Every year we are faced with the same question: what do you get your love for Valentine's Day? You could gift a nice candle, a box of chocolates, or tasteful jewelry... but the best present of all? I say it's a Michael Kors wallet with your initials hand-painted by a professional calligrapher (*cough* me!)
Thankfully, Michael Kors agrees! That's why this year they hired me to come to their location to provide live calligraphy at Lenox Mall in Atlanta to add custom monograms to bags and wallets for their clients.
The Client
Michael Kors is a widely renowned fashion brand, recognized for their luxury ready-to-wear collections and accessories. They are "dedicated to a vision of style that is as sophisticated as it is indulgent, as iconic as it is modern".
Michael Kors bags and wallets are beautiful and luxurious as they are; adding a handpainted element to them only elevates them further.
Setting Up
At live events, it is important not just to execute the design for the client, but to also have the set-up itself be pleasing and aligned with the visuals of the brand I am representing. I always offer to print a sign describing the offering, so when guests pass by the table they have context for the activation. For this event, I also kept all of the color options available on the table for the guests to view before they chose their customization.
The Experience
Guests had the option of having their initials painted in a color of their choice in script (shown above) or in print. The script was the popular choice of the day with all of the clients choosing it and raving about the results.
Wow! It's perfect; I can't believe you painted this!
Seeing the client's reactions when they came to pick up their bag after it was painted and sealed was the best part of the day. I love to see their faces light up and watch as they exclaim their excitement seeing their initials portrayed pleasantly on their new bag!
The Process
Painting on leather requires patience and practice. The textured surface needs to be prepped so the paint can stick to the surface instead of pooling on top.
The prep time is speedy, only requiring the cleaning solvent and a Q-tip. Once the leather is prepared, it's time to paint! I do not use any materials to sketch the initials out ahead of time, as it is not always guaranteed that the pencil will remove well from the surface. Instead, I use washi tape to keep my lines straight and the letters level and paint directly on the bag. I have been painting my entire life, and professionally lettering for over 12 years - with all these hours under my belt, I can easily execute these letters without mistakes or misspells. After the paint is dry, I use a satin sealant on top of the painted letters to ensure the paint will not scrape or rub off as the bag or wallet is used.
From prepping the surface to sealing the design, the entire process takes 10-15 minutes including drying time.
During the 4 hours I was executing live calligraphy at Michael Kors I lettered on 4 bags and 7 wallets. The traffic at the mall on this Sunday afternoon was not as high as expected, but each guest who walked through the door was ecstatic about the offering. The staff was equally as gleeful to have me at the store and took advantage of my services!
Allowing the staff members to have their products customized is a great addition to the day for two reasons:
Guests get to watch me painting on the bags which makes them more likely to come over and inquire about the activation.
The staff has examples to share with their clients to advertise the activation the next time they have me in the store.
Ready to add live calligraphy to your next event?
Start now by filling out the form on the live event page linked below.
I can't wait to create for you :)
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