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The guys at Lamborghini showed me a few of their latest projects last week at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance--and we weren't talking about cars.
This is the first year Collezione Automobili Lamborghini showed at MAGIC in Las Vegas, a fashion trade show for industry buyers and suppliers. Lamborghini had decided to attend the show in order to further invest in its 12-year-old fashion line, Lamborghini's head of communications Raffaello Porro told me.
Porro stressed the importance of having a high quality, desirable clothing component to bolster the entire Lamborghini brand; he said Lambo executives know the effort requires a whole different approach than selling cars.
"You can't sell fashion like you sell a car," Porro said. "The dealership is not the best place to sell a Lamborghini bag or jacket--it's a different experience, a different mindset."
A different buyer, too, if Porro has his way. He says the goal of the newest collection--heavy on black, anthracite, white and blue tones, cashmere, merino wool and the Italian flag--is to appeal to discerning shoppers, not just Lamborghini owners. To that end, Lamborghini has stand-alone boutiques in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Berlin, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Chong Qing and Shantou, with plans to open more in Milan and Melbourne.
The collection includes ties, t-shirts, polos, sweaters, pants, goose-down coats, napa leather handbags and luggage. New this year are a trio of carbon fiber bags: duffel, messenger and envelope sizes completed in hand-stitched leather, palladium-finish brass accessories, hand-mounted studs and cotton lining.
"These are exclusive objects for those who are not content with practicality," said Stephan Winkelmann, president of Automobili Lamborghini. They're for people who "seek a way to stand out from the crowd and stamp their own personality on an accessory."
Indeed.
The bags will be available this fall in stores, Lamborghini dealerships and online. Prices start around 1,500 euros.
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