How The Fashion Industry's Top Brands Reward Their Best Customers

Pick up a pair of stilettos and a sales associate might pour you a glass of bubbly. Drop a cool $10m at a luxury fashion house and don’t be surprised when you are whisked away by private jet on an ultra-exclusive VVIP adventure—quality one-on-one time with celebrity designers included. Here’s how the fashion industry’s top brands reward their best customers —and proof that die-hard brand allegiance pays off

- Bennett Marcus

“It is adorable of Chanel to be spoiling me with surprise presents on my birthdays,” says one of the label’s top clients in Hong Kong. On her most recent birthday, the French house sent a pair of sofa cushions accompanied by chocolates and flowers. If she stops at Chanel’s Peninsula hotel boutique during her birthday month, staff members bring out a cake, sing and serve tea.

The maison also sends personalised gifts for other occasions throughout the year such as Mother’s Day, Christmas and New Year. These may be flowers or cakes or not-for-sale fashion items, but such gifts are never repetitive, says the society figure, who requested anonymity as Tatler Asia looks at the perks that fashion houses provide for their VIP clients. “They show [Chanel’s] love for their loyal customers.”

This kind of personal attention, along with curated trips to see the runway shows and enjoy behind-the-scenes visits with the designers, are some of the ways in which luxury brands make their most loyal customers feel special. “I’m 5’2” [157cm] and height really, really makes a big difference for me,” says Filipino actress and artist Heart Evangelista. “So I collect Christian Louboutin shoes.” The Philippine Tatler regular often receives bags or other accessories from the design house, usually accompanied by a note or a sketch. “That makes it extra memorable.”

“Dior does a lot of gracious, thoughtful stuff,” says Wendy Yu, a top Chinese client. The house engraved her name on a bottle of perfume and also gave her a bag with her initials on it. Each year for the Mid Autumn Festival, the Shanghai-based venture capitalist receives special mooncakes courtesy of Dior.