In still scratching my head news, Bentley Motors is launching a line of luxury handbags.
The lifestyle branding move is an attempt to leverage the brand’s heritage through fashion to draw more women to the company.
WWD reports that the line was created in a collaboration between Daniele Ceccomori, head of Bentley product design, and French leather goods designer Vincent du Sartel and will make their debut later this month at a private event. The initial offering features two styles in a range of colors inspired by custom Bentley paint finishes with a starting price point of $5,500.
Dr. Ariane Reinhart, a Bentley board member who is spearheading this effort, gives a glimpse into what inspired the line:
“More than luxury vehicles, Bentley’s models today are capturing more and more women’s hearts through their elegant lines and flawless materials.”
While that may be true, is a luxe handbag an appropriate entry level access point to the brand? Usually, when a car company wants to attract a new type of customer, they simply create a new car (ex: Range Rover’s new Evoque model).
It’ll be interesting to see how luxury handbag collectors/enthusiasts respond to this new player. Will the Bentley logo be enough to create fashion’s newest It bag?