Humour me: Why luxury brands are taking a more light-hearted approach
InStyle’s Emily Taylor takes a walk through luxury fashion’s recent transition from serious to sarcastic.
The word luxury, by definition, is state of great comfort or elegance; something inessential, desirable, expensive and difficult to obtain. Indeed, luxury brands have long sold consumers much more than mere product, offering a lucky few an entrée into an elite and exclusive community that favours aspiration over access.
Are these wares fundamental for everyday existence? No. In Maslow’s popular theory, status symbols barely get a look-in. Rather than fulfilling a basic need, they’re about living a dream. And that’s a matter that’s been taken very seriously, until recently.
It’s no secret that we’re busier and more available than we ever were, and the biggest modern-day luxury is time, which, in part, has signalled a significant shift in what we define as luxurious. Of course, multi-carat diamonds, super yachts and first-class air travel will always be traditional emblems of achievement, but luxury and success don’t necessarily fit hand in glove any more, or even into their traditional tropes. And nor do luxury consumers.
If anyone thinks for one moment the rich clientele the original monied patronage that built and sustained these brands are going to continue to be customers and in anyway are attracted to this absolute ridiculous nonesense …they are simply fooling themselves.
One thing these once great brands do not understand just because they fell for the digital sales pitch and online routinue they failed to realise that to real money and sophistication its all a turn off.
Once a high-end brand go mass the original patrons will walk. Then let us see what the long term reputation and sales figures become.
It’s 2019 and the wealth divide is getting wider. ‘Real money and sophistication’ don’t like to flaunt it. They’ll walk around in whatever looks sensible while spending on things the rest of us peasants can’t see, like experiences, investments, charities, and get more value out of them like personal hobbies.
But you know who’s always ready to pay $3000 for the privilege of slapping a logo on a bag? Upper-middle class wannabes with a desperate need to keep up with each other. People who take their fashion cues from rappers. “Influencers” who pretend it’s a sponsorship.
Real money and sophistication always got their bags for free anyway.