I came a cross an comment,
from my friend on Facebook where he questioned “why people want to
buy an expensive plastic bag that everyone has”. This conversations
was lit up by an article about the current state of the hierarchy of
luxury brands (Business Insider, March 2015). As the text pointed
out, luxury items and labels are the most efficient “way to show
off wealth, and there is a flood of new millionaires around the world
who like showing off”. The wide spreading of the luxury goods and
their
trend value has caused an expected reaction among the
superrich. As the luxury
brands become easily accessible for everyone, their popularity
decreases in these elite circles. Article gives us an harsh example:
Louis Vuitton “is considered a brand for secretaries by many
wealthy Chinese”. You can find the article
here.
As
the commenting to why people put money on expensive
bags that everyone has
continued, naive accusations like “most people don't have
personality” was thrown in the air and that is usually when my
blood gets boiling.
To
return to the original article about the pyramid of luxury brands,
for everyone who has taken interest in luxury industry during the
last five or ten years – Business Insiders article wasn't
news. Here is a chart used in the article also, which illustrates the
pyramid of luxury brands (
photo from The Bling Dynasty).
We
all have our own different reasons why some of us are so devoted to
consuming luxury goods and prefer the expensive Louis Vuitton plastic
bag over some cheaper version of
it from H&M etc. But what I tried to do here for you, was to
gather some reasons and wise quotes why luxury items would actually
be a better investment in many cases. Now, I'm not trying to start a
war or say that high-end goods are for everyone or the one and only
right answer – I'm only giving some reason behind our choices
to favor luxury brands and free those naive minds who claim that
having a over popular Neverfull or Alma* means we lack personality.
*Neverfull and Alma are popular Louis Vuitton bags with classical
design and huge demand.
PEOPLE WANT TO FEEL CONNECTED, PART OF SOMETHING
Our human nature drive us to
reform groups and unions – so we have sport clubs, political
views that separate or brings different people together, we have book
clubs and cooking courses: for spending time around things we love
and bring us pleasure. If luxury goods do the same for some people,
why is it so hard to see as one way to feel part of some group, style
and community?
For
some, enjoying a beautiful and well made bag it's a dear hobby: some
have golf, expensive watches, art or cars, why collecting luxury
fashion or accessories is not seen the same way? Some collect
butterflies – somebody explain how set of gorgeous designer bags
for example is in any way different?
 |
| Saskia de Brauw for Louis Vuitton, Celebrating Monogram 2014 / Saint Laurent Spring 2013, photographed by Mikael Jansson for Interview – March issue |
"BECAUSE FAST FASHION HAS SKEWED MOST PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES ARE WORTH IN THE FIRST PLACE"
Amanda Mull from Purseblog.com: Fine materials cost money, as does employing skilled workers and paying them a fair wage. In a world filled with Forever 21s and H&Ms, it's easy to forget that those sorts of things still have value to some companies, and it warps shoppers' conceptions of how much it costs to make high-quality products. Don't let other people's opinions of how much things should cost make you feel guilty - they likely have no idea what they're talking about (blog post:
8 Reasons Spending $1,000 or More on a Bag is Totally Worth It).
"WHY I CAN'T AFFORD CHEAP"
Andy Budd: Too
poor to buy cheap. That simple phase really resonated with me and has
stuck with me ever since. Cheap
is quick. Cheap is dirty. Cheap is disposable. Cheap breaks. Cheap
costs money. It costs money to fix, it costs money to replace. Cheap
seems like a good idea at the time but cheap fails when you most need
it. Cheap is flimsy and unsatisfying. Cheap is inefficient. Cheap
gets in your way. Cheap costs you time and it costs you customers.
Cheap always cost you more in the end. That’s why I can’t afford
to buy cheap. Can you? (Blog post by Andy Budd, 2009. Find the post
here.)
 |
| Photograph by Mario Testino, model Raquel Zimmermann and styled by
Carine Roitfeld herself for the August 2008 issue of Vogue Paris / The Spirit of Travel-campaign from Louis Vuitton |
HIGH-END GOODS ARE NOT USUALLY IMPULSIVE BUYS FOR MOST OF US
Perrie Samotin: Like
social media, today’s world is also jam-packed with online
promotions, flash sales, and deals. While these can be a fantastic if
you’re legitimately in the market for something, they can be pretty
dangerous for the casual shopper who—when she woke up this
morning—had no idea she needed or wanted.. After all, most impulse
buys end up causing serious cases of buyer’s remorse. (StyleCaster, 2014. Find the post
here.)
LUXURY ITEMS (ESPECIALLY ACCESSORIES AND FASHION) USUALLY ARE MORE THAN ONE-SEASON WONDERS
My point exactly.
PERSONALITY: ALL FASHION IS COPYING
I'm
not going to even go there with the comment that noted having a
popular LV bag would be the thing for people who do not have
personality – you think you have personality when you wear
low-budget, no-label clothes mixed and matched. Like no one else has
that same t-shirt, or sneakers? Really? If copying or mass trends
means no personality, then the only way is to start making our own
clothes then. But wait, you would still probably use same fabrics as
someone else. This ain't working.
As
the commenting got more heated, it was sarcastically presented that
our brain has already made the purchase choice based on purely
emotional reasons (like wanting to be cool
and feel good) before it could go through rational reasons and maybe
pros and cons of investing a high-end goods (bare in mind here, that
we are talking about making the decision to buy expensive, quality
item versus low-budget good). Now, we can totally assume that the
brain functions this way, but it's really important to mention – this
comprehends to all purchases that are meant to make us feel good and
not just high-end goods.
 |
| Photograph by Steve Kraitt / Jeanloup Sieff, Vogue Paris, 1978 |
Luxury
and high-end goods do not always mean the well-known names and
fashion houses like Prada, Cartier or Tag Heuer, but also the old,
family companies who promote their roots and highly developed
craftsmanship which is the luxury – what else?
All
in all, we can wrap this topic up now. Luxury goods are not for
everyones taste and that's the beauty of expressing yourself (note:
personality?). Trends have always been the physical reflection of our culture at that state. Monogram patter or Chanel knitting can be viewed as our generations
logo, statament and attitude. Hippy style and rock'n'roll eras have all been same kind of cultural mirrors – and people tend to forget that we are dealing with the same idea here! I am pretty sure I'm gonna face many more arrogant
conversations about why on earth girls like me
want to
spend a lot of money for a plastic bag, that everyone has and with
that reveal my lack of personality.
Next time, I'm just gonna be like
I can't even.
