NEW YORK — A feature on Bottega Veneta’s new Web site called Tomas’ Picks has the favorite products of creative director Tomas Maier: woven leather handbags, a duffel bag and a dog bed and dog bowl because he loves dogs.
It is a measure of Maier’s involvement in the project.
“This is very important,” he said in an interview. “I pushed very hard to have a Web site. For me, it’s like another store. I wanted it to reflect the sensibility of the brand. I wanted the Web site to be like the experience of shopping in a Bottega store. I wanted it to have the same aesthetic.”
Since joining Bottega Veneta four years ago, Maier has brought attention to the company’s burgeoning ready-to-wear with polished, luxurious looks whose simplicity belies sophisticated tailoring. During a third-quarter conference call, the brand in September was referred to as “a true luxury goods powerhouse” by François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of PPR, which owns Bottega Veneta’s parent Gucci Group.
Bottega Veneta’s sales in the third quarter were up 65.5 percent to 45.3 million euros, or $55.3 million, reflecting strong demand for upscale products, the company said. The average projected Web sale is $2,000.
“It’s a very big business opportunity for us and we expect it to be a significant business,” Maier said, referring to the Internet site, which launched on Monday. “We have lots of clients in places that everyone forgets about — in Wyoming and Arkansas, and there are no stores there.”
Maier worked with Laird + Partners to make the Web site simple but with a sophisticated look, much like his designs. “I’m not so savvy myself on the computer,” he said. “I need something that’s idiot-proof. This project took a long time to come together. It’s something I’ve been talking about for a year and a half.”
The Web site contains a small selection of handbags, accessories for men and women, travel items, gifts and home products, but Maier said the mix will be updated six times a year coinciding with the rtw collections: early spring, spring-summer, early fall, fall, cruise and holiday.
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“We have almost 540 styles,” Maier said, referring to the brand’s range. “The quantity of styles is going to go up online, but I kind of like keeping it a little narrow and quite exclusive. That’s what Bottega Veneta is about. The idea is not to put hundreds of products online, like all the different wallets and belts. I want to offer the customer exclusivity.”
And exclusivity will be available in more ways than one. Certain products will be developed only for the Web site. Maier said these could be handbags in existing styles rendered in materials or colors not found in stores. Other products will be available in limited editions. “Limited editions work for us,” he said, noting that scarcity breeds demand.
Customization is not planned for the moment because it’s very time- and labor-intensive. “Savvy personal-order shoppers are at the level where they bring in a piece of fabric or lipstick and the material is custom-dyed for them,” he said. “The finished bag will have a Limited Edition plaque with the name of the client and [the designation] ‘1 of 1’ inside.”
A key feature of the Web site is its personal shopper, a live saleswoman dedicated to the online shopping component. “Bottega Veneta is very service-oriented,” Maier said, explaining that the personal shopper can help customers sift through the company’s catalogue and runway shows, which are online. “The personal shopper is part of the virtual store. She’s trained about the products and knows how to answer questions.”
Maier expects no price resistance online. The most expensive products are the Bambina and Venezia handbags, each $2,690, Calais limited-edition handbag, $3,480, and duffel bag, $2,960.
Nor will consumers shy away from buying certain products over the Internet, he said. “We will introduce all categories over time. I think you can sell everything online, including rtw, eyewear, shoes and even fine jewelry. If the client is a customer of yours and knows exactly how you size, there’s no problem.”
Bottega Veneta plans to take its e-commerce store, now restricted to the U.S., on the road to Europe and Asia. “The Internet is already part of our life in America,” Maier said. “It’s happening more in Europe. I can’t give a precise launch date, but it’s something we want to do in the near future.”