Bags, Borders, and the Stories We Leave Behind

Excuse my tardiness on this week's edition, I am currently in the longest stint of funemployement I have had in my career and am spending it in my glorious motherland of Pakistan. Pakistani’s are hardly on time so you know what they say, when in Rome 😊.

I’m sure you’re all Pakistani’d out from the nonstop Onijah Robinson coverage. Never did I think my post-9/11 American upbringing would lead me to a moment where Pakistan was praised in Western media. But leave it to a native New Yorker to flip the script—who’s surprised? No one hustles harder than us. And Onijah? Here are some choice quotes from the group chat:

• “Our queen is not selfish”

• “Saying she’s going to fix the place saying she’s starting a bitcoin. NY Queen. I’ve learned so much from her and have found her really inspiring.”

• “The people’s princess” (Diana who?)

• “She’s a movement”

Jokes aside, Americans have an unhinged relationship with reality TV. We’ll turn anything into a spectacle—whether it’s housewives flipping tables (love you Teresa) or, apparently, a Bronx girl moving to Pakistan. We eat it up, debate it like it’s breaking news, and turn real people into characters in a show that only exists in our heads. The media knows exactly what they’re doing—Onijah’s story has been packaged like a Netflix limited series, designed for maximum engagement. The Bronx girl ‘finding herself’ in a rejuvenated Pakistan? That’s a plotline. 

But what doesn’t sit right with me is exactly that—Pakistan is getting a gold star for being so hospitable to Onijah while barely acknowledging another New Yorker who never made it home. 14 year old Hira Anwar from Yonkers, like me, took a “vacation” to the motherland in 2025. Instead, she was murdered by her father and uncle in an “honor killing.” Google it, and you’ll see headlines blaming her TikToks, but let’s be real—this was about control. Kavita Mehra, executive director of Sakhi for South Asian Survivors, put it best:

• “To frame her murder as a simple clash between modernity and tradition does a disservice to her life and the broader systemic issues at play. This violence is not about culture or religion—it is about power and control over gendered bodies. The policing of women and girls exists worldwide, and the same systems that enable so-called ‘honor-based’ violence abroad are mirrored in domestic violence, reproductive control, and state-sanctioned harm here in the U.S.”

Pakistan may open its arms to a foreign visitor, but for many of its own daughters, those same arms turn into shackles. The silence around Hira Anwar’s death is a stark reminder that hospitality and tolerance are not the same thing—and that for women, the latter is still conditional. If nothing else, this just reinforces what we already know: our very existence is political, whether we want it to be or not. Last week, it was our shopping carts—this week, it’s our passports, our presence, our very lives. And somehow, the work of women like us—both in Pakistan and across the world—who fight for our rights, our safety, and our futures always gets buried under the broader narrative of [INSERT COUNTRY NAME HERE] as a place of terror. But we’re still here, and we’re still fighting. It’s only fitting that today is the 42nd anniversary of the Lahore Women’s March, almost like I subconsciously planned to release a few days late 😇.

And on that note, back to regularly scheduled probaggramming…

First up we have this gorgeous Tod’s (yeah, I know, THAT Tod’s, I was perplexed too???) shoulder bag. The brown is as delicious as Toblerone with its durable pebbled leather and back in style buckle. It is an elevated Coach Soho bag for a much cheaper price (yeah, I know, Coach is expensive again, I was perplexed too???).

Next up we have this gorgeous large Jackie from Goodwill. Starting price is $121. Someone PLEASE bid on this beauty and also go work for Goodwill and advise them on taking better item photos. What is this darkness?

eBay haul but buy at your own risk because tariffs 😭 . This price for a funky Fendi baguette though may just be worth paying duties on. What is that? Ivory? Marble? Whatever it is, it is GORGEOUS. Those strap detailings too. They just don’t make them like this anymore.

Lastly, in honor of Valentine’s day and Designer Revivals generous 15% off sale, this red Guccissima number. Wallet on chain is still one of my favorite types of bag styles - lets you lighten the load of your purse but while keeping all the essentials!

Buy any of Dizzy’s Designer Dreams? Let me know! Tag me on Instagram, send me an email at [email protected], traditional snail mail works too! 🐌💌