Before we circle back to Stockholm, let’s take a quick fashion break and enjoy some eye candy from my recent jaunt to the boutique in Brussels, which has become my other “home” boutique. My sales associate had searched high and low three months ago to locate this bag for me–inventory being much more selective and limited in Europe than the US–and I finally made it to her store to pick it up.

It is the quilted matte dark gold messenger bag (it can be worn over the shoulder for a more ladylike look or across the body for a slouchier, more modern silhouette) from the Boy collection. The story is that the Boy collection is named after Mlle Coco Chanel’s true love, Boy Capel, who met an untimely death. Their affair continued even after he got married. Drama, scandal, and heartbreak…all the things that Coco must have experienced are nowhere to be found today in my black and white shopping bags. No, no, in my bags, nothing but joy! Not only did I get a purse and a casual top, I was also gifted a large coffee table book:

So yes, while I’m like every other girl who loves bags and baubles, books are really the key to my heart. Especially the ones with great photography by Karl Lagerfeld! Luckily I had not yet bought this book for myself. The Little Black Jacket Tour originated in Tokyo earlier this year, made its way to NY in June, and will soon be en route to London. If only I could be in the same place at the same time with the exhibit at some point. But that’s part of the deal of being a nomad, you catch some, you miss some. So now off I go with my golden Boy and new book…

…what are the chances I’ll run into KL himself for an autograph on the book?!