That is the situation at Louis Vuitton

It’s a week to Deepavali (and Halloween), but Christmas is in the air, at least at Louis Vuitton. At the brand’s Island Maison store in Marina Bay Sands, products for the Yuletide season have appeared. This is only slightly later than the packets of panettone at Cold Storage. The festive-season-only merchandise, if viewed on their own, could easily pass off as those available at stalls found in Christmas markets anywhere in Europe. And it was cute that won over usability.

When we first chanced upon them this morning, we were surprised that LV would go into gifts so unsurprising in their designs that they depended on the LV branding to stand out. Perhaps that was the point. If it has to be a Christmas ornament, it has to be obvious in a crowd of Christmas ornament on, say a tree. Their commonnness reminded us of Balenciaga’s tourist gift shop offerings in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. They are strictly for the brands’ fans.

Surprising was how the assorted merchandise was displayed: on plain, unremarkable, long, white tables, placed lengthwise in the centre of the tunnel-conduit that links the store’s entrance at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands side to the Island Maison. There were four such tables, filled with all manner of mid-sized or small items that would make wrappable gifts, from mini trunks (in Farrell William’s pixelated camo-print) to reusable coffee cups (with sleeves) to eyewear to bucket hats and every imaginable SLGs (small leather goods).

Scattered among them were clearly seasonal items such as Santa Clauses and his elves, stuffed cheery animals and many bag charms that evoke a season also considered to be the most commercial. A staffer caught our curiosity and smiled amiably at us. We responded, “looks like Christmas gifts are out, but there are not many left.” She said, almost regrettably, “Yes, most are sold out.” And, if that was not enough to prove the products’ popularity, she added, “we put them out just yesterday.”

Photo: Chin Boh Kay