Some habits are hard to kick.
Take fashion's logo mania, which has attached itself to bags since the 1980s, as if shouting: I have arrived.
While stealth wealth is the preferred approach in these recession-hit times, monograms' last goodbyes are nowhere near.
Urban's check of six brands iconic for their logophilic ways found that only one brand has ditched its emblem. The rest have either muted their monograms or are still spewing them out as before.
The bravest moved first: When it comes to going logo-less, Christian Dior goes where no brand has gone before. It began shedding its distinctive Dior monogram and J'Adore logos two years ago.
The Dior monogram was all the rage in its spring/summer 2000 collection among young trendites when its designer John Galliano stamped it on everything from saddle bags to boots to bikinis.
Those J'Adore logos were so popular that trendy teens snapped up 300 tees emblazoned with 'J'Adore Dior' at US$200 (S$300) a pop in a single day, reported The Wall Street Journal in October 2007.
This reportedly made Dior's boss Sidney Toledano fear the brand would lose its fashion cachet and he began phasing out entry-level, logo-covered goods. He was quoted as saying: 'We needed to stop the power of the T-shirt. The brand has to stay exclusive.'
At the Dior boutique at Ngee Ann City, logo-festooned accessories are now replaced by chic designs such as the Lady Dior bag quilted in the house's original signature weave - the Cannage.
Next up, American accessories label Coach: Buyers will find a new pattern besides those ubiquitous 'Cece' designs on their favourite totes and hobo bags.
Coach has introduced a sleeker, more modern look with the Op Art collection designed by its executive creative director Reed Krakoff.
It is a 'fresh fashion-forward' touch aimed at the trendy and younger consumers, says Gene Kwek, assistant public relations manager for Valiram Group, which handles the brand here.
'Items with monograms sell well and fast,' says Kwek.
At Versace, doyenne of flash fash Donatella, has turned the dial down on the logo fest too.
The house's symbols of ostentation - the gilded Medusa and classical greca - have got a major facelift to go more subtle. The Medusa, though still embossed on accessories, has shrunk in size, while the greca sports a leaner look. The latter is used as bag buckles and stamped on the canvas as a geometric pattern.
For its spring/summer collection, the pattern du jour of the house are 3-D hearts shaped by open zippers, proving that Versace is more bella than blah.
Where logos linger
However, brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci are not pronouncing the death knell on their insignias just yet.
Luxe brand LV's revenues in July to September last year rose by double digits, thanks to the Damier Graphite and Monogram lines, reported trade journal Women's Wear Daily in an October article last year titled LVMH sales leap.
LV's Singapore office told Urban via an e-mail reply that 'the two iconic emblems remain strong categories that drive good momentum during this period of slow economic climate'.
In fact, a consumer and designer brands report by research firm Nielsen in April last year found that LV was the most coveted brand here, beating even Gucci, which ranked first globally.
Its flagship store at Ngee Ann City was bustling when Urban visited it three weeks ago.
Logo die-hard Linda Chan, who was buying a $4,000 tote, told Urban that she has spent over $20,000 on 10 LV bags over 20 years.
Chan said: 'The logo gives it a certain kind of class,' she says, adding: 'But I make sure I buy LV bags that are limited edition.'
If LV has the design world's darling, Marc Jacobs, to thank for making people lust over its monograms, Gucci has its creative director Frida Giannini.
The Italian label continues to seal its iconic GG logo not just on its monogram canvas.
It also appears on material like its Guccissima fine leather, which is used for handbags and shoes. Another is the glossy Crystal GG, which will be seen on the New Jackie handbag in its Paragon and Takashimaya stores by the middle of this month.
Indeed, popular local blogger and Catalog magazine's columnist Bagaholicboy, well-known for his weakness for fancy carriers from LV and Goyard, does not believe that there is such a thing as excess baggage.
The 33-year-old, who reviews carriers and totes and doles out advice for those with bag problems in his column, tells Urban: 'Monograms fail because the user fails in carrying it off and not because there are too many monograms.'
However, logo-hashed fashion has its detractors.
Says Lynn Law, 28, who runs an ice cream business: 'I do believe in buying quality, but having logos splashed on my bags is too tacky for my liking.'
MONOLOGUE
Urban goes mono-a-mono and looks at the evolution of designer bags and their logos
Christian Dior
John Galliano might love flaunting that ripped torso of his for his runway bows, but the young and wealthy who attend his show have their eyes firmly glued on Dior mania.
His ghetto fab tribute to hip-hop maven Lauryn Hill in his spring/summer 2000 collection saw logos on everything from bags to bikinis and CD-blinged out jewellery. The Dior Logo Glamour cruise collection in 2003 also created a rush for its pink monograms (above, right).
Since 2007, the house has removed the logo and instead features the vintage Cannage (above, left), the original pattern adopted by Monsieur Christian Dior as the brand's signature print. The pattern originated from 18th century furniture.
Louis Vuitton
The French luxury brand launched and patented its now-iconic monogram in 1896. Ironically, the LV insignia is now one of the most copied.
The floral motifs on the monogram was inspired by Oriental art which were de rigueur in European art at that time. Art still features today - notable recent collaborations include Takashi Murakami's Monogram Multicolore bags in 2003 (above, right).
LV's designer Marc Jacobs sets the logos not just on leather, but casual-wear fabrics like denim. The Monogram Denim Bijoux (above, left) from the tribal clash collection of spring/summer 2009 sees those LVs and its handle getting a jewelled-treatment.
Versace
Greek mythological bad girl, Medusa, who turned onlookers to stone, and this fashion dynasty's founder Gianni both had Greek roots: Gianni was born in Southern Italy, an annexe of Greater Greece.
Over-the-top glamour was the mantra for Donatella who took over the mantle after her brother's murder in 1997 with the gilded head on its bags (above, right).
Its Versace Jeans Couture line saw the brand's name splashed on T-shirts, jeans and shades.
The house sports a more restrained sex appeal now (above, left), impressing fashion scribe Sarah Mower, who said at the brand's fall/winter show last year: 'Donatella has moved away from the bling-vulgarity stereotype that dogged this house until a couple of years ago.'
Fendi
Back in the 1960s, Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, then a rising designer in Paris, was lured by the Fendi sisters to design for the brand. Lagerfeld, who revolutionised the way fur was used in Fendi's design, meant the monogram to stand for 'Fun Fur'.
The logo was first seen on the lining of leather goods and coats, but is now found on anything from pants to shoes and, of course, its bags (above, right).
Come April, expect multicoloured handpainted monogram Roll bags and a youthful splash of FF on its bags (above, left) at its Ngee Ann City (01-31) store.
Gucci
The Goliath of Italian fashion, Gucci's GG monogram was created in the 1960s based on the initials of its founder, Guccio Gucci.
The Jackie bag with its original monogram (above, right) became an icon and the GG saw a revival during American designer Tom Ford's 10-year run as the house's creative head. It was current creative director, Frida Giannini, who upped its fashion cred.
She introduced La Pelle Guccisima leather (above, left) in the New Jackie bag. The leather is hot-printed with the GG logo, buffed, and finished by hand with natural wax.
The New Jackie bag also comes in a glistening coat in Crystal GG monogram (carried by model in top picture).
This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.
