I’d like to clarify a statement in the article– when the journalist asked me who I’d like to meet, what I actually said was – “I am curious, as a mother, to see how Hitler’s mother raised him, I’d like to see how this monster was created”.
I didn’t realize it would come out the way it did 🙁
This was a tough interview for me, discussing how difficult it was to assimilate into the American culture as an immigrant in 1978 brought back awful memories.
Though my son has dark blond hair and is half Caucasian, I worry about the cruelty of children!!!!
Congratulations. Well deserved. I have to say that I rely on this page for updated bag news than magazines in Australia (where I live). We tend to get trends a little late here, the best magazines (in Australia) in my view is the Aust edition of Instyle and of course, Vogue.
Migration is tough, and it’s also tough to be the offspring of migrants. Even though I was born in Australia, I still experienced name calling, but that was fifteen to twenty years ago. Mainstream society is more progressive these days, but I understand your worry.
Congratulations Tina! I’m just glad to have something to look forward to everyday since I chanced upon bagsnob early last year. I’m thankful for the beauty snob info too — finally got my T3 hairdryer and I love it!
Nice to get to know more about you, a lot of things start to make more sense now. Not to be rude to you but what about Kelly? I would also love to see more on press coverage on her!
Wow Tina great article….I do hate it how Journo’s twist things you say we get that a lot as my family business is one of the oldest in our town so we get a lot of press an they have a way of rewording your comments!!
I also would like to ask as Shopgirl did how come Kelly doesn’t seem to do much press does she not like it?!
I have always wondered how this blog is made into a profiting job….your article is very enpowering to women. Hope I get as lucky as you one day!
Keep up the good work and Congratulations to you both!
LOL, yes- the bag at the end is Valextra– I had tons of bags at the shoot but the photographer wanted them to be kind of steamlined. The YSLs, bottegas and Tods didn’t make the cut.
Thanks all, for the kind words.
Kelly gets press, too. We have a 3 page feature coming up for you to read from Living Well magazine.
we generally do press together but this particular feature asked for me specifically because I live in Dallas.
You should both be very proud of your accomplishments, ladies. It’s great that you made a wonderful career choice using your strengths and have turned that career choice into a lucrative business; one that benefits many women!
What a great interview. Your answers were right to the point, clear, thoughtful and above all: interesting. Congratulations on the article and the press coverage you are receiving.
The edit/changes on the Hitler’s mother quote was wrong, it changed the idea behind the statement, that’s really too bad.
Hi Felicia! why was Ayn Rand your favorite? I not only identified with her disdain for communism, but also her ideals on the virtues of life. Yes, the blue birkin is one of the favorites 🙂
What a brilliant interview! I had a feeling you were slightly misquoted on that Hitler comment, I believe Will Smith also said something like that that didn’t quite sound the way he said it during the interview. You guys at Bag Snob are doing so well, this is very much deserved, congratulations!
I came out of a reading slump where women exerted too much sexualized power (Of Human Bondage comes to mind), and I was thrilled to read a series of books where women exerted their intellectual power. That’s not to say that Dagny Taggart wasn’t lust-worthy, but there was something deeper at work with the male/female dynamic that was intellectually thrilling.
Also, I’m always drawn to the controversial, and her fervent love of capitalism (at any cost) was provocative. I’m loathe to mention movies, but I do remember a film version of her life which starred Helen Mirren (?) and Eric Stoltz. The Passion of Ayn Rand, maybe?
Have you read her plays?
See, I can go on for hours. Bags may not be my expertise, but books, I can go on!
Congrats Tina! I love Ayn Rand because of her views on aesthetics. The Fountainhead is one of my favorite books, it completely changed the way I judge beauty and worth. You obviously have her philosophies in mind when you judge bags; you always like quality materials, excellent craftsmanship, and above all, functionality! I love how you always call designers on superfluous details or tedious straps and the like.
Anyway, Valextra is my favorite, if Howard Roark designed a bag it would be the Boston bag!
(and can’t you see Dominique wearing Prada’s fall Ready to Wear!)
congrats tina! as a fellow immigrant from taiwan i can relate to the tough times. i’m so proud of you and kelly being recognized for your hard work. thanks for creating this fab blog, it’s truly a wonderful website for all the bag lovers out there. btw, you look great.
Beautiful photo and I loved reading about you! congratulations to you and Kelly for all of your hard work. I do not buy a bag before consulting Bag Snob!
Tina, I can understand what you must have felt, as an immigrant myself I have experienced some unpleasant situations but it only made me more proud of who I am and where I come from. It gives me far more pleasure to get praised at work knowing the amount of work that I had to put in to get where I am now.Poland,UK, States and Australia(where my cousins and uncles and aunts live) are all my homes and I see it as extremely liberating. Congratulations on your amazing success:)
Felicia– I own that DVD, the passion of Ayn Rand! I hesitated to mention her “Virtue of Selfishness” because people take that the wrong way. She is by far the most intellectual female author of her time.
Atlas Shrugged is thought provoking and ahead of her time. In short, brilliant.
Sigh… now I want to re-read them all. I usually do that every few years, and each time, I get something different out of them because as I mature, my own perspective changes. Have you read “We the Living?” It’s a short novella, I believe her first.
Uh oh, I better go back to talking about fashion before I get all political and piss people off 🙂
I want to thank you ALL for the very kind words. I am actually misty eyed. Kelly and I work very hard at keeping the site up (with 3 toddlers between us the ages of 3 and under) and your response is so rewarding!
I agree with B– am proud of all of you on this post as well! And yes, Girls rule 🙂
I have a guy friend who insists that women are their own worst enemies but I think we’ve proven him wrong right here!
Indeed! I’ve read pretty much everything she’s written. I have new favorites now (I worship at the church of Joan Didion), however, for a time, she had such a profound impact on me as a woman and a writer.
How cool. I didn’t know you used to be an MTV VJ (everyone else was being intellectual, I wanted to mention something superficial).
Also, I’ve often wondered about Hitler’s parents, too. Of course, I’m more inclined to believe that Hitler was the product of sweeping social mores and a history of anti-semitism (combined, ironically, with scapegoat-ism), but surely his parents must have played a part.
Now, THIS makes me proud to comment on this blog. So many congrats Tina!
Thank you, DK!
I’d like to clarify a statement in the article– when the journalist asked me who I’d like to meet, what I actually said was – “I am curious, as a mother, to see how Hitler’s mother raised him, I’d like to see how this monster was created”.
I didn’t realize it would come out the way it did 🙁
This was a tough interview for me, discussing how difficult it was to assimilate into the American culture as an immigrant in 1978 brought back awful memories.
Though my son has dark blond hair and is half Caucasian, I worry about the cruelty of children!!!!
The piece was a good read. LOVED getting to know about the person who is giving me great advice on the purse i am purchasing…
Congratulations. Well deserved. I have to say that I rely on this page for updated bag news than magazines in Australia (where I live). We tend to get trends a little late here, the best magazines (in Australia) in my view is the Aust edition of Instyle and of course, Vogue.
Migration is tough, and it’s also tough to be the offspring of migrants. Even though I was born in Australia, I still experienced name calling, but that was fifteen to twenty years ago. Mainstream society is more progressive these days, but I understand your worry.
Congrats Tina!
I love it!! The picture was so beautiful!!
I learned about you today… how nice!!
Congratulations Tina! I’m just glad to have something to look forward to everyday since I chanced upon bagsnob early last year. I’m thankful for the beauty snob info too — finally got my T3 hairdryer and I love it!
Nice to get to know more about you, a lot of things start to make more sense now. Not to be rude to you but what about Kelly? I would also love to see more on press coverage on her!
Wow Tina great article….I do hate it how Journo’s twist things you say we get that a lot as my family business is one of the oldest in our town so we get a lot of press an they have a way of rewording your comments!!
I also would like to ask as Shopgirl did how come Kelly doesn’t seem to do much press does she not like it?!
I have always wondered how this blog is made into a profiting job….your article is very enpowering to women. Hope I get as lucky as you one day!
Keep up the good work and Congratulations to you both!
L.xo
i like how you’re not carrying just all the hermes bags.
Not sure if you where being sarcastic but Tina is also carrying a Valextra bag the grey/taupe bag…if my eyes are not deceiving me?
Am I right Tina?
L.x
Brava, Tina! Great article. I too adored Ayn Rand (for different reasons) growing up.
xoxoxo, f.
P.S. I swooned over your blue Birkin.
LOL, yes- the bag at the end is Valextra– I had tons of bags at the shoot but the photographer wanted them to be kind of steamlined. The YSLs, bottegas and Tods didn’t make the cut.
Thanks all, for the kind words.
Kelly gets press, too. We have a 3 page feature coming up for you to read from Living Well magazine.
we generally do press together but this particular feature asked for me specifically because I live in Dallas.
xoxo
That happened to me recently in a little interview I did for Computerworld magazine. It’s so frustrating to be misquoted!
Congrats on the article!
You should both be very proud of your accomplishments, ladies. It’s great that you made a wonderful career choice using your strengths and have turned that career choice into a lucrative business; one that benefits many women!
Keep up the good work!
What a great interview. Your answers were right to the point, clear, thoughtful and above all: interesting. Congratulations on the article and the press coverage you are receiving.
The edit/changes on the Hitler’s mother quote was wrong, it changed the idea behind the statement, that’s really too bad.
Thank you, Bobbi- I am afraid I do not edit my thoughts as well as I should. But oh well, there is no reason to hide what I really think is there? 🙂
Hi Felicia! why was Ayn Rand your favorite? I not only identified with her disdain for communism, but also her ideals on the virtues of life. Yes, the blue birkin is one of the favorites 🙂
xoxo
What a brilliant interview! I had a feeling you were slightly misquoted on that Hitler comment, I believe Will Smith also said something like that that didn’t quite sound the way he said it during the interview. You guys at Bag Snob are doing so well, this is very much deserved, congratulations!
Tina,
I came out of a reading slump where women exerted too much sexualized power (Of Human Bondage comes to mind), and I was thrilled to read a series of books where women exerted their intellectual power. That’s not to say that Dagny Taggart wasn’t lust-worthy, but there was something deeper at work with the male/female dynamic that was intellectually thrilling.
Also, I’m always drawn to the controversial, and her fervent love of capitalism (at any cost) was provocative. I’m loathe to mention movies, but I do remember a film version of her life which starred Helen Mirren (?) and Eric Stoltz. The Passion of Ayn Rand, maybe?
Have you read her plays?
See, I can go on for hours. Bags may not be my expertise, but books, I can go on!
xoxox, f.
Congrats Tina! I love Ayn Rand because of her views on aesthetics. The Fountainhead is one of my favorite books, it completely changed the way I judge beauty and worth. You obviously have her philosophies in mind when you judge bags; you always like quality materials, excellent craftsmanship, and above all, functionality! I love how you always call designers on superfluous details or tedious straps and the like.
Anyway, Valextra is my favorite, if Howard Roark designed a bag it would be the Boston bag!
(and can’t you see Dominique wearing Prada’s fall Ready to Wear!)
congrats tina! as a fellow immigrant from taiwan i can relate to the tough times. i’m so proud of you and kelly being recognized for your hard work. thanks for creating this fab blog, it’s truly a wonderful website for all the bag lovers out there. btw, you look great.
Beautiful photo and I loved reading about you! congratulations to you and Kelly for all of your hard work. I do not buy a bag before consulting Bag Snob!
Love, M
Tina, I can understand what you must have felt, as an immigrant myself I have experienced some unpleasant situations but it only made me more proud of who I am and where I come from. It gives me far more pleasure to get praised at work knowing the amount of work that I had to put in to get where I am now.Poland,UK, States and Australia(where my cousins and uncles and aunts live) are all my homes and I see it as extremely liberating. Congratulations on your amazing success:)
Love,
Lina
Tina,
Great job! I can’t wait to see the TV show.
T~~~Loved getting to know you better.
I also can relate to you, as I am a immigrant myself. I was teased for not being able to speak english etc. (didnt learn till the third grade)
I am PROUD of all of the women on this post!
****GIRLS RULE**** .)
Felicia– I own that DVD, the passion of Ayn Rand! I hesitated to mention her “Virtue of Selfishness” because people take that the wrong way. She is by far the most intellectual female author of her time.
Atlas Shrugged is thought provoking and ahead of her time. In short, brilliant.
Sigh… now I want to re-read them all. I usually do that every few years, and each time, I get something different out of them because as I mature, my own perspective changes. Have you read “We the Living?” It’s a short novella, I believe her first.
Uh oh, I better go back to talking about fashion before I get all political and piss people off 🙂
xoxo
Angelina, I am flattered by your comment. Thank you!
xoxo
I want to thank you ALL for the very kind words. I am actually misty eyed. Kelly and I work very hard at keeping the site up (with 3 toddlers between us the ages of 3 and under) and your response is so rewarding!
I agree with B– am proud of all of you on this post as well! And yes, Girls rule 🙂
I have a guy friend who insists that women are their own worst enemies but I think we’ve proven him wrong right here!
Much love,
Tina
Indeed! I’ve read pretty much everything she’s written. I have new favorites now (I worship at the church of Joan Didion), however, for a time, she had such a profound impact on me as a woman and a writer.
How cool. I didn’t know you used to be an MTV VJ (everyone else was being intellectual, I wanted to mention something superficial).
Also, I’ve often wondered about Hitler’s parents, too. Of course, I’m more inclined to believe that Hitler was the product of sweeping social mores and a history of anti-semitism (combined, ironically, with scapegoat-ism), but surely his parents must have played a part.
I look forward to Kelly’s upcoming feature, too.