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| Dana wearing a Philip Treacy hat. Photo by Hervé d’Halluin. |
"The story of luxury goods today is really about globalization, capitalization, class and culture. Dana Thomas has a feel for all of this and more and has written a fascinating book. A luxury product about luxury." —Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek
Brand-name luxury today is beyond what it ever was—from light-hearted desire to dire necessity. I remember in the late 1980s/early 1990s when stories of a few inner-city kids, many who subsisted on government aid, were being robbed (or robbing others in their peer group) of their expensive brand-name tennis shoes. You had to pack heat when wearing your Jordan's. This was also the time when wearing head-to-toe logoed Gucci warm-up suits (often knock-offs) with a matching fanny pack was the player’s choice. Looking poor—even though economically disadvantaged—made one an outcast and even the butt of jokes. This is a cultural anomaly whose roots are deep and growing in prevalence, in considerable part by its superstar advertisers (Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, etc.). If you want to be admired and envied, you’ve gotta look like you can make it rain, or at least appear rained on, and that means luxury brands.
In her book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, Dana Thomas notes this “street take” of
old luxury brands in an attempt (and success) at “going mass” and quadrupling
profits. She quotes Def Jam Records founder Russell Simmons as saying that logos—particularly
luxury brand logos—represent “all the shit we don’t have. We’re not
ripped-dungarees-rock-n-roll-alternative-culture people. We want to buy into
the shit we see on television but we want to put our own twist on it. Part of
the fantasy of fashion is about being successful. It’s aspirational. I put this
on, I’m getting laid. Not because I’m cool and raggedy but because I’m cool and
clean. Because I want to buy into this culture.”
Dana also informs us in Deluxe that, today “there are Japanese girls who work as prostitutes to earn money to buy Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermès bags” and Russian prostitutes who accept payment in the form of Gucci shoes. Even The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Foster explains to her audience in one episode that there are many women out there who will (sadly) sleep with your husband for a Chanel bag.
For
those who do not grow up with wealth, a prestigious education or advantage of
situation, it is often the usual predilection towards much more outward and
obvious displays of wealth (i.e., Russell Simmons’ noted “twist”)—a need to
prove to the world one’s worthiness, despite their completely different
circumstances. Yet what they do not often realize is that the more obvious
one’s displays of wealth are to those who are truly wealthy (especially Old
Money), the less affluent, cultivated, chic, educated, intellectual, etc. one actually
comes across to those “in the know.” Instead of finding acceptance within the
culture you want to “buy” into, you set yourself further apart.
Q & A with Dana:
So, whom do you believe is doing more environmental damage, the woman of great means with an 800-square-foot closet filled to the brim with expensive, well-made clothing, shoes and handbags or the recent college graduate with rolling racks spilling over with Forever 21, H&M, Zara and Target finds? Even high-end designer fashion is now made in China. Is quantity bad if it’s high end?
Personally, I think anyone who consumes for the sake of consuming—of any product—is not aware or does not care about environmental concerns such as carbon footprints. They are living in their own personal bubble. I am one of those people who wears clothes and shoes to death. What I have learned, living in Paris, where a) life is expensive, and b) there is NO closet space, is to buy and recycle beautiful items and to change their look with posh accessories, such as scarves (Hermès, Ferragamo, Pucci), gloves (from small glove shops in Paris and Rome), hats (love Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones!), and shoes (usually Louboutin). By the way, I mention those brands because they suit me and my style, not because I think they are particularly better quality than others. Accessories are less expensive and take up less space. And good shoes, the French have taught me, are essential—along with a good pedicure. I do shop in H&M, TopShop, and Zara—love their summer frocks, especially—but it’s not about quantity or swapping out and replacing my wardrobe all the time. It’s a slow build, a gentle evolution. The thesis behind Deluxe was how marketing folks push us to buy overpriced stuff we don’t need. I try to resist doing that.
My mantra is to always stick with the classics. Not only will you look more chic and tasteful but you will save money in the long run. What are your thoughts on this?
Have a base of classics and augment it with flashes of fashion. And always pass on that fashion to someone else when you are over it—donate to charity, resell at a vintage/consignment shop, give to a friend or relative who admires it. Never throw clothes away.
Do you think the US garment industry will ever be what it once was, or are we now forever bound to cheap overseas labor?
No, and happily—we never want to go back to the 19th-century sweatshops! But yes, I do think manufacturing will return to the US, and it will be a smarter, cleaner, more human way than before. There will be more artisanal work—hand-craftsmanship—and there will be factories that will be state-of-the-art and environmentally correct. It’s already happening.
Who are a few of your favorite high-quality luxury designers that truly choose quality (luxury) over quantity (making more money)?
As a reporter, I am not allowed to single out brands I think are better than others. But if you read Deluxe, you’ll figure it out!
Also, check out Dana's new book on Alexander McQueen & John Galliano coming soon! http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Kings-Alexander-McQueen-Galliano/dp/1594204942/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0
