A Pinch Of Broke
By: Eleanor Ng
As beggars forego a casual dinner, the middle-class consumes caviar in an awkward demeanor. There is an obvious cultural shift in society, and luxury has lost its price.
While the world economy vehemently reaches a new low, our growing demands have established a new, drug-free high. Years ago, luxury brands were carelessly owned by the Cher Horowitz’s of our generation, and unrequitedly loved by the eagerly emerging Tai’s in all of us.
Today, the need for a fashionable status has taken over common sense, and credit card limits are blown to designer proportions just to achieve elitism. Today, the age has blurred between one fashion conscious figure to another, and kids are seen running around with copyrighted monograms splitting their personalities from head to toe. Today, luxury is without a reason, and reasons without definition.
Today, we are broke.
picture taken from here
Sure, looking fashionable means fitting into a size negative 0 dress, but starving and robbing one another for the sake of fashion is not the solution to facing recession. Instead of spending on decadent clothing, consumers have turned their attention fully onto accessories.
That one “IT” designer bag, those expensive eco-friendly handmade shoes, the latest celebrity bangles… These are the affordable luxury goods that complete an otherwise understated outfit, and these are the luxury goods that surpass all trends. Because of such conveniences, consumers are relying on this age-old remedy as their daily dose of fashion fix.
With the increase of demands for luxury goods leaning against the decrease of our fallen economy, designers are expected to engage themselves with mass production at higher costs (or limited productions at lower costs) to fit the fickle pattern of consumerism.
Divas wearing Vitas… the same bangles can be found at Lush Icon
Many have achieved a better percentage of sales in a formidable manner; they jumped onto the bandwagon of mass marketers meet designers. Target alone has pulled in a list of designer collaborators varied from Anya Hindmarch, to Alice Temperley, to recently added Monica Botkier and Richard Chai. But of course, such collaborations benefit both parties, and mass marketers worldwide are making full use of this shift in social standing.
Uniqlo has taken on the likes of Chloe Sevigny and Alexander Wang, H&M has offered the public a cheaper range of Roberto Cavalli and Stella McCartney, and Gap has rekindled its recognition with labels such as 3.1 Phillip Lim and Threeasfour. Not only does this allow the upper-end designers to embrace a new range of middle-class consumers, the customers are able to appreciate designer items at reasonable prices.
Threeasfour for Gap, Alexander Wang for Uniqlo, Botkier for Target
There are different types of luxury. There’s one from the quality of materials, and then there is the luxury of being who you want to be – Mario Testino. Without a doubt, luxury has reached new meanings, and the notion of being able to dress like a celebrity – be it the Queen of England or proud little semi naked Britney Spears – is very much within reach than ever perceived.
Whether you are someone important or no one significant, the discounted/cheaper option of being recognized for your individual taste in fashion is currently available, if only for as long as your credit card company (or aggressive interest rates) allows it to be. And as generic as the idea of masses sharing a common interest in luxury brands is, we are but a happy (albeit broke) bunch.
Today, we are royalty.
