Louis Vuitton Greenbelt now carries exotic leathers
If you can dream it, you can have it,” says Louis Vuitton Philippines exotic leathers expert Keon Tan, as he holds a navy croc skin Minaudiere V, custom-made for a client. Louis Vuitton Greenbelt is now part of an exclusive network of boutiques around the world that accepts orders for made-to-order bags made of exotic leather.
Currently, the Greenbelt boutique offers customers 17 colors to choose from. The rest of the 24 shades will follow soon. There are two permanent finishes available: brilliant and matte, however, just for this season, Louis Vuitton is also
offering an ombre effect, as seen on the emerald Capucines in-store, which goes from brilliant to a matte noir. It is priced at P2.4 million.
“Everything will take about 100 days for production,” says Tan, save for a few pieces that require longer lead time, such as the Petite Boite Chapeau or Mini Hatbox, and the special Shibori on exotic leather finish. “For the Mini Hatbox, it’s 160 days because the artisans are still new to the design.” For the Shibori finish, it may take longer.
According to Tan, Louis Vuitton Greenbelt offers top-of-the-line crocodile porosus leather, which is rare and more expensive because of its pattern and reproduction rate, which is at six percent of the world’s crocodile population. “In 2011, we got a new tannery in Singapore, where we always have first priority on skins. We always pick the skins with less to no bites or less to no scratches, so all our skins are of premium quality,” he says.
If you take a close look at any exotic leather Louis Vuitton product, the leather is pristine. “The tail is what the crocs use to defend themselves, but you’ll see that the tail part of our skins don’t have any scratches. With a good croc, we only use the belly area, but for a better croc, we use the entirety of the skin and that’s what we’re aiming for.”
To order an exotic leather handbag, visit Louis Vuitton at Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati Avenue, Makati City, or call (02) 756-0637.