This past week, I read a great online article by James Roumeliotis; a lifestyle marketer titled “Luxury versus Premium versus Fashion: Clarifying the Disparity” in which he discusses how the terms Luxury, Premium and Fashion, can be convoluted and confusing depending on who is defining for what consumer group. And, that brands targeting the affluent must have clarity as to their “lane” with these specific segments.
As we continue to clarify our brand, we realize that we offer a Premium product. As Roumeliotis states in his article ” Premium, stands for performance, value added, state-of-the-art, craftsmanship, and timeless design.” What a beautiful and appropriate way to describe Beau Satchelle.
Yet, it’s important to add that our long term strategy is to grow our current ‘new brand’ into a luxury lifestyle brand.
The terms mentioned above have been adopted in so many ways that you do wonder if mass marketers have weakened the exclusivity of those words.
For instance, take the word “bespoke”. Is it losing its power because of it’s overuse in a variety of industries? Webster dictionary defines the term bespoke as dealing in or producing custom-made articles. According to wiseGeek an online blogger, it is a British word that originated among tailors of London’s Seville Row where cloth for custom-made suits was said to be spoken for, or reserved for an exclusive client.
Interestingly, Haute Couture is the female version fashion term of the word bespoke which is most connected with men’s tailoring.
When marketing to a demographic that appreciates purchasing unattainable products or services, we must strive for offering perfection within our wheelhouse.
Being introduced into the affluent market has been an revealing journey for Beau Satchelle as we gain more knowledge, create memorable experiences and build long term relationships with our clients.
Our leather creations will not be for everyone. However, for the discerning few, the buying journey is pure, it is elusive, and it is one of a kind. The tools used are skilled hands, beautiful handheld tools and creativity. Our commitment is to select skins only from premium hides of cow, goat and lamb and the exotic skins of alligator, crocodile, python and stingray in which are all legally obtained with some of the highest standards possible.
Craftmanship is our brand. Our premium products are being created with attention to the smallest detail and many hours are invested into the process resulting in an heirloom leather good to last for many years to come. (Some products may have a similar look, yet never identical.)
One off designs are created with a vision and then actually measured on the leather. These measurements are taken in consideration as to the size of the hide as most works use only one hide. However, our ‘bespoke’ and ‘Signature Series’ products have templates drafted and then sampled on paper models first to create the overall look for adjustments, measurement accuracy and aesthetics. These steps are followed by placing the template on hide before the meticulous cutting process begins. Cuts and skiving to the hides are done with highly sharpened knives that can be compared to a hot knife slicing through butter.
Our average sized product (handbag or briefcase), depending on the measurements at 7-9 stitches per inch, will have approximately 2500 + hand sewn stitches known as the ‘saddle stitch’. And, if you’re privileged to witness an awl or hole punching tool that creates these holes for a ‘waxed’ linen threaded sewing needle to penetrate the hide and produce a stitch, you will appreciate the time and patience that goes into creating one of these handcrafted works of art. Finally, using precise edging skills to color and burnish edges that have a silky feel when touched. The process of building our products is mesmerizing.
When you unveil a Beau Satchelle finished product your senses of sight, touch and smell will experience unadulterated delight. -AJ
1 month to go before our launch…Stay Tuned!
