As I grew up I started to see how fashion houses created this perception of prestige. If you bought their products you were immediately elevated to this “fashionista” status. You were no longer just fashionable, you were “It”. I don’t want to play down the fact that high-end products really and truly are crafted masterpieces. Surely I can tell the difference between a $10 item and a $1,000 item. But I do know that you can still get high quality items for much less than $1,000 san the high-end brand name. However, I am willing to pay more one-of-a-kind items from independent designers who actually create their own pieces.
In her post titled, Louis Vuitton: A Luxury Brand Is Dead, A Fashion Brand Is Born, Helene of Luxe Chronicles says:
“Luxury brands understand the importance of perpetuating the myth of traditional local craftsmanship so as to justify the increasingly eye-popping price tags for their goods…as a consumer, I simply can't fathom shelling out thousands of my hard-earned dollars/Euros/pounds for a product that stands for little else than a myth.”
The truth of the matter is, everything we purchase is based on some kind of perception or myth. It doesn’t matter who’s making a product or where they’re making it, companies are making a great deal of money simply because of their name - and that’s the bottom line.
Photo Credit: E8Club
Dear Maria:
I agree with you that many of the products we buy, including many "luxury" brands, are produced for far less than their retail cost but I disagree that as consumers we should merely accept this state of affairs especially where luxury brands are concerned. The "democratization of luxury" which we've witnessed over the past ten years or so has (unfortunately but somewhat predictably) resulted in confusion as to what an actual luxury product is supposed to be. Coach for instance is a good example of a mid-market brand that has marketed itself as a luxury brand even though most industry experts would agree that it is not.
Also, there is good reason to hold luxury brands to a different standard than say Gap or some other mass-appeal apparel chain. Gap has never made any pretense of being a luxury brand. In fact, it's corporate strategy has been the exact opposite. For brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci on the other hand, their "luxury identity" (and therefore their ability to justify their prices) is inextricably tied to the "hand-crafted by French/Italian craftsmen using techniques perfected over centuries" claim. The revelations by Italian media according to which these brands have in fact sub-contracted to factories that in turn employ illegal Chinese labor therefore go directly to the heart of their legitimacy. It is also an ethical issue - no consumer should be lured into buying goods that have been produced as a result of human exploitation, luxury or otherwise.
It's important to point out that there are still a handful of luxury brands that remain true to their traditions and to their word: Hermes, Globe Trotter suit cases, (a venerable old British brand), Christian Louboutin and a few others. When you purchase a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes or an Hermes handbag, you know that the products you've purchased were made by a well-trained, well-paid artisan who works in safe conditions, can afford to live in decent housing and who has access to healthcare and a pension. I don't think that is too much to ask of luxury brands, do you?
Sincerely,
Helene
The Luxe Chronicles
P.S. I enjoy your blog! Thanks for linking to The Luxe Chronicles.
Posted by: Helene | May 29, 2008 1:25 AM | Permalink to Comment