Harrods reports year-on-year increase in exotic leathergoods sales
UK luxury department store Harrods has seen a year-on-year increase in sales in its exotic leathergoods department, according to Simon Longland fashion accessories general merchandise manager at Harrods.
“You might assess exotic leathers in the same way as fine jewellery, where the precious nature of the raw materials and skilled handcraftsmanship give the piece an intrinsic value independent of trends,” Mr Longland told the New York Times.
Harrods’s current top seller is a Nancy Gonzalez crocodile clutch, available in a variety of colours for £995, or $1,600, which Mr Longland describes as “very good value”.
Harrods has been steadily expanding its offering in exotics. In 2009 it became the exclusive retailer of Analeena, an accessories line designed by a former buyer for Hermès, Lina Hamed. This November it will introduce Ethan K, a collection of crocodilian clutch bags by Ethan Koh, 24, a fourth-generation exotics artisan from Singapore and a recent London College of Fashion graduate.
