High art & craft

MICHAEL Burke may head one of the world's largest luxury brands, but he is as obsessed over the intricacies of an It bag as he is about sustaining the growth of a multi-million dollar fashion empire. The Louis Vuitton CEO, who was in town for the launch of the brand's fifth high jewellery collection, should, after all, be a leading connoisseur of nonpareil craftsmanship. How else would he be able to justify escalating price tags for products from the fashion behemoth?

"If it were easy to answer that question, many people would be successful in luxury," said Mr Burke, when asked for his definition of luxury. "The fact is, it is a very limited club, which means that there must be something more complex to it. But I would say there're a few necessary components: There is the artisan, and there is the artist. There's the creative side and then there's the making side. And basically it's a juncture of where art meets the artisan."

Picking up the brand's status tote du jour - the Capucines, Mr Burke explains why the "very, very high end bag" has been perennially out of stock since its launch over a year ago. While sceptics might attribute it to a shrewd, limited release to increase desirability, the LVMH Group veteran explains how a single detail - the "LV" initials on a flap of the bag, is painstakingly covered with leather by craftsmen and limits production. Using a delicate pencil-like tool made from the bone of a whale so as to avoid damage to the expensive hide, leather is seamlessly wrapped around the metal emblem.