In Defense Of Luxury: Let's Not Throw the Baby Out With the Bath Water.

The current economic climate has given rise to all kinds of speculation about where the luxury industry will go next. Much of that speculation is, perhaps understandably, accompanied by a generous dose of schadenfreude . For instance, I just read an article in Newsweek entitled "Luxury Shame" and according to at least one expert , “(...) an ‘It’ handbag will become an embarrassment — a clear sign that you don’t have your own view of fashion (...)”. Not to nitpick or anything but as far back as the Great Depression, opulence has always gone under the radar during times of trouble and the death of the so-called 'It' bag was already universally proclaimed several seasons ago (but I digress). So, what exactly is the point of all this finger wagging?

Sadly, I detect in proclamations such as these a certain confusion as to what "luxury" is in fact. Luxury is a discreet whisper in your ear, not a shout out of your end-of-year bonus from across a crowded room. It is most certainly not a diamond-encrusted cell phone nor is it a logo-laden handbag. I would even go so far as to say that luxury is the opposite of the bling-bling Noughties, not it's embodiment as the aforementioned proclamations suggest. Case in point, the Hermes "Birkin" bag. If ever there was an antithesis to the ubiquitous 'It' bag, it is it (no pun intended). Yet, to listen to these so-called "experts", I should be ashamed to even own one, let alone use it. That simply can't be right. The "Birkin" was designed by Hermes back in the 1980's and has not changed a stitch since its introduction. It is sturdy, elegant, exquisitely well-made and timeless. It has no logo to speak of and no ostentatious hardware to adorn it. It takes a supremely skilled artisan over forty hours to make. Incidentally, that artisan is well-paid, works in a safe and sanitary environment, receives a good wage, has access to affordable healthcare, receives pension benefits and can afford to live a decent, respectable life while perpetuating a craft and tradition that symbolize the French luxury industry - timelessness, quality and craftsmanship. So, where exactly is the shame in carrying such a bag? Would there be less shame in carrying a cheap high street tote bag made offshore possibly with the involvement of cheap child labor or some other form of human exploitation? Please!

I for one welcome the return of a certain restraint in fashion as well as in luxury. The phenomenal personal wealth created over the past ten to fifteen years has resulted in a perversion of the luxury industry and I look forward to luxury returning to a paired down aesthetic. This said, the type of prediction and commentary referred to above distorts the meaning of luxury and simply put, is not helpful.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Comments

[Luxecie]

Nice article. I share our point of view, let's back to the real thing: "savoir-faire",craftsmanship, tradition.
by the way, i adore your blog.

[Dahlia]

I believe understated luxury brands who are recognizable not by means of logo, but by craftmanship and (personally) consistency, will come out as winners in the end. I like it when a brand has found one element and can make an infinite amount of variations with it. Bottega Veneta comes to mind for a bag that uses a simple weaving pattern yet has made hundreds of designs from this pattern alone. Now THAT I believe is innovation, taking one simple concept and bringing something new to it. Whether it's the material or the color, or just adding one extra detail makes a world of difference. Such is the same for Hermes handbags.

It's the reason why the 4 pocket Chanel jacket/coat/blazer is so timeless, yet Karl Lagerfeld has been able to make nearly 30 yrs worth of variation of this model.

Personally I am glad that this whole luxury craze is coming to an end. Let's see some real talent out there and make it worth our while (and pennies) to invest in good quality pieces of fashion.