…or don’t do it at all. Actually, yeah. Don’t do it at all. Because some things just shouldn’t be done – period.
And you know, with the advent of my admission to 9rules, it’s that time when I relate Louis Vuitton-branded SUVs to blogging. So yes, I’m going there.
You can learn a lot from Louis Vuitton SUVs.
See, Louis Vuitton doesn’t make SUVs. Handbags, sure, but automobiles? Never. But sometimes we just can’t help making the stencil, getting out the spray paint and rolling one of these babies out of the garage and parading it around for awhile. We think that patterns – yes, even styles, trends, you-name-it – applied to anything else is an instant signal that whatever lies underneath, too, deserves notoriety and respect.
Louis Vuitton SUVs are just like disingenuous posts in blogging, name-dropping in networking.
All I’m saying is, in all things, be the best you can be. But be the best *you* that you can be. Don’t be tracing stencil and don’t be comparing and copying color swatches with anyone else’s crap. Find out what you like. Sometimes people just think that because something gains notoriety or even respect in one arena, applying that principal to anything else (or yourself) will do the same thing.
I won’t lie – we all want notoriety and respect and the easiest, quickest way to get there. But – to what extent do you apply formulas to yourself as if you had all the business using them or pretending you came up with its proof to have people, after coming up close, disappointed that you didn’t have the brainpower or substance to back it up? That whole time you dedicated to copying could have been used honing your own skills the best way you know how.
There’s nothing wrong with solid paint, y’see. Because Louis Vuitton never made SUVs. And the deeper the right people look into your true, solid paint, the more they appreciate the little specs that make up your solid color. It’s a lot cleaner and done better than a paint job with gold LV monograms bleeding into the brown - which actually gets uglier and less refined the deeper people look. You won’t be able to back it up.
Sure, we all like to take shortcuts, use soundbites and affiliate with the already-recognizeable. But that’s not forward-thinking; that’s just following the status quo and quite frankly, not doing yourself a lot of justice. You’re just going to fall behind.
Seriously – you’re not fooling, much less impressing, anyone with that fake paint job. Be authentic. Find Create yourself. Because you can’t do LV monograms on an SUV “well.”
10 Comments
Haha. That’s tacky.
Agreed.
Too bad your photo didn’t capture just how bad the paint job really was. The funny part is, in the part of town we were in, this was probably regarded as really, really cool.
how quintessential LA. So over-the-top, designer-gone-wrong. I see a lot of it in asia, people too matchy-matchy with gucci or LV or Fendi head to toe–and they clash. Still, this is the next level. L.A. I miss it.
what part of town was that?
Well actually i could use some of your paint. I asked my friend to start a(nother) website to collect unicorns and i must think of a name. But all I can think of is “unicorns” and I would like something more humorous or catchy. Yes, I understand unicorns are inherently corny, but it’s my guilty pleasure and I’ve loved them since I was little. So . .. if you have any ideas, please let me know . thanks.
wait…never mind, I’m not doing it anymore. Unicorns will have to stay homeless for now.
but did you know, Louis Vuitton will make custom leather seats for you SUV??
and what if the “true” inner you, was someone who just wanted to flaunt it?
what if they were a fan of luxury brands, a connoisseur of quality, and an independent fashion consumer? would it be okay?? okay to get the custom leather seats, and a custom/detailed paint job?
true, most likely it’s a poseur faking it…..but what’s the sayings? book and its cover? casting the first stone? glass houses??
That is the greatest SUV of all time. I MUST HAVE IT.
But seriously, about the post: timeless lesson. It’s all to easy to lose ourselves in the process of trying to make our mark, especially when we try being too many things for too many people. I suppose it’s not surprising when this type of attitude makes the jump from real life to the web. Where once it was a bastion of individualism it has become yet another over-socialized medium where our perceptions of how others see us can often change who we truly are.
@soulst0p: I know. It’s funny when you have a camera in your car and you’re trying to take a picture of another car … you try and be discreet about it for fear you might get yourself in trouble.
@moet-chan: It was over on south La Cienega, close to the 405 entrance/exit. I was in London in the fall and saw a complete stroller set (complete with baby bag, etc.) upholstered in Fendi. Crazy!
@Gnorb: Becoming over-socialized is such a universal phenomenon, isn’t it? I got a brightkite invite the other day and I’m not too sure I’m all that interested. Because a couple days prior, I got an invitation to Twine. Now what is Twine? What is Britekite? Now we’re all on teh interwebs to get “connected” in one way or another, right? But in the end it just becomes too much.
I don’t know how much that has to do with LV, because both of the above examples are new, but … yeah. Oversocialization.