First off, Fendi themselves seem to *get* the whole “I wanna be unique!” thing. I saw something about a 3D configurator on their homepage, which, tbh, sounds kinda amazing. Imagine, like, spinning a bag around, picking out the EXACT shade of, I dunno, lavender ostrich leather you want. Okay, maybe ostrich is a *little* extra, but you get the idea. It’s supposed to let you personalize materials and colors. I haven’t actually *used* it yet, because, well, life. But the *idea* is pretty darn cool.
Then there’s the whole “made-to-order” thing for the Baguette. Apparently, they do special projects around the holidays where you can kind of design your own. I’m not entirely sure what this process is like though.
Now, here’s where things get a little…murky. You’ve got the official Fendi route, which is probably gonna cost you more than your rent (or maybe, *my* rent, at least). BUT, and this is a big but, you can also go the “handmade” route. I saw this thing about a “Custom Fendi Bag made by LISA” with a purple heart emoji and a bunch of numbers that look like a birthdate. I’m guessing it’s some kind of fan thing, or maybe a commission? Who knows. Honestly, there’s a whole world of independent leatherworkers out there who can probably whip up a bag inspired by Fendi.
The thing is, if you are going down the handmade route, it probably wont be a *real* Fendi. I am not sure how I feel about this whole situation. It’s kinda like, do you want the real deal, or do you want something *inspired* by the real deal? And are you okay with the ethical implications, and the potential legal stuff if someone tries to straight-up copy a Fendi design?
And speaking of the “real deal,” I saw something about Fendi sales associates being super helpful. Apparently, once you decide what kind of customization you’re after, they’ll show you all the different materials. That sounds kinda bougie but also… kinda awesome? Like, imagine swatching a bunch of furs. Seriously, that sounds like a good time.
