A golden glint caught fashion watchers' eyes at the Academy Awards this year.

It came from British actress Kate Winslet - no, not her shiny blonde hair, but
the egg-shaped vintage clutch she held in her right hand.

The 18-carat gold bag, lined with antique silver coins and diamonds, with a
tassel hanging from one side, was from the accessories archive of Italian
jeweller Bulgari. You can now see it at the brand's first South-east Asian
accessories-only store in Paragon.

The clutch is among five vintage bags currently on display in the boutique,
which opened two weeks ago.

The 1,410 sq ft boutique, featuring maple wood, white marble, glass and steel
in its decor, is dedicated to selling accessories for both men and women:
leather goods, eyewear, fragrance, silk ties and silver gifts, ranging in price
from $280 for a sterling silver keyholder to $13,248 for a large ostrich-skin
handbag.

The hard-case clutches were all made between 1963 and 1978, and were specially
brought in from Rome to showcase the brand's historic expertise in bag design,
says Bulgari CEO Francesco Trapani.

Bulgari CEO Francesco Trapani.

As for why Bulgari chose to open its first South-east Asian accessories-only
store in Singapore, Trapani, 50, says it is because the market here has been
very dynamic in the last couple of years.

"The authorities are very interested in boosting tourism here, and we are
looking to open additional stores in Singapore over the next three years," he
adds, hinting at a possibility that at least one of those stores may be located
in one of the nation's two integrated resorts in Marina South and Sentosa
Island.

Bulgari - the third largest jeweller in the world after Cartier and Tiffany -
has opened nine accessories-only stores worldwide, including the one here,
since November 2005. The others are in Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, New York,
Washington, Milan, Florence and Sydney. It also boasts watches, handbags,
leather goods, perfumes, eyewear and even hotels and resorts in its portfolio.

Up next: skincare. Later this year, the brand will launch its own premium
skincare line, called Bulgari Gem Essence, using extracts of precious stones in
its patented formulas, with prices ranging from 100 euros (S$206) to 230 euros.

For now Trapani, who is a fourth-generation member of the Bulgari family and
serving his 23rd year as chief executive, is focusing on ensuring Asian markets
continue to contribute at least 40 per cent to company revenue.

"We want to capture all the potential that the brand has, so we have to work on
the accessories. It is a very big market where we have in the past done
extremely well with small leather goods."

Bulgari intends to generate an It bag - a coveted tote sported by celebrities
that usually initiates a worldwide buying frenzy.

Trapani's predictions: "The Twist bag (above right), which we update every
season in new materials and colours, has been very successful. Another one is
the Polly (above left), featuring the double Bulgari-Bulgari ring, which debuts
this fall."

michtay@sph.com.sg