Year: 2023 – 2024
In the summer of 2023 Karl Lagerfeld’s European marketing team was looking for someone to laser-engrave the new Ikon/K bag during a dinner in Milan. Fifty guests in a privatised restaurant, and a personalised engraving as a memento of the evening.
Before talking about machines, we asked for the bag. We modelled it in 3D to centre the engravings, and from the model we made a jig on which every bag rested in the same position, so the engraving always fell exactly where the brand had planned it. On the bag and on the leather mirror that would be given to guests as a gift, we tested typefaces and sizes with their team until the approved version. On the night we brought a compact machine branded Karl Lagerfeld to the terrace of Horto, and operated it ourselves throughout the dinner.
In the following days the Milan store sent us more bags to personalise in the studio. In April 2024 personalisation moved into the store, at Serravalle Designer Outlet: a counter next to the till, near the small leather goods, and an even smaller machine, a portable laser we bought for the purpose and dressed with the brand.
Credits. Karl Lagerfeld, Retail Marketing Europe. Live customisation: Vectorealism.
