Luxury & Fashion. What does it mean?
By: Stephanie Sturino
Tags: Fashion, Consumerism, Designer, Luxury

Luxury in fashion…much to think about. What does luxury mean? A price point? A designer? Quality? Craftsmanship? This post aims to answer this question. This article will demonstrate further analysis of the concept of luxury using a variety of critical sources.

LUXURY & THE DESIGNER

IMAGE: Portrait of Marie Antoinette (18th Century) by Vigée-Lebrun. Source: Britannica.

What many people deem luxurious is the brand/designer. The link between luxury and the designer dates back to the very first big names in Fashion.

Pictured above is a painting of Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France before the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette is adorned in an extravagant dress accompanied with bows and lace as well as topped with a hat with Ostrich feathers. She was styled by Rose Bertin, the resident dressmaker of Antoinette who is also known as one of the first fashion designers and stylists. Bertin dressed Marie Antoinette in a Rococo style which was considered the epitome of luxury, this style was juxtaposed to the growing unrest and poverty among the people of France who denounced Bertin as “a corrupt and corrupting merchant of luxury” (Versailles). But what attached Bertin to luxury? Certainly, her relationship with Marie Antoinette helped as she was an influential figure however, Bertin was able to capitalize on an increasing market demand among elite consumers interested in fashion.

“Her expertise lay in a masterful juxtaposing of existing elements and an ability to flatter and anticipate the tastes of her elite clients rather than in the initiation of completely new lines” (Breward 2003). Bertin’s genius lay in the entrepreneurial activity of her work and to address the refined tastes of an aristocratic crowd. This idea of luxury persists in today’s world as many answers attribute luxury to a brand name/status which was popularized by fashion designers.

DESIGNERS AND LUXURY LABELS TODAY

IMAGE: Karl Lagerfeld & Lilyrose Depp at the 2015 Chanel show (2015). Source: Patrick Kovarik/AFP

As the fashion system evolved, prolific designers and their status propelled into the mainstream. Luxury, status and opulence became synonymous with the brand name and the face behind it. The late Karl Lagerfeld and creative visionary behind Chanel best exemplified this idea. People of all walks of life knew of Lagerfeld and his importance. Furthermore, it is prevalent that luxury is an unspoken language to everyone around the world of varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Looking at a luxury/designer brand from a semiotic standpoint, one can denote different meanings from a luxury garment or accessory “The consumer is thus carrying a bag loaded with symbols of power, beauty, elegance and manners. The brand itself is the signifier that carries all these idealized characteristics as they represent an authenticity: authenticity of birth (lineage and ancestry) and therefore of quality” (Von Wachenfeldt 2018).

Designer bags present these ideas of authenticity, status and opulence. These beliefs come from a longstanding history “where a brand can sustain the myth of luxury revolving around the idea of lineage, prestige and refined taste”(Von Wachenfeldt 2018). These ideas are further reinforced by figures like Lagerfeld that have a large presence in editorial spaces and relationships with fashion influencers like Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue and long admirer of Chanel’s work or Lilyrose Depp (pictured above) who was considered a muse of Chanel in recent years. Overall, designers act as the arbiter of taste in the world of luxury and one can’t help but buy into the allure of luxury they have created.

LUXURY & ANTI-FASHION

IMAGE: Parker Kit Hill posing with two TELFAR bags (2020). Source: Justin French/The Cut.

Anyone that’s remotely interested in fashion has heard of TELFAR, particularly the Telfar Shopping Bag also known as the “Bushwick Birkin”. Telfar is a genderless fashion label and founded by Telfar Clemens, a Black Liberian-American fashion designer. The Telfar bag is in very high demand receiving social media attention as well as praise from the industry. The shopping bags are sold in limited quantities and sell out in minutes.

The “affordable luxury bag” was designed to mimic a Bloomingdale’s shopping bag and provides a commentary on consumerism and luxury. Telfar wanted to create a bag that can be stylish and used for every day but also genderless and versatile. Clemens’ sleek design not only popularized the bag but the affordable price did as well. The idea behind the Telfar is best exemplified by the quote “Not for you, for everyone”, highlighting how the bag is much more accessible than the average luxury item. Many people’s answers regarding luxury revolved around a price point and status, the Telfar still allows you to attain status at a more attainable price. Telfar expertly subverted the idea of luxury by essentially “breaking the Internet” and creating one of the most in-demand bags of the past decade. Though Telfar may not exactly be the pinnacle of luxury it certainly levelled out the playing field of luxury items and redefined the meaning. The bag is high quality, stylish and attainable for many.

THE ALLURE OF LUXURY & SOCIAL MEDIA

Another common theme among individuals the allure and mysticism of luxury. Many people associated luxury with words like elite, elegant, classic, opulent and exclusive. Exclusivity is particularly interesting as it juxtaposes the new school of thought of accessible luxury with Telfar. However, many luxury items are significant and something an individual works up to. In the age of social media, it is easy to be drawn into the world of luxury, influencers and celebrities constantly post pictures parading their luxury products to their millions of followers. As stated above, luxury historically signifies a high status“…luxury represented the duty of the noblesse and was expressed through a sumptuous appearance and spacious and opulent dwelling. This visibility of luxury was the expression of rank and prestige in early modern society” (Von Wachenfeldt 2018). As stated in this quote social media stars posting in designer brands are a new iteration of this elite class and “vanity luxury”.

Seeing Kylie Jenner post a picture in a beautiful Chanel ensemble or seeing Jeffree Star pose in his large closet hypnotizes followers to want to be on that level and live in that world of luxury. This idea is not necessarily a bad thing, it is good to want to work up to a product and feel classy with it, it is for certain that luxury items will always be desired. Social media is a new form of culture for society and in turn, a new tool to advertise/promote fashion products. Influencers and influencer marketing are fairly new phenomena in conducting business and these stars are cultural figures that guide how we see the world and want things. This idea is best exemplified by the following quote: “Culture shapes our bodies, thoughts, feelings, desires, and values. It allows us to express ourselves in aesthetically pleasing ways, just as it helps us to define how to continually remake our bodies and ourselves. Culture, however, cannot exist without the animating power of embodied thought and action” (Venkatesh et al., 2010).

SELLING “LUXURY” & SATISFYING CONSUMER CRAVE

IMAGE: Lana Del Rey and Jared Leto in the Gucci Guilty perfume advertisement (2019).

The interplay between luxury and profitability is quite significant. Many luxury brands want to keep the “image” of luxury as close to the consumer as possible where they feel it is attainable yet the full dream will always be out of reach. The fashion industry must still sell to the average consumer and keep them interested in the “fantasy”. In order for consumers to stay interested brands focus advertising on more attainable products like perfumes and cosmetics “… we will fulfill our out-of-the-price-range lust for a couture bomber jacket with a $90 perfume, or $40 mascara” (Lowthorpe 2016). Pictured above, is the Gucci Guilty Perfume ad campaign that featured Lana Del Rey and Jared Leto, which sold the Gucci fantasy through A-list celebrities styled with vibrant Gucci garments. The consumer will be satisfied admiring the allure of luxury while still feeling as though they can participate in the dream by owning a few (or even one) luxury item. In this new age where luxury must face the intersection of exclusivity and accessibility through profits, the industry particularly historical fashion houses will opt for the former approach, when asked about this observation, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault argued that consumers want to be in contact with the history of the brand. In turn, this relationship reinforces that “…low access that is the key criterion of their distinction” (Von Wachenfeldt 2018). In an increasingly globalized world, there are a variety of examples of how haute couture brands create lower tier “ready to wear” products for the more average consumers and thus the pact between profitable fashion and prestigious haute couture persists. Everyone’s answer underpins this notion that luxury is an idea that is sold and no matter the luxury item they owned or saw they recognized the message of luxury that was communicated to them.

THE FUTURE OF LUXURY

What is the future of luxury and is it still relevant today? In the age of COVID-19 and an increasingly environmentally conscious world does luxury still have a place? Many contend that yes, there is still a place for luxury. Though luxury reinforces a socioeconomic class divide, consumers still will want to work towards those pieces. In terms of environmental concerns, there are increasingly popular options for sustainable luxury. Consignment stores, buying vintage and thrifting are all viable options to shop for luxury items. For example, the consignment store The RealReal has set up multiple flagship locations where customers can shop for lightly used second-hand designer items.

Under capitalism, the luxury industry will continue to thrive but shoppers are becoming increasingly aware of their shopping habits. There is a space to be educated and aware of the ugly side of the luxury world and capitalism yet still want to participate in fashion and creativity. LVMH, the most powerful luxury conglomerate follows a highly commercialized and industrial approach to conducting business where there are multiple instances of worker exploitation and environmental concerns as well as a myth to words like “Made in Italy”. Where luxury used to put its focus on craftsmanship there has been a shift to respond to today’s market where luxury “…has located its interests into the consumption market while still playing on the consumer’s attraction to the myth of the brand”(Von Wachenfeldt 2018). While this sentiment may be true there is still validity in striving for designer items and as mentioned in this post, there are more sustainable options to fulfill this idea.

CONCLUSIONS

IMAGE: FKA Twigs performing at the Valentino menswear fashion show during Paris Fashion week (2020).

Perhaps there is no definitive answer to what luxury means but one thing is for certain, luxury is subjective and I think that what this post has been trying to answer is best summed up by the following quote:

“…luxury has become far more multi-faceted, subtly nuanced and laced with cryptic messages. Luxury is as wrapped up in the personal identity of much of the world as it ever was, but where it used to be I buy luxury goods; therefore I am it is now I buy luxury goods because I am special, unusual, interesting… Today, the luxury item in question could be a one-off or something churned out by the hundreds-a-day — if it has the right label stitched into it. It could be a gown crafted with a breathtaking skill that took 4,200 hours to make in the Valentino ateliers in Rome, or it could be a white t-shirt stamped with the words ‘YOU FUCK’N ASSHOLE’ by the new messiah-brand, Vetements. This is luxury’s greatest shift: it’s not about how much, it’s about who — and who is constantly shifting” (Lowthorpe 2018).

To answer my own questions the above picture is what I deem luxurious: FKA Twigs performing at the Valentino runway show during Paris Fashion Week in a diamond-encrusted Valentino garment. As a long admirer of Pier Paolo Piccioli at Valentino, this piece is elegant, opulent, unique and a form of high artistry which is what I deem luxurious.