the first quarter of the year

The news implies Louis Vuitton's efforts to Celine Handbagsstrengthen its offering of expensive leather bags to reposition itself as more upmarket and exclusive - as did Gucci recently - is starting to yield positive results. An informal Reuters survey of Louis Vuitton shops in Milan, Paris and London revealed shortages of the 3,500 euro ($4,600) Capucine bags since their launch in June, with long waiting lists.Sales in the Americas region lifted 17% during the period, while France saw sales growth of 13%, the rest of Europe 14%, non-Japan Asia 17%, and Japan 8%. "Demand for Hermès products remains strong," said the company, but admitted its bag sales "remains constrained by production capacity".

Hermès said total sales could "slightly exceed" the growth chanel handbags for saletarget of 10% for the full-year after a solid first-half performance. The firm reported an operating margin of 33.1%, an improvement of one point due to the "positive impact of foreign exchange hedgings"., Hermes is known in the luxury world for its shortages and waiting lists, particularly for its popular 7,000 to 30,000 euro Birkin and Kelly bags, which help strengthen the brand's appeal. "I take it as a very positive sign that the Capucine bag is sold out," Exane BNP Paribas analyst Luca Solca said. It added that it is getting close to touching the previous year's record margin level. Hermès employs around 10,600 staff across the world

after creating 486 new jobs in the first quarter of the year, boosting sales and strengthening its production capacities. Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury goods maker, raised its stake in Hermès to 23.1% during the first half, from 22.6%. On New Bond Street in London, there was only one sample bag with a "not for sale" sticker on it and 40 people had already reserved one but assistants said the bags were likely to be available only at the end of September or early in October. The Capucine handbag chanel handbags online in full-grain Taurillon calf leather, a material also used by rival brand Hermes, is several times more expensive than Louis Vuitton's canvas 600 euro-LV-embossed bags with which the brand built its name and profitability.