Deluxe – How did Luxury Lose Its Luster
Deluxe: SYNOPSIS
Luxury was once available only to the rarefied, aristocratic world of old money. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations that focus on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to reveal the industry secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don’t want us to know. An uncompromising look behind the glossy facade, Deluxe asks: How did luxury lose its luster?
Social Media Luxury
I’m so glad that I came across this book, it’s been out for about 11 years now, but I’m just now truly appreciating it.
Why?
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we’re living in the Golden Age of luxury social media – Where Youtubers show off luxury handbag collections & film their extravagant lifestyles, Instagrammers snap hundreds of pictures wearing their $3,000 purses, and bloggers post luxury unboxings on their blogs. Honestly, the only time ‘Luxury’ is blatantly & consistently rubbed in my face is on social media.
Back in the day when I was growing up I could kinda block it out and rationalize it. For example, remember when the ‘It’ celebrity would get hired for a luxury campaign and then we’d see their images with the product in all the magazines? Well, I never really desired super expensive products because I couldn’t relate to the celebrities that were endorsing them to begin with. I instinctively knew those products weren’t made for me, and they weren’t, they were made for individuals with an unlimited income.
But now it’s an entirely different game.
How so?
Mass-Produced Luxury
Well, when I watch Youtube and I see girls in my age range (they’re more relatable to me than celebrities) that have an entire closet filled with ‘luxury’ items, it makes me wonder why I’m not hoarding luxury goods as well.
And that’s why I’m so glad that I read this book by Dana Thomas, because she did an amazing job informing her readers about the democratization of luxury or mass-produced luxury that has emerged within society in the past 30 years:
“Louis Vuitton is the greatest example of what executives in the fashion business call democratic luxury: it’s big, it’s broad-reaching, and it sells wildly expensive stuff that nobody really needs. It is mass- produced luxury. Vuitton is a status symbol. It’s not about hiding the logo. It’s about being a bit of a show-off.”
Superior Products. Not Logos
In the beginning of the book, Dana Thomas explains that true luxury originated for royalty. Luxury artisans were supported by royalty so that they could provide nobility with superior products. Superior products. Not “logos”.
“With the fall of monarchy and the rise of industrial fortunes in the late nineteenth century, luxury became the domain of old-moneyed and elite American families. Luxury wasn’t simply a product. It denoted a history of tradition, superior quality, and often a pampered buying experience.”
True luxury was only made in small quantities, and only for the elite. It wasn’t a product that could be mass produced or purchased in your local store.
“Very few people had ever breathed the pantry air of a house of a woman who wore the kind of dress Vogue used to show when I was young.” – Diana Vreeland
True Luxury Was Only For The Elite
The author describes that true luxury died in the 1960’s. Corporate tycoons and financiers saw the potential in making ‘luxury’ accessible to the middle market.
What does that mean?
That means that teachers, nurses, paralegals, secretaries are now able to afford and purchase Deluxe brands more than ever, compared to prior to the 1960’s.
Isn’t that a good thing?
Not really. Now the goal is to make as much money as possible, not to provide the consumer with the most superior quality or service.
Deluxe should be in your home library if you like:
- To shop.
- You’re obsessed with logos.
- You like deluxe/luxury products
- You like to spend a lot of money on brands
- If you like history. (It was interesting to read about the origination of LV, Chanel, Gucci, Versace)
- If you enjoy an interesting & educational read.
- If you like being informed.
- If you purchase fake ‘luxury’ products.
- Before you make your next pricey deluxe purchase.
- If you love to read in general.
- If you shop at outlet stores.
I think if you like to read and you are into your luxury goods, then you should most definitely give this book a go. The only thing that I found a little boring was when the author would go into very long detail about the factories or locations where the some of the purses were made. Dana Thomas also went into great lengths about the current corporate tycoons, and there were a few other instances where I felt the book kinda dragged a little. I wish she could have given more juicy details, because it did feel like she was holding back a bit, I’m sure for legal reasons. This book could have been way juicier, I’m sure the author knows more than she’s letting on, but perhaps she’s just being very cautious.
“Vuitton is the McDonald’s of the luxury industry…and has a logo as recognizable as the Golden Arches.”
“The luxury industry has changed the way people dress. It has realigned our economic class system. It has changed the way we interact. It has become part of our social fabric. To achieve this, it has sacrificed its integrity, undermined its products, tarnished its history, and hoodwinked its consumers. In order to make luxury “accessible” tycoons have stripped away all that has made it special. Luxury has lost its luster.”
I completely relate & agree with the quote above. I’ve seen so many Youtubers complain about their Louis Vuitton pochette matis purchase, it completely turned me off from that brand. I really wanted a pochette matis from LV, but there were so many negative reviews about the quality of the bag that I’m so glad I never purchased that $2000 bag. The pochette matis is a popular ‘it’ bag made famous by – social media influencers – the bags are cheaply made to keep up with the increased demand. A lot of customers complain that LV bags are not made as well as they were 20 or 30 years ago, and that’s why I enjoyed this book so much because it did a great job of explaining the reasons why luxury products are not superior as they once were.
Deluxe – Luxury is now just ‘High Street’ fashion.
I enjoyed this book and I thought it was very informative. Currently and in the future I know it will keep me from making deluxe ‘impulse’ purchases, especially silly fads I see on social media. Because of the authors amazing research I’m more informed as a consumer. I now know the difference between true luxury and high street fashion. I will never see Louis Vuitton as special anymore, but merely as the McDonald’s of the luxury world.
I also like that the book went into detail about how luxury brands are so desperate for more profit that they make cheaper items for the outlet stores. It also explains about the criminal aspects of ‘fake’ bags. Customers don’t desire well made products, they just want the logo/brand, they just want to appear to look like they can afford that brand. This is dangerous because abused children and employees are taken advantage of just to make ‘fake’ luxury products. Also, the author claims that terrorism is funded by the ‘fake’ luxury bag business.
I got this book on Amazon for less than $10 and I think it was totally worth the purchase. I’ll never look at ‘luxury’ items the same way. This is a must read before your next ‘luxury’ purchase. I’d recommend it if you want to zone the world out for several hours and read something interesting.
⭐⭐⭐ What are your thoughts on ‘luxury’ products or brands? Have you read this book? Let me know in the comments section below.
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Have a beautiful day
