French Légèreté

I have been occupied with work recently, explains why I was off the radar a couple of weeks. I got the opportunity to take up a part time position as fashion sales consultant with a local fashion retail company holding franchise to French labels i.e. Givenchy, Lanvin, Lancel and Kookai.

Being interested in fashion retail, this short stint gave me an eye-opening experience. Unlike departmental stores and fast moving goods retailers, luxury retail operates differently. I learnt things from product knowledge to how to sell the goods, talk about the brand and understanding customers' needs. It was especially satisfying when a Singaporean customer thanked me for the good service although he did not buy anything. I was attached to Lancel in Suria KLCC for the past 3 weeks during the weekdays. Today was my last day. Time really flies.

Lancel is a French leather goods and accessories company specialised in making handbags, briefcases and luggages. Its competitors are folks like Louis Vuitton, Longchamp, Furla, Coach and etc. Apparently in France, Lancel is as famous as LV, if not more, with over 50 boutiques countrywide. Here in Malaysia it is relatively new and so most people here are unaware of the brand. Those who've been to France and appreciate quality luxurious leather goods know that Lancel have one of the best bags in town. Most leather handbags are handmade and handstitched in France. Besides the KLCC boutique, its flagship store is in Starhill Gallery, Bukit Bintang.

This is one of the signature bags, the Premier Flirt. I sold two of them. Famous award-winning French actress Isabelle Adjani is the ambassador of Lancel as she best portrays Lancel's spirit of "French Légèreté". She models it for the magazine spreads. Ensuring they don't leave out Asia, Lancel also found another ambassador to speak for them. Zhou Xun, also an award winning actress from China, was the best introduction line to China tourists oblivious to the brand.

Lancel pioneered unique designs like the drawstring bag. Most bags are donned with classic patterns and designs, making it a timeless fashion piece. But they also have kept themselves in trend with bright colours like Tangerine and this Fuschia.

I've noticed that Asians are generally obsessed with brand over other more important qualities of a product. Some designer bags are made of canvas and manufactured in China but yet some are willing to pay through their noses for it. The bags in Lancel are good buys for a luxurious brand but most think twice as Lancel does not ring a bell or rather bells of people they want to impress. Brand takes precedence over everything else therefore branding is crucial in the luxury goods business. Think Louis Vuitton. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE wants to bag an LV; genuine or fake, expensive or ridiculously expensive, big or small, shoes, belts or bags. The infamous monogram is everywhere and is a sure to be spotted when you are out and about. There is bound to be at least one walking billboard of LV in every mall in the city. If you don't, you're probably unlucky. Or should I say lucky?

The stint was truly a great experience. Thank you to my colleagues and the managers for the opportunity and guidance.