A couple of weeks ago, we introduce the first of a series of blog posts about lessons learned in our first year of launching our luxury lifestyle business. As always, there is a never ending wealth of teaching moments and knowledge that we gain through our first year journey. So let’s cover two more this week: Marketing Our Brand – in the beginning, once your vision work is completed, while creating your business plan, a start-up must decide what their marketing strategies will be to attract their specific demographics. When entering the luxury market, every decision and action made has to correspond with the quality of your products. With that in mind, we study meticulously; the details that high luxury brands use in their language and visuals to communicate to the specific buying market. Let’s consider a luxury American automobile, the Lincoln MKC. The commercials alone exude pure elegance. The choice of using an iconic actor, Matt McConaughey, as their spokesperson, the beauty of the home and the infinity pool he dramatically falls in, his clothes and accessories he puts on, even the aristocratic dogs he carries in his Lincoln speaks quality. Lincoln customers are introduced to that same messaging throughout its social media, its showrooms, the VIP black label program and concierge service which all speak to a supreme experience. As we grow, Beau Satchelle is crafting a similar meticulous message to our audience; we will provide a “white glove” buying experience and our clients will gain pleasure and self-elevation when carrying our leather accessory. Our editorial and e-commerce photos must express beauty at the highest standards by displaying the intricate craftsmanship of our products. Our models and location shots we use create images of class and extravagance. We have to scrutinize the social media history of potential models […]
If you consider yourself to be a student of the fashion industry, then giants such as Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren or Tori Burch would be recognizable names as being game changers in the world of retail. As a start-up luxury business, we have to stay on top of our game by gaining knowledge from individuals such as those mentioned who have successfully forge their own paths. Auto Biographies are an important teaching tool for visualizing someones success and wanting the same for yourself. One of those giants that we recognize as a game changer in the world of fashion is Daymond John, the founder and CEO of FUBU, a television personality and investor on the hugely popular realty television series Shark Tank. He has written a book named “The Power of Broke” and it resonates well with any entrepreneur who is beginning their own journey of a thousand steps to building a business brand. In the book, he takes 15 entrepreneurs from different backgrounds who offer insight on what it took to build their successful careers and brands from nothing. In a nutshell, Daymond John bootstrapped his way to success and he feels in many ways that “the struggle”….not having money forced him to be creative which kept him focused on his goals. So in the course of reading his book, he shared in his first chapter 3 philosophical takeaways that resonated with Beau Satchelle’s growth which inspired this blog. Be Innovative – Daymond John refers to the power of broke as a mindset of providing substance over flash. It takes inspiration to stand out when you are a minnow in a sea of whales in the luxury industry. Our story is a good old fashion tale of basically learning an “old school” sewing art form from YouTube. Hand sewn, […]
The cell phone. Can’t live without it! Since our lives depend more and more on phones, tablets, and laptops, it becomes imperative that luxury leather designers stay ahead and create accessories that can accommodate these devices. Leather accessories have multiple functions that include protecting and holding the device while showing off your individual style. Although the range of textiles that can be converted into a holder for a cell phone are numerous, leather ups the game in conveying an indulgence that can’t be equaled. Offerings with leather products include: Handbags and Wallets – whether a tote, crossbody, clutch or wristlet, a woman will require a pocket that can handle her phone with easy access. From Beau Satchelle’s experience, more female consumers are requesting at least one pocket outside of the handbag or an interior pocket that is extremely handy if she hears one of her notification sounds. Even an unassuming leather wallet needs to have the ability to not only house the essentials (credit cards, money, and identification), but must offer a cell phone pocket to show a women’s style and simplicity when she runs her errands. Duffle Bags and Backpacks – these particular bags are designed and built for multiple uses whether the gym, the classroom, the office, hiking or a weekend outing, multiple pockets and specific locations for tech products are essential. It is imperative that not only books, or a weekend outfit have a perfect home, but sufficient room is set aside to secure a tablet or laptop. Of course, once again an accessible cell phone pocket is necessary for easy access. With the advent of mobile chargers stations that allow phone and tablet users to become independent of “searching for a wall plug”, these technological have raised the bar to insure that a carrier can support […]
Last week, we had the privilege of participating in a swell event that featured a number of the newest and hottest retail spots and restaurants in Downtown Detroit. We were honored to represent our display of leather wine carriers and wine journals that were created exclusively for the House of Pure VIN, Detroit’s signature wine retailer. For Beau Satchelle, attending these events gives us the opportunity to gather feedback on the luxury products that T. Michael has created. Most reactions are that of astonishment at the craftsmanship of the products. “No way is this handsewn” is what I consistently hear from those who view our products. It is both humbling and confirming to T. Michael’s creative abilities. So, at this event, one admirer asked about the artist’s learning curve to producing such works of art. As a witness to his growth, I can assure you it began with one stitch, followed by the repetition of a million of stitches. The concentration that an apprentice must possess to perfect a saddle stitch, which is one of the main techniques used to sew leather, is utterly remarkable. If you are ever privileged to watch a Master leather craftsman stitch leather, it looks quite effortless. Almost to the point that it looks easy. But because I seem to get the same question about his personal journey of learning his craft, I wanted to give some insight into the growth of a self-taught leather artisan. T. Michael’s actually started his leather journey in college when he was unable to find quality belts that could fit within his budget. So, his next move was to visit the local leather store, pick up the necessary supplies and design belts, that to this day he still possesses. Fast forward to 2012, when the attraction of leather once […]
Whether you are sports fanatic or have been roped into watching the occasional Superbowl or playoff game, you must agree, the 2016 Olympics is two weeks of pure enjoyment, even for just the competitors’ personal backstories. With only a few days of competition in beautiful Rio, Brazil, it has been an unbelievable thrill to watch and live vicariously through athletes who are considered the best of the best in the world. Fortune smiled on the team of Beau Satchelle, in that we have a history of competitive sports backgrounds from playing sports in high school and college. That background and training have a profound influence on the creation and direction of our business. In competitive sports, you have to possess the values of solid work ethic, quality character, focus and consistency, and remarkable goal setting. These same values are uncompromising for Beau Satchelle. So in the spirit of celebrating the 2016 Olympics, as we prepare for our fall product reveal, we wanted to share with our readers, 3 winning traits that Olympic Athletes possess that we continuously work to build with Beau Satchelle: 1. Passion – The personal stories that are told in regards to Olympian Athletes is that most, if not all, dream of being the best at a young age and setting goals to compete at the highest level. Their love of the game is simply awe-inspiring! Passion is what drives a person to be exceptional whether it is on the field, the pool, or the gym. That perfectionist is found within our Master Leather Artisan in creating a bespoke item. His passion to produce a work of leather art that is incomparable with any of Beau Satchelle’s competitors and his commitment to being the best ambassador in the space of handcrafted luxury leather is unparallel. Our team’s […]
I love Beau Satchelle and perhaps there will soon be a blog for the owners of our bespoke leather products. Our heart and soul goes into the building of our beautiful bespoke Luxury leather products. We realize, currently, we are a minnow in a vast ocean of leather manufacturers and artisans. However, we aren’t fearful of the challenge (actually, energized) to keep growing and perfected our offerings until we can be heralded as a top contender in the world of bespoke luxury. So when a piece is written about a master in the business, it is to only bestow much respect to one of the finest of the leather and luxury fraternity. Hermés… just saying the name conjures up the word “indulgence”. Truth be told, I am a fan, not just because of the bag itself…but the amazing brand that has been carefully built around both the Kelly and the Birkin bags. In the month of April, the auction house, Privé Porter, who curates unused, coveted Hermés Birkin handbags, broke the record for the most expensive handbag ever sold for $298,000. The 2008 Birkin made in Rouge Braise Crocodile featured 10.08 carats of round brilliant cut diamonds and 171 grams of 18-carat white gold hardware. It is elegant and the craftsmanship is unparalleled. According to the Wall Street Journal, a few days later, the Birkin was delivered by Brinks armored air transport to a Los Angeles buyer’s representative, who describes his client as an American billionaire. As we say in Detroit… “That’s ballin”! So as we grow our bespoke leather start-up, we will constantly drive ourselves to never lose the focus and respect of the art of leather crafting. We are dedicated to our values and the culture that solely embrace our clients who invest in our bespoke luxury bags […]
Today, news broke on our local stations that our city will be visited by the Commissioner of the Major League Soccer (MLS), to meet with two of our wealthiest Detroit ambassadors, Quicken Loans owner, Dan Gilbert and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores in bringing a MLS franchise to downtown Detroit. From a diehard sports fan viewpoint, these are exciting times for our fair city. To be one of the few cities in the country that host a professional soccer team along with the Lions, Tigers and Red Wings (come back home Pistons!). With 4 professional teams in the heart of downtown Detroit, over half of the year, fans will be experiencing some type of professional sporting event on a daily basis. My point is that the announcement is more evidence of the revival of Detroit to be a contender with other metropolitan cities as younger and sophisticated adults flock to our city not only to work, live and play, but more importantly keep their dollars in the city that can offer a range of products and services from the inexpensive to the luxurious. City leaders, who work to bring tourists to our city are seeing an increasing uptick in conventions and out of town visitors. They rely on retailers, restaurants and other small businesses to provide a “Detroit” unique experience and offer products and services that reflect our amazing community. We are a city under constant construction, including renovations of buildings in downtown led by luxury hotel developers such as the Westin, Hilton, and Four Seasons. All three Detroit casinos, Motor City Casino, Greektown Casino and MGM Casino offer high end rooms as well as boutique shops to match. Entrepreneurs see Detroit as the new frontier as start-ups and tech companies have discovered our city as a viable alternative to […]
2019 will be here before you know it. Perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves, since we’re in the middle of preparing for our Spring 2016 launch. But what better way to build upon our current excitement than to not only focus on the present yet look toward the future and share our short term goals. For Beau Satchelle, when creating our business plan we embraced the author, Dr. Steven Covey’s Habit #2 “Begin With The End in Mind”. By clarifying in our minds as to how our company will look in a few years. This accomplished several things for Beau Satchelle: 1. Created a platform to think bigger as to our place in the global world of luxury lifestyle 2. It provides us the whole map to the road, the guidelines and the milestones to fulfill our three year vision 3. We can determine what our social impact will be on this planet Three years was a long enough period to measure our progress by breaking goals into smaller chunks of time. This process started by defining who we are today. Beau Satchelle’s vision is Bespoke Luxury for the Discerning individual. Beau Satchelle’s mission statement: We provides fine bespoke leather handbags, cases, luggage, accessories and connoisseur specialties to those who crave individuality and one of a kind pieces. Our Head Luxury Designer and Leather Artisan T. Michael carefully crafts these works of art and is committed to reviving the time honored tradition of hand-stitched luxury leather goods. Made exclusively from luxurious and exotic skins, premium hides and hardware, he meticulously builds his distinctive products to meet his discerning and sophisticated client’s needs. Beau Satchelle…. “Beautiful Handbags”, makes a statement and stands the test of time… This vision and mission statements allowed us to do the planning necessary to track our […]
You consider yourself to be fairly stylish and fashionable, and you have a love of luxury goods. We’re with you. There’s nothing like quality handcrafted goods in a world of mass production. Luxury goods are made to last with premium materials and quality craftsmanship, and they make you feel good to use them. Here’s our guide to investing in the best, most sophisticated goods that money can buy. 1. Consider where the product is made Let’s face it – luxury items are usually not mass produced in China or India. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but they are usually made by smaller companies in areas of Europe, or North America. The reason for this is because luxury can’t be churned out. Luxury items are carefully made, with individuals in mind. Our luxury bespoke products are made in the U.S.A., for example, by people that you and I might know. 2. You should consider who is making your luxury goods You want to feel good when using your luxury goods, not guilty. You don’t want to be feeling like people weren’t paid a fair wage to create your product. After all, you don’t want your pleasure to be someone else’s misery. Do a little research, and make sure that people are paid a fair living wage to make your items. 3. Consider the materials used Luxury buyers should consider what materials are used to make the item. If you are purchasing a handbag, where is the leather sourced? Make sure it’s a reputable source, and that they are using premium materials. 4. Support small local shops and boutiques You may want to consider supporting smaller local shops and boutiques instead of shopping malls. When you buy at shopping malls and big chains, you are putting money into the […]
When you buy something special to treat yourself or someone else, what are you looking for? Chances are, you don’t shop for that luxury item the way you would buy groceries or toiletries or cleaning products. No, when you look for something special, you want to take your time to choose something that speaks to you. You want to buy something that is one of a kind or at least not mass produced. You want to buy something that was made with care, and that you know will last. You want something that will stand the test of time. That’s why, when you buy something to treat yourself, you should consider a small luxury company. A small luxury company cares. Because they are a small company, they will make a special effort to produce something with love and care, and utmost attention to detail and quality craftsmanship. They want to make sure their customer is happy with the product or service, so that he or she will return in the future. A small company may not have the advertising budget that large companies have, so they rely on referrals and word of mouth. That’s another reason why they want to make the customer happy. A small luxury company is willing to work hard for your business. They will bend over backwards for you, and go out of their way to make sure your transaction was perfect. They will listen to your suggestions as a customer, and actually take them the boardroom for further discussion, rather than sweep them under the rug. A small luxury company will put time and effort into each piece to ensure that it is perfect. They won’t let a less than stellar piece slip out the door, because they know their reputation is on the line. […]
