WIT mama Friday: the ultimate investment buy.. The WALTON from AnyaHindmarch

OK I've done something naughty but hear me out before you judge me. I've been wanting Anya Hindmarch's weekend bag called  The Walton forever, but I think it has a ridiculous price tag (it's not even entirely made of leather), and yes it's custom made but you haven't actually got that much choice (just 4 colour ways) and all they do is stitch three letters to the front. Nevertheless..... it's gorgeous and I love it and I had to have it, so I found a way around buying this and any other unjustifiable and ridiculous buys like this one in the future...

This is how I do it: I sell my old/unwanted clothes, save up (in a separate account) until I've made every pence to go towards my new buy, you have to be really strict and it doesn't matter how long it takes you are not allowed to pay for it any other way. This way it's like trading in the old for the new! Genius. And I was going to make it even more of a forever buy because it wouldn't have my initials on it, but Greta's. This way she gets to inherit something beautiful when she is a grown-up and I get to carry all her stuff around stylishly!

So for the past year I've been signed up with Vestiaire Collective concierge service (that is brilliant because even though they take quite a big cut they do all the work for you including photographing everything, stocking it, replying to questions and sending it to your buyer - priceless) to sell all my unwanted dresses, shoes, jewellery and bags. I've become ruthless and I actually kind of love owning less stuff. It took me just under a year to save up but it's now kind of extra special for it...

And so go it goes the day in May I decided to make a sneaky trip to Anya on Bond Street and design Greta's hand luggage...

At the Bond Street store inspecting size and weight...

 

Should I go for navy, red or tan trim? Mix up colours or keep it tonal?

Sweet details: you can have a message printed on the key holder in your own hand writing.

And you can have your name engraved across the top in gold letters

I decide to have Greta Zita spelled across the top

Now for colours - red, corn flower blue, tan or orange? I decide for a tomato red, she will love it forever.

 

I think I like the version where letters and trims are all the same colour and then we proceed to filling in the form...

 ...and I decide for a simple GZ initials at the front.

It takes 2 months for your bag to get made (in Italy). I picked mine up last week just in time for our family trip to Tunisia. When I got back home I was so excited I showed Greta with great anticipation and to my surprise she said: "Waaaw!"... I knew she would love it ;-)

For more info about The Walton visit the Anya Hindmarch website

www.anyahindmarch.com