TBWA\C\D Enters Fashion Category

LOS ANGELES TBWA\Chiat\Day has won a branding assignment for handbag designer Isabella Fiore, the agency said.

The Culver City, Calif.-based client, whose handbags are popular with celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, Meg Ryan, Madonna and Elizabeth Hurley, selected TBWA\C\D in Playa del Rey, Calif., after a yearlong search. Other finalists included Landor Associates and 2MG, both in San Francisco, and an undisclosed New York shop, according to the client.

This is Isabella Fiore’s first ad agency relationship, said client CEO Debbie Coleman. The 4-year-old company has relied upon public relations up until this point, she said.

“Isabella Fiore is a fashion company and we wanted something that was going to be very creative and inspirational,” Coleman said. She added that TBWA\C\D’s “energy and creative, cutting-edge presentations” led to its selection.

Robert LePlae, president of TBWA\C\D here, noted that the shop was attracted to the brand in part because it does not currently have a client in the women’s fashion category. He also noted the client’s growth potential and the staff’s enthusiasm for the brand as factors in the agency’s decision to pursue the business.

TBWA\C\D is working on corporate identity and logo development for Isabella Fiore. The client is still determining its ad budget, but future efforts will likely focus on print, said Coleman.

In addition to its beaded, embroidered and hand-stenciled handbags, Isabella Fiore also offers leather goods and gift items. The company introduced a line of shoes this month. Plans to launch home design and loungewear products are also in the works.