In her introduction, the author aptly leads us into the world of the supremely rich and powerful, so that we may understand the traditional definition of the word, “luxury”. She doesn’t present that definition literally, but by its association to the highest stratosphere in human society, i.e., the monarchs who boast a divine ordination and the rulers of societies. Luxury becomes synonymous with exclusivity. The craftsmen and material accoutrement favored by the elite begin to build a reputation for themselves and procure admiration. It is here in this chapter that we first hear the names that were founded centuries ago in this environ, Vuitton, Hermes, and Cartier. These are the brands who, because their clients were the creme de la creme, made their name in exacting customized commissions in the rarest and most costly materials available then. The reader is left with the impression that “luxury” means thus: high grade crafting to the point of being masterful working with rare and expensive raw materials for the most privileged in society. Luxury is hyperbolic and makes the wearer hyperbolic too. It is also here in this introductory chapter that we are asked to question if this definition of “luxury” still exists today. Some of these original craftsmen have changed their mode of production, going from pure hand-tooling to a sliding scale of technological use and fuzzy provenance. The author asks, is this okay? Is this still considered valuable or lustrous? It’s an open question, to which the rest of her well-researched investigation supplies facts and historical data to help the reader answer.
The body of the book sorts out the evolution of the luxury industry. It is here that we are given socio-economic and political factors, which shifted wealth and created a larger pool of patrons, the middle class. This group has a distinctive amount of disposable income, who desire to live like and be thought of by others as the old rich. The road to that is to adorn oneself in the items denoting wealth and privilege. They are the new supporters for the luxury crafts. Interspersed throughout the book are the blatantly sordid details that punctuate this point. There are the young Japanese girls who turn to prostitution for a second income so they may buy the latest trendy handbag (p. 169), the Chinese “hostesses” who receive payment in the form of shopping sprees at luxury brand stores (p. 11), the brand-obsessive “Parasite Singles” in Japan who trade in quality of life for more clothes and accessories by their favorite idol-designer (pp. 79-80) and the most poignant, the victims from the New Orleans Katrina catastrophe who barter their Red Cross cards for $800 Vuitton’s (p. 169).
In response or perhaps to take advantage of the greater piece of the pie, some old school luxury purveyors have taken paradigmatic leaps in mindset and operation into the 21st century. No need to go into details what is already finely described by the author, but the reader is clearly made to understand the modernity of hostile takeovers, CGI design software programs, mechanized manufacturing, and outsourcing to countries with cheaper priced labor. These have helped small, niche businesses become corporate brand giants in their field, or as Thomas defines, to become the McDonald’s of the luxury market. As large as the slice of pie, so too as dramatic as the shift in viewpoint regarding the client. They have been transformed in the eyes of the brand from elite individuals to nameless percentages of sales.
I find that the most controversial of Thomas’ research is the pervading marketing tactics that she has exposed. While the luxury items that we purchased may not have been made in Italy or France, was designed on a computer, and had more machines than human hands touch it, the brand markets that the handbag was created in the traditional way as in the days of kings and queens. They do this by association with their long history in the market, their past reputation, and images of inhumanly perfect masters-of-the-world models. They have us believe that we are the contemporary version of privilege, who can enjoy luxury in the traditional sense. I think, how insidious. Personally, I do not have anything against moving ahead in manufacturing processes; I’m more about design and the material. What I find insulting is the obvious decision by brands to layer over these facts with pure fantasy. In the same vein that it’s unbelievable when a fast-food joint says its burgers is better for me or made without fillers, it’s just as inane for some brands to assert that their item was made by a master craftsman. Therefore, it is important to ferret out the back story, because the educated consumer is the wise consumer.
This book has got me thinking of us, the new consumers, and our relationship with luxury. I think the definition of “luxury” will evolve in response to the times. Traditional luxury is still unattainable by most, as it always has been. It is for the few and still the highest echelon. However, a more modern definition of “luxury” should take into account the new demographic of consumers, the middle class who grew up dependent on cars, cell phones, and everything technological that makes our lives easier (that’s debatable, I guess). We find no fault with using machinery, computers and finding a process that is more efficient in production. To look down on those advances would be looking down on ourselves, self-doubt and self-loathing. That’s just silly.
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