Exotic Leather's Enduring Charm [watches]
If diamonds are forever, a crocodile handbag is for a lifetime, at least.
This month, a rainbow of Birkin, Kelly and Constance handbags go under the hammer at one of Christie's regular auctions of vintage Hermès where, at previous sales, winning bids have approached 50,000, or $80,000, for designs in rare exotic skins: crocodile, alligator, python, ostrich and lizard.
"You might assess exotic leathers in the same way as fine jewelry, where the precious nature of the raw materials and skilled handcraftsmanship give the piece an intrinsic value independent of trends," said Simon Longland, fashion accessories general merchandise manager at Harrods.
Despite the economic downturn, and with prices that can soar over $30,000 for a crocodile handbag, Harrods has seen a year-on-year increase in sales in this department, Mr. Longland said.
Besides housing concessions of the major brands — Hermès, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci — Harrods buys collections from independent specialists like Lana Marks, Nancy Gonzalez and Zagliani.
Last year, Zagliani opened its first boutique on Sloane Street in London to cope with demand for its soft, pleated designs that this season will come in newly developed finishes including rubberized crocodile and hand-printed, serigraphed python.
Harrods's current top seller is a Nancy Gonzalez crocodile clutch, available in a myriad of colors for 995, or $1,600 — "very good value," Mr. Longland said.
The niche brands appeal to connoisseurs looking for unique design and willing to pay for the quality of the skins, he added.
Harrods has been steadily expanding its offering in exotics. In 2009 they became the exclusive retailer of Analeena, an accessories line designed by a former buyer for Hermès, Lina Hamed. This month they will introduce Ethan K, a collection of crocodilian clutch bags by Ethan Koh, 24, a fourth-generation exotics artisan from Singapore and a recent London College of Fashion graduate.
Ms. Hamed sources the "grade one" crocodile crusts (the term used for untreated crocodilian skins) for her Analeena accessories from Hermès, which owns two of the five major exotics tanneries, as well as their own crocodile farms in Australia.
She takes care of the dyeing and finishing of the crusts herself — a do-it-yourself response to the difficulties of obtaining the color and size of skins that she requires.
"I mix and match colors I bought at Homebase, paint them on paper and send those to my tannery," said Ms. Hamed. The sherbet-hued skins are then sent to ateliers in Florence to be made into shoppers, clutches and totes featuring palladium or rose gold hardware, that will said for 4,000 to 10,000.
"People that already have the Hermès bag that costs 36,000 come to me and might end up buying three bags in different color combinations," Ms. Hamed said, adding that one client has at least 20 of her signature geometric clutches. In total she sells about 200 crocodile bags a year.
Introducing Analeena during the recession was not the biggest challenge for Ms. Hamed. Despite a good relationship with Hermès, obtaining the skins proved most difficult.
In 2009, farmers of Crocodylus niloticus and Alligator mississippiensis stopped collecting eggs to avoid a predicted oversupply of skins to a luxury market suffering under financial crisis, C.T. Koh, father of Ethan Koh, wrote in a recent e-mail.
Mr. Koh is the owner of Singapore-based Heng Long International, a company founded by his grandfather in the early 1950s and generally recognized as one of the top-five crocodile skin tanneries in the world. Last month, LVMH paid $123.9 million for a controlling share in the family-run company.
In 2010, that market experienced a quick recovery, and suddenly orders for goods including high-end watches (and their crocodile straps), handbags and other accessories increased. "Skins were in strong demand again, resulting in pressure and price increases of 20 to 40 percent, depending on the species," Mr. Koh said.
This month, a rainbow of Birkin, Kelly and Constance handbags go under the hammer at one of Christie's regular auctions of vintage Hermès where, at previous sales, winning bids have approached 50,000, or $80,000, for designs in rare exotic skins: crocodile, alligator, python, ostrich and lizard.
"You might assess exotic leathers in the same way as fine jewelry, where the precious nature of the raw materials and skilled handcraftsmanship give the piece an intrinsic value independent of trends," said Simon Longland, fashion accessories general merchandise manager at Harrods.
Despite the economic downturn, and with prices that can soar over $30,000 for a crocodile handbag, Harrods has seen a year-on-year increase in sales in this department, Mr. Longland said.
Besides housing concessions of the major brands — Hermès, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci — Harrods buys collections from independent specialists like Lana Marks, Nancy Gonzalez and Zagliani.
Last year, Zagliani opened its first boutique on Sloane Street in London to cope with demand for its soft, pleated designs that this season will come in newly developed finishes including rubberized crocodile and hand-printed, serigraphed python.
Harrods's current top seller is a Nancy Gonzalez crocodile clutch, available in a myriad of colors for 995, or $1,600 — "very good value," Mr. Longland said.
The niche brands appeal to connoisseurs looking for unique design and willing to pay for the quality of the skins, he added.
Harrods has been steadily expanding its offering in exotics. In 2009 they became the exclusive retailer of Analeena, an accessories line designed by a former buyer for Hermès, Lina Hamed. This month they will introduce Ethan K, a collection of crocodilian clutch bags by Ethan Koh, 24, a fourth-generation exotics artisan from Singapore and a recent London College of Fashion graduate.
Ms. Hamed sources the "grade one" crocodile crusts (the term used for untreated crocodilian skins) for her Analeena accessories from Hermès, which owns two of the five major exotics tanneries, as well as their own crocodile farms in Australia.
She takes care of the dyeing and finishing of the crusts herself — a do-it-yourself response to the difficulties of obtaining the color and size of skins that she requires.
"I mix and match colors I bought at Homebase, paint them on paper and send those to my tannery," said Ms. Hamed. The sherbet-hued skins are then sent to ateliers in Florence to be made into shoppers, clutches and totes featuring palladium or rose gold hardware, that will said for 4,000 to 10,000.
"People that already have the Hermès bag that costs 36,000 come to me and might end up buying three bags in different color combinations," Ms. Hamed said, adding that one client has at least 20 of her signature geometric clutches. In total she sells about 200 crocodile bags a year.
Introducing Analeena during the recession was not the biggest challenge for Ms. Hamed. Despite a good relationship with Hermès, obtaining the skins proved most difficult.
In 2009, farmers of Crocodylus niloticus and Alligator mississippiensis stopped collecting eggs to avoid a predicted oversupply of skins to a luxury market suffering under financial crisis, C.T. Koh, father of Ethan Koh, wrote in a recent e-mail.
Mr. Koh is the owner of Singapore-based Heng Long International, a company founded by his grandfather in the early 1950s and generally recognized as one of the top-five crocodile skin tanneries in the world. Last month, LVMH paid $123.9 million for a controlling share in the family-run company.
In 2010, that market experienced a quick recovery, and suddenly orders for goods including high-end watches (and their crocodile straps), handbags and other accessories increased. "Skins were in strong demand again, resulting in pressure and price increases of 20 to 40 percent, depending on the species," Mr. Koh said.
2011-11-22 11:10
nice!(0)
コメント(0)
トラックバック(0)
コメント 0