Haute Maroquinerie: a Louis Vuitton handbag for the elegant woman

There's haute couture ("high fashion" or "high dressmaking") and there's haute maroquinerie or "high leather goods."
They say there are only 50 haute couture clients in the world, where the world's richest women spend tens of thousands of dollars on a custom-made dress from Paris.
Now imagine spending a similar amount for a custom-made bag just for you, handmade in Louis Vuitton's workshop in Asnières, France.
There's no need to fly overseas to covet your own handbag as Louis Vuitton's Haute Maroquinerie service becomes available in Manila for a very limited time.
I was able to preview the very exclusive service at the VIP room of the Greenbelt 4 shop in Makati.



There's a special trunk containing all the leather samples, locks and finishes in many colors.




There are eight kinds of fine leathers ranging from the supple, the firm and exotic, plus a total of 27 colors to choose from—all of which can result in 40,000 possible combinations.





To get a better feel, you can browse through small binders containing swatches




The client can choose the shape, leather, color and finish she desires, enhanced by a personalized patch with the name of the owner, making each bag unique and distinct.




Also on display are actual handbags to give clients an idea on the bags' design, size, and weight.
These include three handbag designs inspired by Louis Vuitton icons:

The Lockit


The Noé


The Triangle


Plus two new shapes—the Neo Steamer


and Milaris.


The Haute Maroquinerie collection demonstrates Louis Vuitton’s savoir-faire in creating the finest leather handbags with impeccable details, enhancing the House’s made-to-order service to a whole new level.
Once ordered, each handbag will take months up to a year to deliver.
Those interested can visit Louis Vuitton Greenbelt 4 only until February 23, 2014.

http://www.louisvuitton.com/