Mass Customization for Luxury?

'Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.'
Ford, H.






‘Once upon a time, luxury goods makers delivered individualised products to customers based on the buyer’s personal preferences, tastes and budget.’ (Buisness of Fashion)

Increasingly the way we interact with each other is effect the way we interact with brands. The used of social media like facebook & twitter has seen a steady increase in the way companies are selling their products in what they define as customizable goods.
And to a certain extent they are, but it’s nothing that Nike haven’t been doing for the past thirteen years when they launched Nike ID back in 1999, which in short is a platform that allows the consumer to build their own trainers or sportswear from a selecting from a colour pallet for different panels of the product.




But more recently, luxury brands Prada & Louis Vuitton are also cashing in on this method of production.

In an artcicle on the Buisnessofashion.com it is sugggested that this is a new mode of production called 'Mass Customization' which will restore the voice of the consumer to the product design process. Going on to mention a ‘light aesthetic customization service.’

I’m not really convinced. These companies may be restoring an element of individuality to their products, but it’s hardly an outlet to project your personality through. The service comes with a very limited set of variations to choose from.

As part of their S/S 11 collection, Prada offered a customization option on their lace-up brogues, which had been their most iconic piece from their collection. Allowing customers to choose between varieties of colour choices. For example, a green sole and a red wing tip detail.
Whilst over at Louis Vuitton, they developed it a step further and offered a service to have a hand painted monogram attached to their luggage bags.

What I am struggling to get my head around with this ‘Mass Customization’ is that it is obviously a lie. They may be a few surface details that can be altered to someone’s taste but underneath it will still remain as a mass-produced heavily branded product. The truth of it is that all the possible variations have already been carefully considered by a design team. But surely these options will only dilute the brand’s aesthetic, and confuse the way in which consumers perceive a brand’s identity?

The customization tools which are ‘on offer’ to the public are basic & maintain the brand position but also reflect the consumers own inability to choose from a set of design options.
Crucial to this notion of ‘Mass Customization’ is the desire for the consumer to have something that is truly bespoke to their needs but still retains a strong enough identity to be acknowledged as belonging to the brand it is apart of.

'Control also refers to measures needed to manage the growing customer database & facilitate smooth feedback channels demonstrating a quick response in order to maintain customer retention and long term locality.' (Hameide , 2011 p234.)

It all seems a little confusing, but I hope that it is only deployed into strategies for products we already associate with a particular brand (Chuck Tailors for Converse, Trench coat for Burberry & Wayfarers for Rayban.)

Websites.
Buisnessoffashion.com
NikeID.com
Customize.prada.com