Getting 'Purseonal'

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but handbags and wallets are Mouni Roy’s indulgence. Known for her great taste in fashion, Mouni is acquiring quite an impressive collection of bags and wallets. Tinsel Gupshup brings you Mouni Roy’s Pitara…where she lets us in on her gorgeous collection and what or rather who got her hooked to the world of designer bags…

I don’t know about collecting but my books are my favourite possession. I have a huge library back home in Cooch, Behar. An entire wall in my house is dedicated to my books. Those I believe are my biggest possession. I am a first class English honors from Miranda House. Then I did my MA in Mass Communications.

I am very fond of buying handbags and I have quite the collection. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Bottega, Gucci and then apart those I have many more bags. I am always picking up all sorts of bags and wallets. I got interested in bags because of my best friend. She is from Canada, came to India, fell in love with a close friend and settled down in Mumbai. I had just come to Mumbai around that time and had no idea about handbags and the different kinds of brands etc. In fact, believe it or not, I used to consider all this as such a waste of money. So my friend used to coax me to buy a good handbag and she would always say that once you buy one…you will end up buying more and that is exactly what happened with me. So I have to give my friend all the credit for getting me started on my handbag collection!

I have to admit that though I just love bags, I don’t go overboard. So you will never find me blowing up all my money on bags and stuff but, whenever and wherever I can…I do try to fit one into my budget and indulge! My first branded handbag was a Louis Vuitton from London. Sometimes, I’ll just fall in love with a bag and pick it up but then sometimes my purchase will be need oriented. For example, I won’t buy a wallet unless I absolutely need it. I have 2 or 3 Louis Vuitton wallets but I’ll only pick a new one when the one I am using starts looking a bit jaded. I always have my wallet on me so most of the time when I am shopping, I’ll leave my handbag in the car and just carry my wallet in my hand. The last time I was in Hong Kong for a show, I picked up a Gucci wallet and it is just stunning! So sometimes it is need oriented and sometimes I pick up a wallet or bag because it’s just gorgeous and I just have to have it!

I can’t pick a favourite…I absolutely adore all of them! I love my Bottega Veneta and then I am in love with my Black Chanel bag because I paid a bomb for it!! Some of my wallets are quite unusual…even the one I am carrying right now is quite unique. It is a Gucci wallet but it does not have the ‘in your face’ Gucci written all over it. It has little hearts dangling on one corner and a small little chain…so it is really very pretty. All my bags have been bought with my hard earned money so I cherish each one. No one has gifted me the handbags so I just relish and enjoy each and every handbag that I have. 

Photo credit: Mouni Roy & Faisal Raza Khan

©Tinsel Gupshup