When brand-name handbag mania strikes Jakarta
When brand-name handbag mania strikes Jakarta
By Dini S. Djalal
JAKARTA (JP): It's a wedding reception, and the guests are
scrambling over the desserts. A woman reaching for an eclair sees
the woman on her right and spots a superior object of desire.
How smooth the black leather, how gleaming the gold chain, she
thinks. Then she smiles and strokes the identical Chanel bag
hanging on her shoulder, content that she too is part of the
clique.
She's not alone. Arrive at any society event in Jakarta and at
least a dozen identical Chanel bags will vie for attention. In
this city of conspicuous consumption, the brand-name handbag is
the fashionable woman's ultimate status symbol.
"If you want to judge how fashionable a person is, first you
look at their shoes, then their bag," says Winnie, a 27-year-old
marketing executive.
Actually, at times fashion has little to do with it.
"Handbags are like handphones. They're near eye-level, so
they're an easily-seen status symbol," Winnie explains.
Status symbols are, by definition, more about conformity than
style.
"A lot of women will do anything for a Chanel bag," says
Winnie.
But what about other brands or designs? Don't these
fashionable women want something a little more individual and
original?
"That is what they call original," Winnie retorts.
Loco for Logos
The 1980s have often been labeled "the Designer Decade".
Halfway through the 1990s, however, designer brands show little
sign of disappearing, especially in Asia.
Exaggerated logos may have shrunk over the years, but Chanel's
interlocking C's and Louis Vuitton's signature LV are still
fashion's most coveted consonants.
Nowhere is the all-important logo more prominent than at
Gucci, where Tom Ford's design renaissance has rescued the gold
horse-shoe trademark from establishment doldrums. Now every
victim de la mode, young and old, wants Gucci's signature on
everything from bathrobes to flip-flops.
Even supposedly anti-fashion Prada is enjoying the popularity
of their discreet triangle trademark. One can spot this hippiest
of cachets on nylon backpacks, wallets and other luggage
paraphernalia.
Less privileged shoppers, however, cannot afford too many
labeled accessories -- hence the handbag mania.
"Handbags definitely sell the most. We report a 12 percent
sales increase every year," said Inca Utan, Indonesia's
distributor of leather goods labels Louis Vuitton, Charles
Jourdan, and Loewe, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last
week with a show at Plaza Indonesia.
"Handbags are popular because you can see the logo right away.
For younger customers, the bigger the logo the better," Inca
said.
The market is responding to this Asian fetish for logos.
German leather-goods label Escada is considering placing their
brand names on the outside of bags headed for Asian markets.
That's good news for those who treat handbags like
investments.
"It's not difficult to spend too much money on clothes,
because you may only wear it once or twice," explains 26-year-old
model Luna. "But bags are different. You wear them often," she
said.
Louis Vuitton is the preferred brand name among models, said
Luna, although the more senior models can afford Chanel, which
sells for up to Rp 7 million (US$3,111).
Social climbing
There are few things the true social climber cannot afford.
Once the merchandise has been chosen, money is often no object
for the resolute customer.
"If they want something, Indonesians will save up to buy it,
even if they can't afford it," Winnie explained. She herself
saved for months to buy a Nina Ricci evening bag for $1,000.
Was it worth it? "I don't go to many big parties, but when I
do, I have to be presentable," she replied. Winnie may have only
one evening bag, but her bag collection is substantial enough
that she divides it into three categories: work, casual and
evening.
How does she pay for all these purchases? "Credit," she
answered. And not necessarily the plastic kind either. Winnie
sometimes buys from friends returning from overseas shopping
sprees.
"They'll let you pay up to six times, without interest," said
Winnie. "If I had to pay the whole sum immediately, I would think
twice," she added.
Yovie, also a marketing executive, stumbled into this
underground business accidentally. "A friend of a friend lives
overseas, and every two months she sends us new handbags," she
said.
A shipment usually consists of ten bags, six of which are
often sold by the end of the week.
"I give the other four to someone else to sell for a
commission. This business turns over earnings for a lot of
people," said Yovie.
Being a third person in the sales chain, Yovie receives 5
percent commission for every sale. She contends that the other
middlemen make more.
"I don't make much, but enough to buy myself a new bag," she
said, with a laugh.
Even with all these people cashing in, the products they sell
are still considerably cheaper than those in stores. "We can sell
a bag with a retail price of Rp 1.2 million for only Rp 700,000,
and that's after profit," said Yovie.
Do her sales pitches disrupt her office?
"No, I only do it outside of office hours, maybe at lunch,"
said Yovie. Both Yovie and Winnie insist that these sales are
almost routine. "In every office, there's always two ladies
selling handbags and belts," said Winnie.
"It happens all the time," said Yovie, "It's good business."