Bridging (Brands, Not Messages)

Botkier is the most recent high-end designer to do a bridge line with their handbags for Target .

To which I say… hmph.

I mean, I see the benefits in a lower-priced designer line at a mainstream store. Good for designers, good for shops, good for shoppers. But still.

See, I was drooling over a Botkier Morgan satchel (not just because it’s my name) last fall before deciding in Montpellier on my beloved Gerard Darel 24 Hour Sofia bag (not just because it’s my stepsister’s name). And while it makes me a total snob, I like that Gerard Darel doesn’t do a line for, you know, H&M. I actually even hate that Gerard Darel will be sold in the U.S. by the end of this year. So to hear that Botkier’s at Target? …hmph.

Let’s be clear. I thoroughly adore Target. I do. And I have discount brands mixed in with designer brands. I don’t much care where something comes from; I like finding things I like, that’s all. And I love finding something great that not everybody knows about.

But I don’t like when a brand is diluted to the point where you question its quality. (So I’m not talking about DKNY or Marc or Armani Exchange. A different sub-brand is one thing. This is about same-brand items with lesser-quality materials.) And that’s what this is, to me.

(Although, it IS also about not wanting to see anybody else with my bag. I’m just being honest.)

But seriously, isn’t there something to be said for keeping a brand great by keeping distribution channels tight? It seems like the more places you can get something, the less pure it is. Whether that’s just emotional, silly branding propaganda, I don’t know. Probably. And I know that lesser known means fewer sales, so it’s totally illogical from a business point of view.

Still. There’s something to be said for the thrill of discovery. Even when it IS just shopping.

Sigh. I’ll just go pet my beloved bag now.

(Which, BTW, is now fresh from a trip to the miraculous Hallak Cleaners . They worked true magic on Tracy ‘s beloved red Cole Haan , and were even able to spruce mine up. Never give up on a beat-up purse again. These people are wizards.)