REPOST: $30 fortune from luggage: Bernard Arnault explains success of Louis Vuitton

Former box maker’s apprentice Louis Vuitton made a name for himself in 1854 selling waterproof, canvas-covered, flat-topped trunks for affluent French travelers. CNN narrates how his shop’s reputation for class and quality craftsmanship has lived on for it to become one of the most well-known, bestselling luxury brands in the world.

 

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(CNN) -- On a breezy spring day in 1835, a 13-year-old boy from the Jura region of eastern France set out for the glittering metropolis of Paris to seek his fortune.

He traveled the 292 mile road on foot, sleeping wherever he could find shelter and taking odd jobs to survive. It took him two years to reach the city, where he promptly became an apprentice to a box maker, and ultimately opened his own chest-making workshop.

His name was Louis Vuitton.

LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault tells CNN's Isa Soares what's the secret of Louis Vuitton's longevity.

A century and a half later, the eponymous company he founded is among the most recognizable luxury brands in the world and, according to Forbes, is worth nearly $30 billion.

It's part of the LVMH consortium whose CEO (and France's richest man), Bernard Arnault, spoke exclusively to CNN about the firm's heritage, and the spirit of adventure which, he says, defined it from the start: "The history of Louis Vuitton is linked to travel. We created luggage for explorers, and during the 20th century our products gradually evolved to reflect the lifestyle of the customer."

Louis Vuitton was one of the first luxury retailers to open boutiques in China and Mongolia and now the label is seeking new frontiers -- looking towards unexplored markets in Indonesia and South America.

"When I went to China in 1991 for the opening of the first Louis Vuitton shop, you hardly saw any cars on the streets of Beijing, only bicycles. In spite of that we opened a luxury boutique, and now we have more than 20 across the country" says Arnault.

The company is ever keen to trumpet its craftsmanship ethos. Indeed, many items are still hand-made in its French factories - with some workers being trained between 18 months and two years. Mr Arnault credits this attention to detail with Louis Vuitton's longevity on the luxury market.

The brand's well-known LV monogram was introduced in 1896 in an effort to combat counterfeits, but Arnault says that it doesn't take a logo to recognize the company's signature handicraft: "What made Louis Vuitton famous was the quality. We don't do marketing, we just create products which are exceptional in their design and craftsmanship."

Flamboyant flair

In 1997 the company hired Marc Jacobs as the creative director, initiating a long-standing and successful partnership that come to an end in 2013. Jacobs designed Louis Vuitton's first ready-to-wear clothing line which premiered at Paris Fashion Week to both critical and commercial success, and the brand has since become known for its theatrical and flamboyant fashion shows.

"It's very important that when you have a designer like Marc Jacobs, who is a genius, you give him complete freedom. So what you see as theatrical scenery is in fact his creativity poured into the fashion show" says Arnault. 

Staging a runway presentation remains crucial when it comes to capturing the imagination of customers and the media, even if some of the more outlandish designs don't make it from the catwalk to the stores: "Fashion week is a moment in which designers can show their ideas to the world. On the catwalk you see pieces which are innovative and trigger the desire of the customer. From these ideas you can then create products which follow that direction, but in a more accessible way."

Spirit of entrepreneurship

Louis Vuitton's parent company LVMH also owns French luxury giants Christian Dior, Givenchy and Dom Perignon, and Arnault travels the world at the helm of the consortium much like an ambassador of Gallic style.

However, he also looks beyond the world of traditional, large companies, and is eager to apply the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley to fashion establishments in Paris and London.

"Today everybody, including myself, is interested in internet start-ups. But you also have start-ups in the designer world, and it's fascinating to see how we can transform a small company into something very successful on a global scale" he says.

And when it comes to his goals for the future? "We want Louis Vuitton to still be the number one brand in ten years. In our business, the most important word is desire, so we want to continue creating desire."

Tolblanc is a brand of high quality leather goods and accessories for customers who value substance, integrity, and style. For more stories on icons in the fashion industry, follow this Twitter account.

Leather for the better: How to condition and weatherproof a leather bag

While genuine leather bags are known for their durability and flexibility, leather is still an organic material, and can be affected by wear and tear if not properly maintained. Exposure to the elements, together with constant use, can cause bags to stretch or flake. To avoid such circumstances, a leather bag must be adequately conditioned and weatherproofed. Here are some pointers for conditioning and weatherproofing a luxury leather bag:

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Conditioning

Leather conditioners are the most convenient way to keep a bag’s sheen and smoothness. These conditioners can be purchased in home depots or hardware stores. Examples of leather conditioners are mink oil, neatsfoot oil, and dobbin. These products mimic natural leather oils and help moisturize the leather.

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Place a drop of conditioner on a cotton cloth and gently rub all over the bag. Leave the conditioner for at least 10 minutes. Wipe off the excess conditioner. For continued protection, store the bag in a well-ventilated room, and condition the bag once a month.

Weatherproofing

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Preventive action is the best way to keep a leather bag from weathering. One option is to coat the bag in beeswax cream. Keep in mind, however, that some creams can alter the color of the leather. Another alternative is to use a leather protectant spray.

New York-based brand Tolblanc features innovative leather bag designs and models. For more information on the brand’s latest creations, visit this Google+ page.

Creative storage ideas for handbags

Owning several chic, elegant handbags is a dream come true, but numerous bags can also become a burden to store and organize. Furthermore, some bag materials are delicate and easily ruined; a fine collection of luxurious bags can simply turn to a heap of tatters if one is not keen on properly storing and organizing them. To deal with the problem of storing scores of bags, one has to think creatively. Here are a few innovative ideas to consider:  

A bag ladder

A ladder with broad rungs make for a great handbag storage and display case. The rungs and steps are perfect for stacking bags, without the worry of deforming them. A simple cleaning and repainting job for an old ladder can do the trick.  

 

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A bag bookcase

 Bookcases are effective storage compartments, and not just for books. Bookcases often have racks where handbags can fit perfectly. In addition, glass panels help keep dust away while keeping the bags on visible display.  

 

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A bag coatrack

A coatrack can also be used to hang handbags, particularly those with long straps. A “tree” of bags is not just a great way to store bags, but can also serve as a creative aesthetic installation and conversation piece.  

 

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Tolblanc is a line of bags and purses known for its bold designs, functionality, and urbane sophistication. Follow this LinkedIn page to know more about Tolblanc and its fine collection.

REPOST: How To Sell A $20,000 Handbag

Forbes writer Andrea France discusses how luxury brands could enhance customer experience and boost sales by concentrating on the crucial intangible elements: image, lifestyle, exclusivity, luxury.

A lot of has been written about the need for retailers to target a market of one and deliver a seamless customer experience. Effective digital marketing can help reach these goals. If Chico’s or the Gap, for instance, can send a personalized text message to a customer promoting a sale at the moment she’s most likely to act on it, the company has the opportunity to enhance customer experience and boost sales.

What about luxury fashion brand shoppers who might have their eye on a $20,000 handbag? Are they waiting for a digital coupon to arrive in their e-mail inbox? Sure, luxury fashion brands target very different customers, but digital marketing can still help boost customer satisfaction and the bottom line.


Video Source: youtube.com/Burberry

Boosting the signal 

While traditional marketing like print ads and catalogs remain relevant, retailers of all stripes are relying more on websites, microsites, online ads, email promotions and, more recently, mobile and social platforms to reach consumers.

In fact, 85 percent of luxury brands expected to increase their digital marketing spend last year, and 72 percent planned to pump more into social media. Even more significant, nearly two-thirds predict that digital marketing will be their most important form of marketing—beating out print, television, and even loyalty programs—by next year
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But as more consumers receive more messages through more channels, the noise begins to drown out the signal. All retailers, especially luxury fashion brands, need to become smarter and more innovative about how they leverage digital marketing.

From signal to signifier 

Luxury fashion consumers may well select Prada eyewear for its craftsmanship or Gucci shoes for their value for dollar or a Rolex watch for its quality construction. But they’re primarily interested in intangibles: image, lifestyle, exclusivity, luxury.

Luxury fashion brands are signifiers of ideas and experiences that transcend the products they represent. Their digital marketing strategies need to reflect those attributes. To that end, luxury fashion brands should take three key actions in developing and deploying their digital marketing:

Offer exclusivity. Part of the appeal of a luxury brand is the notion that it’s not available to just anyone. That same sense needs to pervade digital marketing. As an example, for several years now members-only sites like Gilt and Rue La La have traded in private promotions. Luxury fashion brands should take a page from this book and offer their own private microsites with exclusive benefits and offers.

Personalize. All retailers want their digital marketing to be personalized to the extent they’re not e-mailing a promotion about baby clothes to a childless 50-year-old man. But the premium on personalization for luxury fashion brands is infinitely higher.

Burberry, for instance, offers a bespoke service (see above video) that lets customers create a trench coat to their personal specifications. Last year it went a step further with its Smart Personalization program, which allowed customers to purchase made-to-order coats and accessories straight from a fashion-show catwalk, either in-store or direct from their mobile device.

Cultivate advocates. Social media offers opportunities not only to engage customers but also to have them act as your emissaries. Tiffany, for example, maintains a highly active Facebook presence where it shares images of celebrities bedecked in its diamonds. But it also gets customers involved through a free mobile app that lets Tiffany aficionados share their images and experiences. The jeweler deploys a similar strategy on its c-commerce Web site, allowing customers to share romantic photos and locations.

Lux tech
Of course, there isn’t a single right approach to digital marketing for luxury fashion brands. Each company will need to experiment to figure out what tactics most effectively reflect its brand values, engage its target customers, and extend its most valuable customer relationships.

New technologies can help tremendously. Big Data and advanced analytics enabled by in-memory computing can position luxury fashion brands to capture the outcomes of digital marketing campaigns in near real time. Combined with other data streams, those insights can help companies rapidly fine-tune their marketing efforts to better achieve the results they want.

Tolblanc is a high-street brand of handbags and purses catering to stylistas with a flair for chic, multi-functional, and affordable arm fashion. Follow this Twitter page for the latest on celebrity styles, catwalk trends, handbag designs, and more.

The evolution of the handbag

Man has always needed something for holding his essentials. Ancient Egypt’s hieroglyphics show males with pouches tied around the waist, and Judas from the New Testament was described as a frequent purse-wearer.

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When steam engine-powered trains and ships allowed people to travel, and the need to carry a few days’ worth of belongings securely came about, suitcases, dressing cases, and hat boxes were born. The humble carpet became a luggage favorite, but its design left no room for distinguishing elites from the masses.

Enter Frenchman Louis Vuitton, who in 1854 released a luxurious, sturdy trunk helmed from iron, leather, and waterproofed canvas, to the delight of the frequently travelling elite.

 

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Meanwhile, department stores gained popularity, and wealthy women needed a good way to carry their essentials during shopping or day trips. When fashion houses Gucci, Prada, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton scrambled to fill this need, the designer handbag came about.

As dress silhouettes slimmed down, handbags increasingly became mainstream. Labels Patou and Lanvin invented the sleek clutch, Van Cleef and Arpels created the jewel-encrusted minaudiere, and Dali-inspired Elsa Schiaparelli designed novelty handbags resembling a piano, an umbrella, and a folded newspaper.

 

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After the war, Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga, and other fashion houses revived the couture scene in post-war, fashion-starved Europe. Coco Chanel released the "2.55," a quilted leather shoulder bag, in February 1955, Hermes named its bag “Kelly” after Grace Kelly carried it to hide her pregnancy, and more and more women yearned for designer handbags as luxury fashion goods.

Regardless of brand, price, or style, one thing’s for certain – the handbag has become indispensable, and it is here to stay.  

Tolblanc designs finely crafted handbags and luggage for women to use and accessorize with. News and updates on these chic accessories can be found here.