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Shoppers often take a second look whenever they
examine the Chanel and Louis Vuitton leather goods on display at the
European Connection boutique.
While the unassuming store
location on the third floor, 136 Katipunan Road, White Plains Quezon
City, may give the impression that the products are first-class
imitations, but boutique owner Berna Defensor is quick to emphasize
that every item in the boutique is authentic.
If all the items on display are
genuine, then why is the tag almost 50-percent off its regular
boutique price? The answer is simple, the designer bags are
pre-owned.
Indeed in the sea of fake goods
being sold in popular tiangges, nothing beats the proud feeling that
comes with clutching an authentic Chanel, or walking down the street
with a genuine Vuitton.
European Connection boutique was
born out Berna’s love for designer bags. While it is but natural
for females, to acquire as much bags as their storage space could
accommodate, there was a time when Berna was faced with need to give
up some of her much-loved possessions.
“We were thinking of moving to
Canada a few years ago, and I couldn’t possibly bring all my bags.
So I decided to sell them,” she said.
She initially offered the bags to
her friends. But now her clientele range from socialites to
celebrities! A natural entrepreneur she was able to strike a
formidable deal with pre-owned designer bag suppliers in Japan and
Hong Kong.
“In Japan for example, women
like buying the latest styles. Designer brands come out with new
styles almost every week and so most of the pre-owned bags looks
new,” she said.
For now the items at European
Connection boutique are limited to Louis Vuitton and Chanel. In the
future she hopes to sell other European brands.
While the boutique is open daily,
Berna also understands that there are shoppers who wish to buy in
private. Thus there are certain days of the week when the shop is
exclusively for VIP shoppers. “Not too many people know this, but
a lot of celebrities and socialites do not mind buying pre-owned
bags,” she said.
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