Net skirt – All Saints. Sandals – ATP Atelier. Bag – J & M Davidson. Bralette Bikini – Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein One-shoulder swimsuit

Top: Black bandeau bikini top. Bottom: Zebra bikini top

The skins are preserved in a temperature controlled chamber

A range of hand-made mock-ups are produced before selecting a final prototype nased on proportions and stitching details.

I’m not going to lie, when I climbed in that van outside Hotel Costes I promised myself to Jason Bourne the crap out of the ride, ready to count the minutes between each turn and memorize particular kinks in the road. Just to be able to be privy to – if not trace back for personal pleasure and some light stalking of – one of fashion’s best-kept secrets: the address to the Chanel handbag factory. Alas, my carb-y lunch had been filling, washed down with a glass of white wine, and by the fourth junction out of La Défense, I was out like a decommissioned traffic light. I might as well have had a dust-bag over my head.

We arose to the sound of soft crackle of gravel as the van pulled into the entrance to a handsome building covered in matte-black tiles that resembled the iconic Chanel quilting. The interiors airy corridors in calming tones bouncing off diffused natural light. Workers and craftsmen weaved past us, practically gliding, talking in gentle tones no louder than the soft, diligent whirring of the machines. A cart with a small stack of lemon-yellow leather hide wheeled by – perhaps a limited-edition 11.12 in its infancy – as I made a bee-line to the table where the quilting was being stitched. Room after another, I dashed, mid-sentence – to a corner where the logo hardware was being set, to the station where seams were being hammered… At one point I’m certain I caught my poor guide glancing at a spool of bag chain, no doubt contemplating a makeshift leash.

The iconic 2.55 throughout the ages

Not one bag is the same, multiply that by six collections produced each year under Karl’s boundless design direction, then add a challenge of technical variation for each. Heck, throw a differentiation equation in there for good measure, and that should adequately sum up the level of expertise exercised in the factory. The same building houses also nearly 3,000 bags in archive, forming a rich library of inspiration for designers and craftsmen but also a thick resume of Coco Chanel-class problem-solving skills. “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” The factory certainly was all doors, all solutions.

Many thanks to Chanel UK for the rare peek behind the scenes.

The aged calfskin is quilted by needlework according to a lozenge “diamond” pattern.

A template is placed onto the leather and cuts the different components, which are then individually lined with thin foam.

The emblematic double C is sewn onto the leather, appearing underneath the flap inside the bag.

The two bags are placed one within the other to create a single bag and then assembled; this is the “bag in the bag” technique.

Eyelets are inserted on the bag for a chain made of flat links in metal known as the “jewellery chain”. A rectangular turn-lock clasp, called the “Mademoiselle lock”, is positioned.

The bag is complete and the finishing touches are checked before it is packed and sent to the CHANEL boutiques.

Coat – Stylenanda. Ruffle top – ASOS. Satchel – Disney x Coach 1941

We all love a good American union: Brad and Angelina (Brad and Jennifer, if you like), Facebook and Instagram, fried chicken on waffle (has anyone tried Oreo with Sunny D because MIND BLOWN) and this is no exception. If anything this one puts me straight back into DPA* meetings because I’ve once again burst out in song in the middle of the road and pissed off my parole officer. 0 Days since last Colours of the Wind. Two icons join hands under one limited-edition collection: Coach, who celebrate their 75th anniversary this year, and the mascot of pop culture – Disney’s Mickey Mouse, who is basically my soul animal (high-waisted red shorts with white gloves and a mischievous grin go hand-in-hand). Watch me replace the husband’s protein powder stash with Nesquik this summer.

*Disney Princesses Anonymous, in which I am the token Asian girl that is always expected to sing My Reflection.

Top & jeans – Stylenanda. Shoes – Kurt Geiger. Pouch – Disney x Coach 1941

So, it all starts like this: I like computers, I like pictures, I like not moving. I also happen to like burritos, and DIY (once upon a time). Drop all this into one cauldron – add bat-wings for double-jointedness – and brew 12 years… POOF! out comes a Graphic Designer. Apparently. (Hey, this story needs to be in my LinkedIn profile. *goes and adds*)

A fortnight ago, Dell threw a two-day workshop shindig around the adept new Dell XPS – sessions that were fine-catered to productivity and professionalism for influencers, and I was graciously invited to lead a one. One might note, that by this point in time I was determined, if not hell-bent, on starting a serious conversation with my fellow online publishers regarding branding and professionalism in the industry. So I accepted. Gladly. Twitter conversations are SLOW, what we need is a round-table discussion.

Photos 1,3,4 courtesy of The Apartment

Some paper (I keep a cheap sketchbook aside), scanner or smartphone, A brush, ink or paint, Adobe Photoshop (Pixlr is a good online alternative). Any other writing tools such as coloured pencils, markers, pens, watercolour… etc.

Shoes – Malone Souliers. Bag – 3.1 Phillip Lim.

The trick to packing for a Staycation is not taking items of comfort, but picking bits that scare you most when packing for a regular holiday. Like colour, or patterns, or spiders. Whatever. Milk the fact that there is no 23kg allowance and the fact that your orange heels don’t need to match with at least five outfit variations. Here are some of my favourites from Avenue32.

Can we all agree that staycations are possibly the best thing since sliced bread? I mean, if all roads lead to Rome, you all know that all conversation topics lead to BEING A HERMIT, here in this establishment. We love the couch, we revere the remote, we worship the crisps. I also happen to love packing and think I may have mastered – for now – packing under duress (usually with the taxi outside). Four minutes TOPS and I’m out, and proud to have not lost a phone cable since 2013. Add this all together and it’s waking up in Notting Hill (at the Laslett – my new love – to be precise) and being pretty sure all my kidneys (and dignity) are intact, because I brought both the good champagne and the husband, from home. Yet, I can’t help but feel a tinge of excitement to see your lover (in this case London), from the other side of the bed.

The point of all this, of course, is to leave you at home, all 37-minutes-away-on-tube of it. Pack the part of the wardrobe you always longingly glance at but rarely reach into because you don’t know what the weather will be at your destination, or whether it’s versatile enough Tetris piece for your 23kg luggage limit. For me it’s colour, and while I typically only man up to pack one or, at most, two bright pieces, this time I went nuts with bits from Avenue32, who have just gone through site rehaul and the new-in’s are more scrumptious than ever. If I was going to wake up in a different post code, I figured I might as well have fun – might even adopt a gangsta walk while I’m here.

Guys, roleplay is SO underrated.

Dress – Jonathan Simkhai. Shoes – Malone Souliers.