What's in a logo?

Logos are an interesting phenomenon in the evolution of fashion brands.  Are you attracted by the little alligator on Lacoste polos or the repeated motif of the initials "LV" on Louis Vuitton bags?  I am ambivalent.  In my younger days I frankly disdained logos.  Why be a walking advertisement for a corporation?   And why be such a conformist?  Are logo lovers not secure enough in their own taste?  But then again, it's easy for a penniless student to sneer at luxury objects they can't afford.  To take the example of Vuitton, he started out as a high-end trunkmaker in the 1850's.  In 1882 he introduced trunks with an iconic red and beige striped color scheme.   In 1886 the ubiquitous monogram was introduced.  The LV motif was both a signifier of the status and quality that come with an established luxury brand identity and an attempt to ensure authenticity. For decades, the familiar pattern on a brown field appeared on luggage, handbags, and small accessories, carrying the message of quality while rather discretely displaying the wallpaper-like brand logo.   It is interesting to see how the Vuitton division of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH has innovated to keep the brand's image fresh and vibrant.  (See Murakami's design on the right.) Young celebs in the public eye do not disdain these colorful accessories.  A certain very visible rapper is said to be covering the interior of his new home in the Vuitton pattern.   I admire the company's success in adapting the brand over the decades.  But I must admit to never having had the remotest desire to own one of these bags, although many of them seem quite practical and pleasing to the eye.  If I were to splurge on a designer bag, a classic Hermes sans blatantly obvious logos would entice me more than a Dior logo bag or a Vuitton logo bag.  Designer logos--do you lust after them or find them a turn-off? 

                                      

Comments

[Michele]

Showy and vibrant logos have never really tempted me much, actually -- I would love to have a Coach purse, but they're plain leather and recognizable for their design. I've always been a fan of "classic" designs and logos. When they start looking like a bag of Skittles, all I have to do is wait for a couple of weeks and my students will be sporting them. Who wants to try keeping up with a herd of high school students?

Fantastic post, as usual, Francofile. I get so excited when I see you've updated. Worth the wait, most definitely.

[Elisabeth]

Just like Michele, I get excited when I see that you have a new post. Great thoughts about the Vuiton trademark logo, which I actually despise - I could never understand why people find it remotely attractive or desirable.

As a teen, though, I fell in love with the Lacoste brand and logo. I was about 18 or 19, and had to buy pretty much all of my own clothes with the money that I earned over the summer. I found out that I could buy Lacoste shirts in the kids department of Le Printemps, where they were much cheaper than in the women's department. My favorite was a light blue and white striped one that I kept for years. Besides being "cool," it was also super comfortable.

Levi's jeans was another brand name that you HAD to wear when I was in my late teens, and I owned a pair of two of Levi's cords. They cost a mint in France at the time.

Now, I do not give a hoot about brand names, and I generally hate logos. I would kill for a very nice cashmere sweater, though (I do not own one - I nearly bought one right before Christmas, but the idea that those things are "dry clean only" made me decide against buying one.)

[Ali]

I'm in the not-so-fond-of-visible-logos camp myself. Don't know why exactly. I guess in the case of LV, why pay $600+ to advertise the LV brand? (There's also an element of ostentatiousness that I dislike. "Lookit, I paid the equivalent of a mortgage payment for my bag!") I love high quality, don't get me wrong, but I gravitate to items that stand on their own without the help of a logo.

Great blog, by the way. :)

[benoit]

coincidence : check this link out !!! (in french)

http://lunettesrouges.blog.lemonde.fr/lunettesrouges/2006/01/bernard_arn_van.html

[Anne]

The problem with Louis Vuitton stuff is that you could be carrying a fake you bought at the local market, so pervasive is the logo.
I would go for an Hermes bag because you can see the quality. As I approach my 30th birthday I wanted to invest in a dior or similar that I would keep for the rest of my life. However, I woke up from my dream and realised that I had to pay rent and paris food prices....nice to fade into the daydream though...

[L'Amerloque]

Hi Jean !

It's a tough call. Should one wear a piece of clothing "with a logo" … and be branded forthwith ? A tricky choice, if one is not in full agreement with others who brandish that very same logo. (Witness the whole "chav" phenomenon in the UK – one might never wear Burberry again ! –grin-).

Should one go for a Hermes scarf, rather than the bag, thus emphasizing one's discretion ?

Or should one simply go for "no logo" and what it represents … or what it doesn't represent, rather. (-wider grin-)

These days, one is tempted to remember that old Oriental saying, perhaps apocryphal … a paraphrase … "it's the nail which sticks up above the surface which attracts the hammer". That would make it straight "no logo".

Best,
L'Amerloque

[francofile]

No logo fans on this thread.

Loved the "skittles" analogy for the Murakami bag, Voix. But somebody--lots of somebodies--are buying them.

Good point, Anne, and so ironic that the logo was originally implemented as a deterrent to counterfeiting.

Elisabeth, the little Lacoste gator was shamelessly copied in the Ralph Lauren Polo logo. It seems that the French wrote the book when it comes to logos and branding.

Ali, it is irrational, but the right bag can make you happy in a way that a mortgage payment cannot. But like you, it would be the quality, not the monogram, that I would invest in.

Benoit, the LV logos made of bodies are an interesting reflection on the intersection between art and commerce. Thanks for sharing!

I can't quite picture the discreet, "pur et dur" Amerloque sporting a fashion logo. Thanks for the subtle critique of the phenomenon.

[Anne]

I looked at all the comments and have decided on a very parisienne longchamp bag....nice and label-like but within my price range....

[Mary]

Call me a naive smalltown Ohio girl, but growing up I was completely unaware of the designer brand logos mentioned here! So, I'd have to say that I'm with Michele, and am not tempted by designer items.

I spent a couple of years living in Japan, and quickly learned about the importance of brand logos! The majority of my students loved brands such as LV and Burberry. Not only the college age students, but also mature adults could be found carrying brand name bags and wallets.

So now that I'm more familiar with the designers, I must admit that I'm tempted to buy Coach goods, but it is definately not possible on adjunct pay!!

[francofile]

Anne, when are you going to post a photo of your Longchamp on your blog?

Mary, those of us who work in education have to live through a lot of lean years, don't we? My spouse once worked for a company that used to own Coach. It was a feeding frenzy at the company's employee store! I mourned when he left that job.

[Francaise de Coeur]

This normally non-materialistic, tree-hugging, granola-eating Anthropologist must confess a small (did I say *small*?) attachment to the sleek, black, elegant Prada bags and accessories her mother-in-law is forever bringing her from Italy...

But don't tell anyone; my image will be shattered...

[francofile]

Francaise de Coeur has been unmasked! But hey, what can you do if someone happens to bestow Prada bags on you? I believe I would also have to stoically grin and bear it :-)

[Michele]

Darling, I am DYING for a new post. Something on cheese, perhaps?

S'il vous plait, madame?

[m]

I'm pretty ambivalent to them.
I like things that are aesthetically pleasing, so I look for a curve, pattern or colur that catches my imagination. The label alone just doesn't do it.

[kj]

I am not sure when 'brand' became so important. But I believe French brands are the first to come to Japan and to other world. Is there a Coach brand shop in Paris? My French friends did not know Coach. I bought one in NY - so expensive wallet! compare to their bags - but they are made in China! - shocking, isn't it?

[Michele]

Jean.

It is now time to start blogging again.

Seriously. I miss you.

Please blog about something French that I absolutely need to teach to my students before the end of the school year.

Amitiés,

Michèle

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