Haute PPE couture! Louis Vuitton to start selling Rs 70,000-plus anti-Covid face shield with gold studs

Literally on the face of it, a Rs 70,000-plus ($961) anti-Covid plastic face shield makes no common sense. But it’s not the sense of common-ness that Louis Vuitton (LV) will be tapping when, from October 30, it starts selling this haute PPE couture with gold studs, monogrammed strap and bearing the French luxury brand’s ‘LV’ mark. Ridiculous? Sure. Savvy? Oh yes. For, at the core of such a consumer model lies creating desire and then meeting it.

The importance of manufacturing desire (outside politics) eludes Indians, many of whom are otherwise healthy, wealthy consumers of Dream Factories. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is now discussing making desi toys, focusing on ‘freedom fighter’ dolls. An anti-Barbie BJP MP even stated ‘Shivaji and Laxmibai figurines will certainly be better than bikini-clad dolls’.

Barring government departments buying stocks of Bhagat Singh, etc, paying patriots are unlikely to spend buying more Gandhijis. The USSR tried a command economy —supply minus demand. It flunked. Indian companies can produce action figures of jawans (GI Joe-jis?) and IPL-themed cricketers instead. The hard work of demand-creation has been taken care of. Only the collectibles have to be made — keeping the highest quality, not quantity, in mind.