The Luxe Chronicles

On Fashion & Politics: Fashion as Defiance?

At The Luxe Chronicles, we've always thought of fashion as more than just pretty frocks. Fashion, when well done, can be a powerful form of self-expression. Consequently, someone who understands the value of sartorial symbolism and perhaps more importantly, who knows how to deploy it effectively, wields a great deal of power.

Why Do We Worship Celebrities?

I don't like to start the week off on a negative note but a piece published in this weekend's The Guardian newspaper really struck a cord with me and I thought I would share it with you. The article is really a well-timed rant about celebrity culture by author Marina Hyde and what she describes as the over-reaching of celebrities beyond their sphere of influence, namely entertainment.

It's the Weekend: I'll Drink to That!

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Ethical Luxury: Is this a Real Debate or Just Another Trend?

Forgive me for what you're about to read. I am about to criticize the great Suzy Menkes, someone whom I absolutely worship. An article penned by her and recently published in the International Herald Tribune on "sustainable luxury" highlights for me the annoying habit the fashion press has of jumping on a trend or issue and treating it in the most superficial way possible. While I adore Ms. Menkes both as a fashion institution and as a writer, her piece on the growing demand from consumers for accountability in the fashion and luxury industries strikes me as annoyingly trite and predictable, not adjectives I normally associate with Ms. Menkes.

Shopping: When Did Good Service Stop Being Fashionable?

As a seasoned shopper, I've long appreciated good service. By "good", I don't mean the kind that involves being assailed the minute I push open the door of a store only to be sneered at when I indicate that I merely want to look around. I mean the kind dispensed by polite, agreeable, well-informed staff not looking merely to score a commission. In my experience as a customer, good service has, on more than one occasion, made the difference between my actually making a purchase or my just walking away. So, if good service is so important to the shopping experience (luxury or otherwise), why is it so rare? And why does it take a recession to get retailers to suddenly focus on the concept?

Books: Celebrating the Cult of Valentina Schlee

You'll excuse me for being a tad behind the times but I only just had the chance to remove the cellophane wrapping off of Valentina: American Couture and the Cult of Celebrity by Kohle Yohannan (Rizzoli, 2009) this past weekend. What an absolute treat! So often, books dedicated to fashion are rich on beautiful images but thin on substance (not to mention badly written). This is most definitely not the case here. While this book clearly has plenty of beautiful images, it stands out for its concise, compellingly written and insightful text on Russian-born American designer Valentina Schlee.

Luxury: Catching Up With CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Runner-Up Albertus Swanepoel

It has been an eventful few weeks for 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up Albertus Swanepoel. The South African-born, New York-based milliner's lovely creations for Net-A-Porter, a series of three woven ribbon-trimmed trilbies, were uploaded to the influential e-tailer's site last Monday morning and later that same day, he learned he is one of the three finalists for the prestigious Swarovski Award for Accessory Design (fellow finalists include shoe designer Alejandro Ingelmo and jewelry designer Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry). Oh yes, and did I mention that one of his gorgeous hats is featured in the current Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones exhibit at London's Victoria and Albert Museum? For the third time, Albertus graciously accepted to submit to an impromptu interview for The Luxe Chronicles to fill us in on exactly how his life has changed since that fateful evening last November when Charlize Theron called out his name and he claimed his rightful place at fashion's table.

Luxury: Elite Car Industry Shows the Way Forward

In difficult times, it helps enormously to have your priorities straight. This is true for individuals and brands alike, especially luxury brands. The massive shakeout we're witnessing in the industry is only partially attributable to the economic climate. In reality, the aggressive expansion of luxury brands we've witnessed over the past 10 to 15 years has provoked an identity crisis of sorts within the sector. I would argue that the economic crisis hasn't caused the market for luxury goods to collapse but merely accelerated the industry's day of reckoning. The industry as a whole therefore has to re-calibrate. What is luxury? What makes a brand a luxury brand? How does a luxury brand remain relevant during dire economic times? For any brand manager or luxury executive asking themselves these questions, it might help to take a closer look at the luxury car industry.

Fashion: A Milestone for Rodarte

It's hard to believe that only a few short years ago, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the quirky sisters from Pasadena behind fashion label Rodarte, were catapulted into the glare of the fashion spotlight by the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund prize. Since then, they've garnered consistent critical accolades including the 2008 CFDA Swarovski Emerging Womenswear Designer award, the 2008 Swiss Textiles Award and they have just been nominated for the prestigious Womenswear Designer of the Year award (2009). Along the way, they've managed to build a solid following among fashion's most dedicated followers and industry titans including most notably the formidable Anna Wintour. This season marks the label's very first print ad campaign, a significant milestone for any fledgling fashion brand, especially one that has been around since only 2006.

Luxury: Evolving Beauty Standard or Merely an Evolving Business Model?

Jerry Hall for Chanel, Ines de la Fressange for Jean Paul Gautier and now Renee Russo for Brian Atwood. Are luxury brands starting to embrace 50-something women because of an evolving standard of beauty or is it an explicit nod to the purchasing power of 50-something women during trying economic times?