Today in a lecture, Monseiur Patrice de Place taught us that accessible luxury is not luxury. He argued that luxury should not be accessed by all and therefore, accessible luxury brands are "cheaters."
Kristina Ortiz, Dean of Admissions at LIM College, attended a lecture on luxury while in Paris. The lecturer argued that luxury should not be accessed by all and accessible luxury items are "cheaters," as they are accessible to the unwashed masses!
He also mentioned that the quality of accessible luxury goods is not as good as true luxury goods. According to Monseiur de Place brands such as Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and even Luis Vuitton are not luxury. They are made available to all and thus have diminished their brand stature. Interesting, don't you think?
He spoke of China, which did not have access to any luxury items until 20 years ago when brands began opening stores everywhere and later started having to close, such as Luis Vuitton. And, can you guess what the two luxury brand favorites are? Hermes and Bottega Veneta, both of which are not "accessible."
Oh, and don't get him started on logos since he hates them! He believes that the logo trend has come to an end and the days of seeing C or LV or G on everything are history. Companies are opting for one small logo and not a repetitive print.
So what's in store for luxury? Youth are choosing to intermingle their wardrobe with fast fashion and luxury and Monseiur de Place is sure this will disrupt the future of the luxury niche.
Being a consumer and not really in the fashion business, I found his opinions and the discussion most fascinating. What do you think about the future of luxury?