IN A WORLD WHERE MERCH WHISPERS, BUT SCREAMS
How Luxury Brands Inspire Merch Design: The Secret to Creating Desirable Products
I say to our designer:
— Hey, what were you up to last night?
— Me? I was sleeping like a baby.
— Yeah, right. Then who sent me a t-shirt sketch at 2:47 with the inscription “Prove you’re not a client”?
Can you churn out merch without always being on a genius streak? Theoretically, yes. But if you want your merch to scream “take me” louder than an airport siren instead of just gathering dust on a shelf, you can’t do without being well-versed in visual culture. And tactile experience, too.
Imagine: you walk into a Hermes boutique, touch their leather — and realize it’s not just a bag, but a whole symphony of tactile impressions. Or you open a Tiffany box — blue as the dream of breakfast at their place — and feel your fingers drawn to that cardboard as if it were alive. And Dior? Their perfume bottles — it’s not just glass, it’s art you want to hold and sniff, even if you’re not into fragrances.
Luxury brands aren’t about things. They’re about sensations. And that’s what we, humble merch toilers, can steal from them.
— Hey, what were you up to last night?
— Me? I was sleeping like a baby.
— Yeah, right. Then who sent me a t-shirt sketch at 2:47 with the inscription “Prove you’re not a client”?
Can you churn out merch without always being on a genius streak? Theoretically, yes. But if you want your merch to scream “take me” louder than an airport siren instead of just gathering dust on a shelf, you can’t do without being well-versed in visual culture. And tactile experience, too.
Imagine: you walk into a Hermes boutique, touch their leather — and realize it’s not just a bag, but a whole symphony of tactile impressions. Or you open a Tiffany box — blue as the dream of breakfast at their place — and feel your fingers drawn to that cardboard as if it were alive. And Dior? Their perfume bottles — it’s not just glass, it’s art you want to hold and sniff, even if you’re not into fragrances.
Luxury brands aren’t about things. They’re about sensations. And that’s what we, humble merch toilers, can steal from them.
Should a gift designer always be in good creative shape?
Of course, they should. It’s like with a chef: they’re expected to deliver masterpieces every day, not just scrambled eggs. But here’s the catch — even the most brilliant creatives run out of ideas sometimes. The brain isn’t an endless generator, and sometimes it just gives a tired “let’s think later.” So what to do? Where to run for new sparks of inspiration?
The designer’s weapon: visual culture, reading, and tactile experience
The answer is simple but requires effort. The main weapon of a designer is being well-versed in visual culture, reading, and tactile experience. What does that mean? You fill your brain with fresh impressions: you look, you read, you touch the world around you. It’s like loading a blender with a bunch of ingredients — fruits, spices, ice — and blending them into a cocktail. Out come your own ideas. Though, to be honest, it’s more accurate to call it a new interpretation. Pure “invention from scratch” doesn’t exist — we all stand on the shoulders of giants.
The quality of this “interpretation” depends on how well you tend to your inner attic. If it’s dusty, filled with old newspapers and a couple of random thoughts, don’t expect brilliant insights. Meanings are born by those who study, feel, try on, and dissect the world, not by those who endlessly scroll through TikTok. (Although, yes, we sometimes make good money on TikTokers.)
The quality of this “interpretation” depends on how well you tend to your inner attic. If it’s dusty, filled with old newspapers and a couple of random thoughts, don’t expect brilliant insights. Meanings are born by those who study, feel, try on, and dissect the world, not by those who endlessly scroll through TikTok. (Although, yes, we sometimes make good money on TikTokers.)
Lessons from geniuses: Mozart and Bulgakov
Do you think great creators draw inspiration straight from the cosmos? Take Mozart. His early music is full of borrowings from the composer Clementi. But he didn’t just copy — he took others’ notes and turned them into melodies that seem to whisper something divine. Or Bulgakov with his “Master and Margarita.” They say almost 100% of the ideas there are reworked plots from other writers. Reading? Yes. But how he reinterpreted them! In the end — a text that became eternal.
The conclusion: even geniuses learn from others’ successes. And we can too. The main thing is not to copy blindly but to pass it through yourself, add your own perspective.
The conclusion: even geniuses learn from others’ successes. And we can too. The main thing is not to copy blindly but to pass it through yourself, add your own perspective.
Do clients want “new”? Not really
Clients always say: “Make something new!” But if you dig deeper, they subconsciously gravitate towards the familiar. Any hit from Louis Vuitton or Hermes is 80% old, proven moves wrapped in a fresh package. Why? Because people are comfortable with what they’ve already seen, but in a new interpretation. Life itself throws hints for projects: in morning coffee, in the rustle of leaves, in wet asphalt. But we often don’t notice them because we’re too busy chasing the “bright future.”
Where to look for inspiration?
Look closely at the world around you. Everything is connected: purple and wet, scary and parabola. These aren’t random words — it’s an example of how a brain trained in analysis sees connections where others walk by. And this isn’t a gift from above, but a skill that comes with practice.
Should a designer always be at their peak?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean inspiration will fall from the sky. Ideas run out — and that’s normal. Run after them into the world: look, read, touch. Fill your “blender” with impressions, and it will produce something unique. Don’t reinvent the wheel — take the best from others and make it your own. Then, even on the dullest day, you’ll create a gift that screams in a whisper: “I’m a masterpiece.”
- Visual culture: Go to a Hermes boutique, see how they play with textures. Or open a Tiffany catalog — their blue boxes are art in themselves.
- Reading: Flip through the classics, get inspired by how writers intertwine plots.
- Tactile experience: Touch the leather of a bag, the glass of a Dior bottle, a wooden handle. Tactile sensations are fuel for ideas.
Should a designer always be at their peak?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean inspiration will fall from the sky. Ideas run out — and that’s normal. Run after them into the world: look, read, touch. Fill your “blender” with impressions, and it will produce something unique. Don’t reinvent the wheel — take the best from others and make it your own. Then, even on the dullest day, you’ll create a gift that screams in a whisper: “I’m a masterpiece.”
Visual culture as a weapon
Do you think Gucci invents their bags from scratch? Ha! They take the smell of Florentine leather, the rustle of old workshops, and sew status out of it. And we? We can take their game with textures and make, for example, a notebook that people will pet like a cat. Or a key holder that smells of success — hello, Hermes, with your saddles turned icons.
Clients lie that they want “new.” In reality, they want the old, but in a fresh wrapper. Tiffany turned an ordinary box into a relic — and we can take that blue color, that tactility, and stuff it into a corporate notebook that will be kept like family silver.
Tactile impressions as magic
Luxury brands know: a thing should hook not only the eye but also the hands. Remember the Birkin bag from Hermes — it’s a reimagined hay sack, but what a one! You touch it — and feel like a hero of a Dumas novel. And we can take their focus on leather and make, say, a keychain you want to twirl in your hands all day.
Or Dior with their bottles — each facet like a note in a melody. Apply this to merch: add relief, texture to the gift packaging — and there you have not just a box, but an experience. The client opens, touches, and already thinks: “This is premium, this is mine.”
Irony and light drama
Let’s not be too serious — pathos is boring. Luxury brands sometimes laugh at themselves. Louis Vuitton calls Takashi Murakami, and here’s a bag screaming about Japanese pop culture but costing like an airplane. We can too: take their idea with bright prints and make limited merch for B2B — say, a mug that looks like a ticket to the future but smells of coffee from the meeting room.
What can we whip up right now?
Stop. Remember how you stared at a stylish suitcase at the airport. That’s already an idea. Hermes took a saddle and made a bag — and we can take their leather and craft a gadget stand that will lie on the table like a trophy. Tiffany engraves their jewelry — and we can make personalized gifts that clients will cherish like letters from grandma. Dior plays with shapes — and we’ll add relief to the merch so that you want to touch it like a sculpture.
Clients lie that they want “new.” In reality, they want the old, but in a fresh wrapper. Tiffany turned an ordinary box into a relic — and we can take that blue color, that tactility, and stuff it into a corporate notebook that will be kept like family silver.
Tactile impressions as magic
Luxury brands know: a thing should hook not only the eye but also the hands. Remember the Birkin bag from Hermes — it’s a reimagined hay sack, but what a one! You touch it — and feel like a hero of a Dumas novel. And we can take their focus on leather and make, say, a keychain you want to twirl in your hands all day.
Or Dior with their bottles — each facet like a note in a melody. Apply this to merch: add relief, texture to the gift packaging — and there you have not just a box, but an experience. The client opens, touches, and already thinks: “This is premium, this is mine.”
Irony and light drama
Let’s not be too serious — pathos is boring. Luxury brands sometimes laugh at themselves. Louis Vuitton calls Takashi Murakami, and here’s a bag screaming about Japanese pop culture but costing like an airplane. We can too: take their idea with bright prints and make limited merch for B2B — say, a mug that looks like a ticket to the future but smells of coffee from the meeting room.
What can we whip up right now?
Stop. Remember how you stared at a stylish suitcase at the airport. That’s already an idea. Hermes took a saddle and made a bag — and we can take their leather and craft a gadget stand that will lie on the table like a trophy. Tiffany engraves their jewelry — and we can make personalized gifts that clients will cherish like letters from grandma. Dior plays with shapes — and we’ll add relief to the merch so that you want to touch it like a sculpture.
Conclusion: merch that hooks
Life is an eternal search for meanings. Luxury brands understood this long ago: they don’t sell products, they sell emotions. And we can do the same. Gorged your eyes on Hermes, Dior, Tiffany? Great. Now take their tricks — texture, color, smell — and make merch that doesn’t just sell, but lives.
P.S. And now you, yes, you, my genius of corporate souvenirs, think: what would you mold right now, taking one trick from Hermes, Dior, or Tiffany? The first thought is fire. Write it down. The best ideas are those that lie under your feet while you stare at their windows and touch their masterpieces with your hands.
P.S. And now you, yes, you, my genius of corporate souvenirs, think: what would you mold right now, taking one trick from Hermes, Dior, or Tiffany? The first thought is fire. Write it down. The best ideas are those that lie under your feet while you stare at their windows and touch their masterpieces with your hands.
I enjoy sharing my experiences working with global brands.
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PODCASTS:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/37hNrd58tYeg202cIlsS2q?si=GcQQUrxeT32VHTqILq_bHg
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/luxury-merch-mastery/id1805400693
#CorporateGifts #LuxuryBranding #BrandedMerchandise #CorporateGifting #PremiumGifts
www.LUVRE.agency
IG: https://www.instagram.com/eleonora.luvre/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/eleonora.luvre/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleonora-stefantsova/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EleonoraLUVRE
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eleonoraluvre/_saved/
PODCASTS:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/37hNrd58tYeg202cIlsS2q?si=GcQQUrxeT32VHTqILq_bHg
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/luxury-merch-mastery/id1805400693
#CorporateGifts #LuxuryBranding #BrandedMerchandise #CorporateGifting #PremiumGifts
