Martine Vermeulen Windsant Teuling (31) is merchandiserRunway and TH Collection at Tommy Hilfiger. Two years ago, this CHANEL came into her life.

Ah, fallen for the 2.55.

“Absolutely. Although I did dream about it for a long time. I think you should dream about a bag for at least a year or two. If you still like it then, only then should you buy it. That way you know for sure it won't get boring. This bag is a classic, it's timeless, you can wear it sporty crossbody and it works for both evening and daytime. Since it's been with me, I haven't gone a day without it.’

Where did you eventually buy it?

“In the CHANEL boutique in the PC. I actually wanted to see if it suited me, so I went with Bart, my husband, to look without the intention of really buying it. Once in the store, it turned out to be in stock, which is quite unique, so we decided to buy it. I stood in front of the mirror for an hour and a half turning that bag around to make sure it was really the one. When we finally bought it, Okkie, the friendly lady who helped us, brought two glasses of champagne to congratulate us on the purchase. I found that special. There are many people there who might buy four bags, but she saw that this was a purchase for me that I didn't make every day.”

And then? Did you do ritual round dances for the bag?

“I even left it unpacked under my bed for two months. Once I took it out of its jacket because it was allowed to go to a wedding, but otherwise I patiently waited until my birthday. That was the reason to buy the bag. After that, it hasn't left my side. My Mulberry has been sitting lonely in the closet since then.”

Now, not much fits in these bags. What do you carry with you?

“My wallet, a pacifier for my son Rijk, a notebook, some Tommy Hilfiger pens, and a number of memory sticks where I keep all our photos. If our house were to catch fire, I would still have the photos. Also, there's always a roll of Stophoest or Fruitella lying around, and I have the Etos baby stamp cards that I neatly collect, haha.”

Already have an heir in mind?

“When I bought the bag, I was just pregnant and convinced I would have a daughter. How nice that turned out, I thought, she could get that bag. The daughter turned out to be son Rijk, so I’ll enjoy it for a long time myself. Who knows, I might make my daughter-in-law very happy with it one day.”