Borrowed Imagery

When I called Palak to fix an appointment with her, she told me that she would probably be the wrong person to talk to because she rarely consumes any luxury brands. She would rather pay half a million for a hand crafted dress made to her taste rather than run after brands. I thought that it was impossible in today’s world to stay away from brands especially if you are a socialite who gets written about on Page 3 (a page on which celebs, the who’s who of the country get featured) of the leading newspaper. But she proved me wrong when I met her. She got her outfits tailor-made to her taste, she got her bags made from fabric leftover from her outfit so they match perfectly, her shoes are most often hand crafted and she has a family jeweler who designs to individual tastes.

“Its not just about the money but its about the appreciation for the art, the handwork and most importantly, what I wear, what I carry has to be a reflection of who I am and not the other way around.” Why be judged by the brands that one carries and live in the shadow of a brand’s imagery?

“Everyone carries a LV bag, sometimes the same one but when I carry a bag made from my mother-in-law’s rare saree embellished with stones and sequences – its my own creation which no one else has, I stand out in the crowd, it makes 10 heads turn. And all this at almost no cost at all.”

Opportunity: Personalize, so brands can borrow from user’s imagery