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Bag Shopping In Saigon

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Every backpacker knows that Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City now) is the place to go to get The North Face products.  When I headed out to this wonderful city a couple of weeks ago, I made it my mission to go home with at least one backpack (I have learned to travel light and not lug around more than one suitcase whenever possible).  I knew in my heart, though, that I would be bringing home more than one item.
One thing that bothered me is the fact that a lot of The North Face bags being hawked in the streets and markets of Saigon are FAKE.  While I do not necessarily shy away from copies, I did want to get the overruns – real items that somehow make it to the streets.  With that in mind, I decided to do a little research to find out where I can buy real TNF products for an affordable price.
The consensus was this: go to Saigon Square, of which there are two.  I did have a hard time finding this shopping center despite its popularity.  I guess I was lucky that an expat decided to have pity on two women standing on a corner trying to figure out Google Maps.  Oh yeah, he was hot, too!
So we got to Saigon Square and guess what?  They had all sorts of things for sale!  The bag stores were all over the place, and you can buy both copies and originals.  The originals sold for 100,000 VND more than the copies (that’s about 5USD).
Ironically, I ended up not buying a single North Face product.  I did go home with several Jack Wolfskin bags, though; and I am loving them to death!!!

Watch Out For These Fashion Designers

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First Lady Michelle Obama Hosts Jazz Studio At White House
The world of fashion is an ever changing landscape. While we do have certain fashion designers who have made names for themselves and can be considered fixtures in the fashion world, there is no doubt that new talent crop up all the time. These are the people that you should be on the lookout for if you’re the type who likes fresh ideas.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded nine upcoming fashion designers, who are to receive financial assistance from Swarovski Crystal. Here are some of my favorites.

Alexander Wang
The label Wang launched in 2005 while still attending Parsons The New School of Design is steadily expanding. There’s been a full womenswear collection since 2007 and come July there’ll be men’s. Wang, a 25-year-old California native, says he’s appreciative of the recognition he’s received. (His runway shows are hot tickets: Sarah Jessica Parker attended the last one.)

Thakoon Panichgul
Thakoon Panichgul is, at 34, a veteran of the council’s emerging designer category — he was previously a nominee in 2006 and 2007. And while he has steadily gained buzz, it was first lady Michelle Obama, who wore a Thakoon dress at last year’s Democratic convention, who really ramped up his name recognition.

Patrick Ervell
He envisions a look in American men’s sportswear, one that’s more modern than the Americana epitomized by a more traditional designer like Ralph Lauren. His own personal uniform is “Levis and a T-shirt.”

Chic women’s fashion, the person who dresses the First Lady, and men’s sportswear. What else do you need?