The Four Stages Involved In The Creation Of A New Handbag Style

The number of internationally acclaimed handbag design companies are numerous, and every year they come out with new styles, colors, and innovative ideas that create the ebb and flow of the market supply and demand. Many premier designers such as Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu are constantly adapting their product to appeal to a market sector that thrives on trends in cut and color. Classic premier designers such as Chanel, Ferragamo and Gucci tend to follow a more timeless approach to the creation and marketing of their handbags. What all these designers have in common is the targeting of their market base. Every new handbag design that erupts on the scene is first conceptualized by working its way through four major assessments: selecting a target market, defining the motivation/inspiration behind the new product, accessing what is already on the market and then applying a personalized interpretation. These basic four values are what ultimately leads to the creation and production of a new bag.

Handbag companies are constantly remaking their current products with the idea of widening their market share. The first process for any given company is to assess which bag carriers they are trying to attract. A calculation of certain limiting parameters such as age, gender, culture, financial bracket, and usage are essential to individualizing the target. It is essential to understand if a company's selected market is too small, which will have an effect on the bag's projected revenue goals or production sustainability. Once the company has selected their niche they can then proceed to search out inspiration or brainstorm for ideas that will appeal to their target. For example, when conceptualizing a new bag for a younger, active crowd, one needs to bear in mind that their products may normally be viewed as "timeless classics." It is clear that a company known for traditional colors and styles and which have a tendency to be appreciated by mature, active women need to totally start from scratch when changing their clientele to young shoppers.

The more traditional design labels previously mentioned tend to have set patterns that they use for their signature bags, and therefore do not start from scratch. Labels which are more "trend setters" however, do take a bit more initiative in creating a new bag from the bottom up, and therefore the inspiration that comes into play is pulled from a variety of different places. The company must think about things like utility vs. fashion, color scheme, raw materials, usage of eco-friendly production, price bracket, etc. These things are all greatly influenced by the overall theme of the bag. When asked what influenced his new design, Matteo Tucci responded, "My idea was to appeal to a younger crowd, both women and men, who in today's society like versatility. Here in Italy, we like to be unique, seen as genuine, serious, concerned about world health yet with flair and playfulness. So I looked around at what could satisfy this need."

Some bags are purchased because they have the "name" or reputation, Louis Vuitton and Hermes are excellent examples. Evening bags tend to follow the trend set by the Chanel quilted flap. It may appear that look-a-like bags are trying to compete with Chanel by producing something similar, however there could be several motivations such as: clients who prefer no name brands, a different price point, or different color selection. For example, the Fortunata bag is similar in style and shape to the Gabs bag. Both bags use bright colors, simple design, and tend to appeal to those looking for functionality as well as personality. It therefore becomes necessary for the bag to have something that the Gabs bag does not have in order to make it competitive in the market. The designer explained, "We went eco-friendly, recuperating stock pieces of leather to create uniqueness. But the big difference was, we added playfulness by including a lucky charm! The classic Italian Corno Rosso, or red chili pepper." This final step in creating a new bag is defining what that competitive edge is going to be.

A bag, whether it follows a trend, or is a "trend setter", needs to have its targeted market. When the design and marketing team come together they need to compare notes on: who they want to appeal to, market share increase, how they will attract the attention of this portion of the market, who is the competition, and how can they best individualize their position. These four considerations are the first step in creating a new product into a company's product line.