The Luxe Chronicles

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Vivienne Westwood, Spring/Summer 2010. All photos courtesy of Style.com.

It's Been A Looooooooong Week!

If an image is indeed worth a thousand words, then this one sums up my current state brilliantly! Let's just say that it's been a very long week filled to the brim with all manner of happenings - all very good but rather exhausting on the whole. So, I plan to kick back this weekend and do absolutely nothing. Rien du tout! Moreover, I plan to enjoy every minute of it. A lovely weekend to all!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

cColbert: Luxury in 3-D Courtesy of France's Comité Colbert

If you needed any further evidence that China is THE great hope to drive growth in the luxury sector for the foreseeable future, look no further than France's Comité Colbert, the prestigious trade association that represents seventy of France's most venerable luxury brands. The trade association recently launched an interactive 3-D website called "cColbert" intended primarily for Chinese consumers. There, browsers can learn more about the history and traditions of craftsmanship and creativity that make French luxury brands coveted the world over.

Shopping: Christmas in October? Ugh!

Earlier today, I popped into Selfridges on Oxford Street during lunch. The entire department store from top floor to basement is already decked out in Christmas decorations. I don't know about you but I've barely had time to enjoy the Fall foliage and the last thing I want to think about right now is Christmas. I suppose from a retailer's perspective, the hope is that people will shop early and often. Where I'm concerned, it's having the opposite effect - I'm actually turned off by the whole thing. Rather than be inspired to shop, I just felt compelled to leave the store as quickly as I could.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Blogs: Mrs. O Blog and the FTC's Double Standards

Isn't it ironic that under the new FTC disclosure rules, the bloggers who receive a review copy of Mary Tomer's book Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy (Hachette) have to disclose it but Mary Tomer who received funding for her blog from her employer Bartle Bogle Hegarty has no such requirement? Shouldn't blogs with close ties to corporate interests be required to disclose this upfront?

Guilt & Skepticism: A Toxic Brew for the Luxury Industry?

As we head into the holiday shopping season, two recently published articles on separate but related topics should give luxury brands and high-end retailers much to ponder. The first is an article published in the Wall Street Journal about "shopper's guilt" and the role it plays in buying decisions. The second is an article published in the weekend section of the Financial Times about the growing perception among wealthy consumers that there is little rational connection between the value of many luxury items and their price tag. The two together form a potentially toxic brew that brands and retailers need to address quickly and convincingly.

On Navigating the French Workplace With Aplomb

I just came across a review of a French book on office etiquette entitled Le Carnet du Savoir-Vivre au Bureau by author Laurence Caracalla that pricked my curiosity. Having worked in Paris for a number of years, I do recall experiencing a certain sense of culture shock that lasted roughly the first two years of my Parisian sojourn. The review reminded me of the deeply entrenched hierarchy of the French workplace and the significant inequities I witnessed between men and women that shocked my North American sensibilities and often left me flabbergasted. I could so have used her book.

Shopping: Oprah's Celebrity Relics for Sale

Someone at Harpo Productions obviously needs a bit of coaching on the fine art of customer service. There are stories emerging throughout the blogosphere that Oprah is selling off some of her old clothing with proceeds going to charity. Perfectly commendable, right? Yes, but apparently customers who are interested in purchasing Oprah's hand-me-downs aren't allowed to try them on first. Apparently, this is 'To preserve the integrity of the items and ensure that Oprah was the last person to wear them.'

Luxury: Jean-Paul Gaultier's New TV Ads Unveiled

The new TV ads for Jean-Paul Gaultier's Classique and Le Male fragrances by Jean-Baptiste Mondino have just been unveiled. The ads which feature the quintessential femme fatale and the hot sailor cleverly play on the seduction theme and leave the viewer guessing 'who seduced whom?'. As you may recall, the campaign used Twitter to lay the groundwork for the TV spots by having the protagonists exchange suggestive tweets over the course of the last week. Kudos to Jean-Paul Gaultier and his team on a well-executed and well-integrated campaign. By my count, that would be two successive Twitter-enabled marketing campaigns for the French fashion world's enfant terrible. Watch the ads after the jump - enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Luxury Brands' Passionate Embrace of the iPhone

Sales of Apple iPhones continue at a brisk pace despite the recession and iPhone applications are currently all the rage. Not surprisingly, a number of luxury brands have recently launched iPhone applications, either in the context of a larger marketing campaign or as a means of facilitating e-commerce. I was consulted on the topic recently by IC-Agency, a Geneva-based digital marketing agency specialized in luxury marketing. I thought I would share the result of the study and some of my observations with you.