Handbag Personalization Pops Up As Fendi Pompom

For a while now, luxury has been fighting to stay in the retail game. Turns out, luxury brands’ sales growth is “so out” of fashion, according to experts. The holiday season for high-end luxury had analysts projecting the lowest point in the past seven years.

But some fashion houses are battling their way back via small details added to bags. They’re leading with the personalization concept more than ever.

Fendi, for example, is trying to bring back its Baguette bag by way of add-on trinkets and straps. The idea came from Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi. Turns out, Fendi actually invented the Baguette bag, which was created in 1990 and rose to fame when HBO’s “Sex and the City” was at its height in popularity. The brand had been previously known for celebrities wearing its furs.

The new add-ons allow consumers to personalize their purse — whether it be a Fendi bag or not — with an additional $900 fur and leather pompom or $2,400 hooking strap. Fendi already has celebrities buying into the concept — Kylie Jenner’s dog likes a $400 pompom. OK! Magazine is even teaching readers a DIY way to make a knockoff of Fendi’s new accessory.

But pompoms are in. Some designers said they had a hard time avoiding having them show up in their work this season.

Some experts are surprised that consumers would want to add these charms and pompoms, but the growth is even more impressive. Analysts say the growth for Fendi is in the double digits over the last few quarters.

But Fendi is not alone in this personalization idea. Other luxury brands have caught onto the idea and have rolled out their own versions. Many offer monogramming and other add-ons to make the bag unique to the owner.

The question is if luxury brands are going to win the fight in this modern, online purchasing age. Their heritage association is no longer as important to younger consumers. Will they able to adapt to the digital world in the same way other not-as-luxurious brands can?