Epi leather a gentle touch from a giant name<\/p>\n
By Bruce Emond<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): For many of us it's all about the name, or
\nrather that distinctive monogram, when it comes to Louis Vuitton.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the style, the quality of the craftsmanship or
\nthe range of products, we cannot help chewing over whether what
\nwe see being toted before us on city streets is the genuine
\narticle or a superb knockoff.<\/p>\n
Although the monogrammed travel line is what put it on the
\nstyle map, the company has branched out into other areas in
\nrecent years in a bid to keep up with the times. Among the
\nefforts is the Epi leather collection of city bags, clutch bags
\nand accessories, which it has produced since 1985.<\/p>\n
\"What sets us apart is our history, and the fact that our
\ndesigns always progress with the times and never go out of
\nfashion,\" said the company's Asia public relations manager, Maria
\nMiu, at the Jakarta launch of the new leather collection.<\/p>\n
Miu said the company listened to its customers in coming up
\nwith the new colors and designs for the collection. Some
\ncomplained the dark hues used in previous lines were too
\n\"intense\" and could not be used for more casual occasions.<\/p>\n
With four designs for city bags, three for clutches and two
\ntypes of small leather accessories, the line is in three new
\ncolors of vanilla, lilac and pepper. Finished in titanium and
\nlight gold, they are indeed easy on the eye and distinctly
\nfeminine.<\/p>\n
For those among us loath to sling over our shoulders a
\nuniversally recognized status symbol, the Louis Vuitton name and
\nmonogram are discreetly embossed on the straps and bag clasps.
\nYet the lack of brand prominence was unsettling to one dot.com
\nreporter, because \"the reason most Indonesians want to buy them
\nis to show off the monogram\".<\/p>\n
In-your-face-brand name or not, the products are undeniably
\nbeautiful and stylish -- and come with a commensurate price tag.
\nThey range in price from Rp 1.6 million (US$188) for one of the
\naccessories of a small purse, to Rp 7 million ($823) for a city
\nbag.<\/p>\n
Mui said loyal customers put quality first over concern for
\nthe brand name.<\/p>\n
\"They tell us that they buy our products because they last a
\nlong time and they can trust the quality. We never put our
\nproducts on sale.\"<\/p>\n
She added that the formula for sniffing out the fakes was
\nsimple.<\/p>\n
\"Our products are only available at our stores, and we do not
\nuse agents,\" Mui said.<\/p>\n
Even though you can count on the fingers of one hand the
\nnumber of Louis Vuitton outlets in Indonesia, it's easy to find
\nproducts -- counterfeit ones -- bearing the brand name. In South
\nJakarta's Blok M shopping area, for example, there are many
\nvendors selling imitation leather goods of Louis Vuitton and
\nother international brands, available at prices of less than Rp
\n100,000. The lack of public awareness of copyright laws and weak
\nlaw enforcement have allowed the business to flourish.<\/p>\n
Mui said the real trouble spots, particularly for production
\ncenters, were elsewhere.<\/p>\n
\"It's not as bad here as in other markets in Asia, especially
\nChina, Thailand and Korea. Our approach is to focus on those
\nmarkets and work with the authorities there. We conduct a couple
\nof raids a year.\"<\/p>\n
What does she do when meets an unwitting owner of a fake
\nproduct?<\/p>\n
Mui said it worked best to let the person down gently.<\/p>\n
\"We ask them where they bought the product, and then tell them
\nabout our stores, that genuine products with 100 percent
\nguarantees are only found in our stores.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/epi-leather-a-gentle-touch-from-a-giant-name-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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