SINGAPORE - Three hundred and fifty shoppers waited patiently outside Louis Vuitton's Ion Orchard boutique on Friday (July 14) morning to get their hands on coveted items from the luxury brand's collaboration with Supreme, a New York-based streetwear label.
Doors were to have opened at 10.30am but it was only 25 minutes after that when the first shopper was allowed in. The delay was understood to have been due to a Louis Vuitton staff briefing.
But the wait was worth it, it seems.
Mr Francis Lim, who had the first ticket, spent a total of $8,000 on five items - a baseball shirt, a cap, two bags and a pair of shoes. He took just 10 minutes to shop.
Each shopper was given up to 20 minutes to shop and could buy only one item from each of the five categories: leather goods, small leather goods, ready-to-wear, accessories and shoes. Ten people were allowed in at a time.
After leaving the store, he was surrounded by interested shoppers without tickets, eagerly inundating him with questions on which items from the collaboration collection were available at the store. These shoppers are allowed into the store, but only after all ticket-holders have had their pick.
Mr Lim, 45, a regular Louis Vuitton customer, said that the collaboration with Supreme gave "a fresh look for the brand's leather goods".
However, the creative director added that the collection available here was limited. He had browsed the items online beforehand and had eyed a denim cap. Unfortunately, it was not available.
The bachelor and hundreds of shoppers had formed a snaking queue outside Louis Vuitton's Ion Orchard outlet on Thursday morning to get a ballot number. A ballot number which fell between 1 and 350 - indicating the order one can enter the store today - meant a ticket for first dibs to the collaboration collection.
Mr Lim clinched the first ticket, despite joining the queue at only 6:45am on Thursday. Others had starting queuing since 6pm on Wednesday without getting a ticket.
"I'm not sure what to say... it was just my luck, I guess," he says with a laugh.
Another shopper, Mr Andy Koh, spent $5,900 on four items, including a T-shirt and bag. He held ticket No. 3.
Says the NS-man, 23: "I didn't look at the price, I just grabbed the items."
Supreme, a brand that caters to the skateboarding, hip hop and punk rock cultures, produces clothes and accessories and also makes skateboards that are collected like modern art. It enjoys a cult-like popularity, largely due to its association with popular popular skateboarders such as Mark Gonzales and Sean Pablo.
It is estimated that it will take hours for the line to clear.
Ms Tung Hui Kee, a visual design student who had ticket No. 199, estimates that she will be in line for about three hours before being able to enter the store.
The 18-year-old plans on buying a sweatshirt or T-shirt and a small wallet for her older brother. She does not plan on getting anything for herself.
"I'm just helping my brother. If the items he wants are sold out and there's nothing else that he wants, then I won't buy anything," she says.
One can expect items from the collaboration collection to be hawked on the secondary market soon.
Mr Andy N, an American student here on an internship, will be reselling all four items that he bought - a hoodie, red scarf, wallet and bag - for a profit. He spent about $6,000 on the haul. Based on checks on online secondary market platforms, it is estimated he could easily make double the amount.
The 19-year-old says: "Yes I saved up for it and I'll be reselling it. I don't know to who though."
