utmost humility) my LV. My most precious is my Lock It LV with lock and key from a small business in Nice, France, Poetro. It’s 25 years old and was first designed and made in 1958; it doesn’t look a day over one. The initials MA are on the outside leather, and I can’t help but wonder who she might have been and where the bag had traveled. I have two other vintages ones - both over 20 years old, and I have two wallets, one that is monogramed with my initials - JHG. Nothing vintage about the wallets (just being affordable for me), but by the time my girls receive them, the years will have added up. When they use them, I hope they’ll remember me.

I watch social media channels and I hear ladies tout the dupes and the fakes as being as wonderful as the real thing. Possibly, but not quite. There’s something about authenticity. No one else will know that my bag is the real deal, but I do. I know how hard I worked, how long I searched, and how it will be part of me passed down to as a legacy of my work and style. I’m hoping to find one from the 1950s, but so far, the ones I’ve seen are in really bad shape, so the hunt continues.

Before my July trip to France, my vintage passport holder arrived. Dated sometime in the 1990s, she’s almost 40 years old. I wonder where she has been? The countries she has been to? She traveled with me to Paris, and now, she is adorned with a gold Paris classic stamp. The concierge said he had never seen one this old in such good condition and helped me decide which stamp. Two days later, I picked it up, and he asked, “Would you like a bag and box?” What a silly question, I thought to myself. “Of course,” I responded, while giddy rabbits jumped up and down within my stomach.

I’m sure I’m the only woman who has ever walked in the Louis Vuitton boutique in Paris and walked out with a box and bag, never having spent a cent.

My eye is on the vintage Speedy 30 (at least 20 years old), and that’s where my collection will end. She’s out there, I know, and I’m just waiting to bring her home.

My love affair with vintage Louis Vuitton and classy ladies

The invisible line that is 66

Always leave something behind