Author:Dana Thomas Availability:
Usually ships in 24 hours
$18.45
Editorial Review:
Dana Thomas, style and cultural reporter for Newsweek, brings a hard-hitting behind-the-scenes look at the world of "New Luxury" and how the massification of luxury goods has ensured that luxury isn't luxurious any longer
There was a time when luxury was available to only the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. Luxury wasn't simply a product, it was a lifestyle, one that denoted a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today's luxury marketplace would be virtually unrecognizable to the old-world elite. Gone are the family-owned businesses dedicated to integrity and quality; the industry is now run by massive corporations focused only on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Handmade goods are practically extinct, and almost all manufacturing has been outsourced to large factories in places such as China, where your expensive brand-name handbag is being assembled right next to one from a mass-market label that will cost substantially less.
Dana Thomas, a journalist who has covered style and the luxury business for The Washington Post, Newsweek>,and The New York Times Magazine from Paris for the past fifteen years, digs down into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don't want us to know. Traveling from the laboratories in Grasse, where Christian Dior and Prada perfumes are manufactured, to the crowded factories in China, where workers glue together "Made in Italy" bags by the thousands, Thomas explores the whole of today's high-end shopping experience to answer some pressing questions: What is the new definition of luxury when advertising for this upscale lifestyle is targeted mainly to the middle-class masses? What are we paying for when quality has given way to quantity, and luxury is no longer just for the upper-class elite? Thomas has travelled all over the world to interview corporate heads and factory workers, the old-money, old-luxury clients and the new luxury-obsessed middle-class consumer, and she paints a surprising picture of today's New Luxury. With Deluxe, she delivers a fast-paced, uncompromising look at the real world behind the glossy magazines and red carpet couture and asks: How did luxury lose its luster?
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A Must Read for anyone who Buys Anything Designer!:
This book was recommended by a fellow handbag collector, so I decided to give it a try. Once I opened it up and started reading, I could not put it down! As riveting as some of the best novels I read, I couldn't wait to read the next page/chapter!! It was so interesting learning the back stories of some of today's most coveted designers and to know about what really happens behind the scenes. It truly is an eye opener and changes your views on luxury brands and what designer labels really mean in... more info
Is mass market luxury possible, or an oxymoron?:
To what extent does the idea of 'luxury' correspond with the reality of a luxury brand? That's the question at the heart of Deluxe, in which veteran fashion reporter Dana Thomas leaves no Gucci logo or Birkin bag unturned in search of an answer. Historically, the brand WAS the luxury good -- without exclusivity and superb quality, old money simply wouldn't buy the item in question. But in the latter decades of the 20th century, a new breed of luxury moguls from LVMH's Bernard Arnault to the Versace... more info
Excellent:
What an excellent easy to read book. It's always good to get an "insiders'" view of an industry such as the luxury goods industry. I had never thought about the way they market or the activities that they cover until reading this book. It is definitely worth the time to read.
Deluxe. How Luxury Lost Its Luster:
Book is amazing. One does have a different opinion when you shop at Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, etc. and you know in most cases the founders and their families have no say in their product. It's a corporate world and the bottom line is money. A must read for a luxury brand shopper. Enjoyed the historical info on the original designer.
