July 11, 2012 |
We’d like to begin by explaining that, YES, we’ve a tendency to attribute actual personalities to inanimate garments and, in this case, accessories. It’s a rather camp trait we developed under the influence of Walt Disney. Nothing mind-altering, though, honest.
Now, Louis Vuitton’s bags have seen many fabulous It incarnations over the years, but there’s a new set in town, found on the arms of only the most discerning. However, should they ever be mistakenly referred to as such, they are liable to retort, “Who is this ‘It’ you speak of?! I am my own person!” You see, the products of Louis Vuitton’s Haute Maroquinerie service that has just launched in London’s New Bond Street Maison are absolutely one of a kind.
Their designers are essentially the customers themselves – people like (for the purposes of this feature) our fabulous fashion assistant Vivienne. Viv is no ordinary fashion assistant – we’re fairly certain she’s royalty and, in true Disney fashion, she hails from a land far, far away (one of the emerging markets), where luxury is truly valued. Only today Vivienne decreed, “In Korea, if you don’t own a Louis Vuitton handbag, you’re not really a woman.” Well, why not go one step further and devise a list of Vuitton-handbag demands, thereby declaring yourself a diva? With Haute Maroquinerie on your rider you can insist on a choice of five iconic shapes, eight different leathers (from the supplest of calfskins to the shiniest of crocs), a palette of 25 different colours, and various size choices, all of which presents up to 40,000 variables. And all from the comfort of a purpose-built salon.
When your new companion magically returns from the special orders workshop in Asnières, France, all that will be left to do is christen her with a name. Something along the lines of Flounder. But not Flounder. That wouldn’t be original, and you’re all about originals, aren’t you?
by Vincent Levy
