Gucci's initial offering pitches personal touch

THE logo of a luxury brand used to be enough for Australians eager to impress but a new breed of shopper is

demanding their own initials on designer products.

To cater for serious spenders, Gucci has flown five artisans from its workshop in Florence to construct personalised

handbags and emboss wallets and clutches in its Sydney and Melbourne stores.

"When you have a luxury brand, you have different levels of consumer," said Melinda O'Rourke, managing director of

MO Luxury, a consultancy in luxury goods and services. "Brands are constantly looking at ways to make that special

consumer feel even more special."

The artisans are assembling four styles of bag, including the Gucci 1970 handbag from the spring-summer runway. The

Gucci 1970 bag is assembled in the store in 90 minutes and costs $2390. In Australia, the artisans are able to make

six to eight bags a day, with 80 per cent of the bags already sold to VIP customers.
"When brands become global with more points of distribution, some people don't want to be seen with the same bag as

someone else," Ms O'Rourke says.

Personalisation services are also offered by Hermes and Louis Vuitton and are a way for growing brands to focus on

their history of craftsmanship.

"The style of the products has certainly changed, and the materials are new and very innovative, but the way in

which they are made is exactly the same," said Frida Giannini, creative director of Gucci.

"That's what is so intriguing about the artisan corner -- it gives you an insider's look at that very special

process."

The artisans will be working from Gucci's Sydney store until tomorrow, at The Star casino store, Sydney, on May 22-

23 and at Melbourne's Chadstone store on May 29-31.