Roughly 150 years ago, a brilliant scientist named Charles Darwin wrote a book. This book was the Origin of Species, and it was destined to become one of the foundations of modern thought. In this book, he laid out in great detail his revolutionary theory of natural selection, and explained a general outline of how every species came to be.
I'm sure you know all this. But what you may not have thought about is that there are other things, besides species, that follow a general pattern of evolution. Like handbags, for instance. Or more precisely, the companies that design them. I think that every handbag designer follows a very simple patter of life, and that's what I'm here to present. So take a look, and think about it.
In the beginning, there is a dream. Every major label starts with just one person, who has a vision of a future. Usually unclear, even murky at first, but they always begin the same way- with one woman, who opens a shop. Well, almost always. Occasionally, such as in the case of Gucci, it's one man who opens the shop. Nonetheless, they begin selling, and slowly discover a sense of fashion in themselves.
Soon after this, the designer begins displaying their creations to the world. They open a small shop in a big city, and occasionally get married. In any case, this is just the start of their journey to the top. At this point, the designer shows excellent business sense and a great deal of persistence.
Although they may struggle in the beginning, as Guess did to get their jeans in stock, or are as instantly successful as Ralph Laurens ties, as soon as the public discovers their unique and stunning fashion they very quickly become famous. The founder of the company lives to see their brand recognized internationally, and very soon decides to expand.
At this point, the handbag enters. The company, being now fairly well known, starts to expand into other areas of fashion, including fashion accessories. Among these, are of course, the handbags. Each individual designer creates their own unique look and style, to match the style of their clothing, and they begin to sell handbags.
Whether you prefer the elegance of Prada, or stand by the classic Diego Rocha, it is indisputable that every designer is quite distinct and individual in their look. While we all need clothes, especially in the rather chilly northern countries, handbags are not quite so necessary. This just means that designers are free to work whatever they wish on them, a blank canvas, if you will. An area to fully unleash their creativity.
In time, the original creator of the company passes away, and control of the brand is passed to his or her children. Sometimes they fight amongst themselves, as Aldo and Rodolfo Gucci did, or work peacefully together, as did the daughters of Adele Fendi. In any case, the label remains within the family. They continue to design ever more works of fashion, and the sales -- and prices -- of their handbags rise.
Gradually the rapid rose to prominence slows, as they gradually reach a point where they can rise no higher. With uncountable international awards to proclaim their fame, the brand has become a household name. Generally, at this point the name of the creator also achieves a similar level of recognition- for example, consider Roberto Cavalli. Can you think of anyone else, who compares to him?
This brings me to the end of my article, and my general description of the evolution of the labels behind the handbags. I hope I've entertained you, and possible even educated you slightly, but in any case I leave you with a question to ponder- is there anything else, that follows a similarly general pattern?
