Ok, for the most part I'll give it to Marc Jacobs as being something of a genius. Not in a smart way but in a razor sharo way. He (well, his people) have read the market well and consistently deliver exactly what the customer wants. he has got to have the most diffusion lines on the market right now AND he's still creative director at Louis Vuitton (more on that later)
Marc Jacobs is high end for the monied socialiate and/or urban sophisticate.
Marc by Marc Jacobs is funkier, edgier and most importantly more accessible i.e. cheaper.
In case you didn't know, they've launched Marc Jacobs Special Items. Which is competing with Primark. No I'm not being rude, its true and its working a treat. Everything is under $100 (yes $ not £). And now that I've had a chance to take a peek, well it does look cheap. But in life, more often than not you get what you pay for.
The huge metallic tote for $58 or a smaller one for $48. Or his now famous Pan Am bag which I made a beeline for as soon as we went in, its only $64 for the big one and $48 for the smaller one.
The catch? They look like plastic up close, they feel like plastic and shock, horror, they are plastic. Or pleather...a word that gives me the chills. (Yeah, I'm not one for animal rights. There's a pecking order in society so there).
But the huge (its huge, I can easily hide behind one) metallic tote is only $64!!! And that's why people will buy it.
Marc Jacobs is a name we're all familiar with and designers are smart enough to know that the real money comes from the items they can shift in volume i.e. fragrances and accessories. How many women can afford a $5k that's cut away at the back, front and sides...and still look good in it. Celebs don't count cos they expect everything free anyway...and the numbers dwindle. Take into account that people with money tend to run a little older, and the number dwindles again ...you get the picture. So the big bucks come from the little people. Marc Jacobs is a cool brand. everybody wants a piece of Marc and with special items you can start with the $5 key ring. Very, very clever.
Metallic totes, look like foil and feel like rubber but at $48 and $54, what do you expect. And the interesting thing is I'm sure it's going to help boost sales of Marc by Marc Jacobs...which is targeted at younger people. Who doesn't love a bargain? But the key factor is who doesn't despise cheap cack with a passion?
Marc Jacobs Special Items is like a quiet message that says, look over there, save up a little, spend a little more and you get MUCH, MUCH better quality. And in this day and age where everybody plays with plastic....what difference does it really make?
(and that ladies and gentlemen is why credit card companies make so much frickin cash).
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