Lancel Arrives in KL

French leathergood maker Lancel opens its first store in Malaysia on the first of May, coinciding with the Labor Day. With more than 130 years of experience in leather good manufacturing, the brand is positive towards the reception of Malaysian shoppers. Started by Alphonse Lancel and his wife Angele, their first business was to manufacture pipes and smoking accessories in the heart of Paris in 1876. In 1883, the Lancel family moved to the Grand Boulevard of Paris where their networks of boutique grew rapidly and within the same year, Lancel sets up their first leather good atelier at Impasse de la Planchette in Paris. Starting from the 1900s, the House of Lancel began to thrive and its first flagship boutique was opened in Place de L'Opera in Paris in 1929. The boutique spans four floors of refined gifts, two elevators and an auditorium, which made it a standout among other stores in Paris during that period.

In 1956, the Kangaroo Suitcase was introduced. Made from synthetic material, the bag is light and supple. 20 years later, the business was ran by the Zorbibe brothers who offered the brand international expansion in distribution, marketing and communication. Elsa bucket bag, Lancels's bestselling bag ever was launched in 1987 and it sold over three millions. It was given a facelift by younger artistes such as Erik Halley, Xavier Delcour and Yaz Yazbukey to give it much more appeal and life. Lancel joined Richemont, a Swiss-based luxury retailing group and re-established its leather goods know-how and developing international network through a number of stores opened in Russia, China, Japan and the United States. Up to date, Lancel has 500 point of sales worldwide. To celebrate its 130th year in business, Lancel renovated its flagship store and inaugurated its biggest window display.

Among items that will be hot among Lancel fans in Malaysia are The label's famous handbags, the Kangaroo and In Bamako. Prices for handbags starts from as low as RM 1000.00 onwards.

* Photo by The Star.

Lancel - Adorn Floor, Starhill Gallery, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur