Bringing Bespoke to America

Bespoke goods are all about the experience. The customer is part of the product’s creation. From choosing the style to the material and then finishing with personalization, the customer can tailor a piece to his or her liking. When customers order a bespoke piece, they will remember the experience forever. These are pieces that can be passed down and are ultimately keepsakes.

Bespoke: made to individual order; custom-made

Bespoke in Reaction To…

Today, many things are massed produced. It is very hard to find something original, that no one else will have. Walking down the streets of New York, one will see multiple Neverfull bags from Louis Vuitton and Tory Burch Reva flats. Many times, customers are left frustrated by not being able to find one of a kind pieces. There’s nothing more annoying than thinking you’ve found something special and then seeing all your friends with it. In addition, customers are aware that many things are made in the Far East and crave for their handbags and accessories to be made in France and Italy. Bespoke allows customers to create an unique piece and be a part of the making of his or her item. In addition, many of these pieces are made by hand by craftsmen in France and Italy.

Inspiration

When seeing beautifully crafted fashion goods, one cannot help but to be amazed by the close attention to detail and the specialty of the piece. Bespoke stores can be found throughout London. Saville Row leaves visitors in awe as they see suits and shoes made by hand and the amount of work that goes into one piece. Many times, bespoke pieces are made with the most luxurious materials like stingray and ostrich. The bespoke experience brings customers back to a world when everything was handcrafted and the specialness that comes with such goods. In all, ordering a bespoke piece brings the excitement back in to shopping and ultimately creates the memory of picking and designing a personalized item.

A department store would be the best way to introduce consumers to bespoke items due to the high foot traffic. Many customers are not as familiar with bespoke and need to “bump” into a store that offers such services. As a department store retailer, one way of introducing customers to bespoke accessories is to create a mini bespoke store. The store can also create a partnership with a well known British Bespoke The department store will run the store and be responsible for the production of the goods. To do this, a store can designate retail space in the handbag section on the first floor. Retailers that already offer bespoke services in England could also begin offering services in America.

The Stores

Store Layout

Creating a bespoke piece brings customers back to a time when things were hand made for one specific person. An antique look would help aid in this feeling. A wooden and glass vitrine with old-fashioned style signage will take customers back into a time when mass production did not exist and items were made by hand. Large signage, around this mini store will not only say “Bespoke,” but also phrases like “Made Just For You” or “Perfect Personalized Presents.” At this section, customers will be given the opportunity to select a handbag or wallet style by looking at sample products. Once the product is chosen, they will then be able to pick the material and color from swatches in a book. Highly trained sales associates will help aid customers while making this decision. At the very end, customers will be given the opportunity to personalize their item with embossed initials or a small handwritten message that can be put inside the product. To garner the attention of both men and women, two craftsmen, wearing leather aprons, will be working on pieces like a leather briefcase or a handbag in beautiful, exotic skins like ostrich or stingray.

Store Layout and Design

The Customer

The Customer

Bespoke pieces tend to be expensive since they are made with the best

materials and are usually made by hand. Prices usually begin at $200 for a

leather bookmark up to $20,000 for a handbag. Since these items are high-

priced, the bespoke trend will begin with the upper-class. These customers

want to call something their own and say “look what I designed.” Bespoke

customers like monograming and most likely have monogrammed towels in

their bathrooms. They like having the best quality items and are willing to pay

the price. These customers like classic pieces and are most likely clean-cut

preps. Bespoke customers need to have patience since it takes time for items to

be made. Bespoke pieces will be appealing to all ages and will ultimately

attract all different types of people. The bespoke trend will trickle down to the

middle-class. The middle-class will create bespoke items for special occasions,

like Mother’s Day or graduation, to remember such milestones.

Bespoke: Perfect For

Special Occasions

Holidays

Weddings

Graduation