The term 'luxury' has lost its meaning. It's now associated with anything from a £1,590 cotton hoodie with a faux fur-trimmed hood by Balenciaga to a £9,000 stainless steel coffin that resembles Elon Musk's Cybertruck. The irony lies in the fact that luxury brands are now proudly self-identifying and embracing this concept of conspicuous consumption.
Fashion designer Demna Gvasalia is a prime example of this shift. His designs often spark controversy and outrage, but they also tap into a desire for showy wealth and status. Balenciaga's latest collaboration with British Vogue features Gwyneth Paltrow wearing the £1,590 hoodie in her luxurious Hamptons home, where she chops a pineapple in a marble kitchen. The juxtaposition is striking – it's almost as if the designer is asking us to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
However, luxury has always been contentious. The word has been debated for over 2,000 years, with philosophers like Plato and Rousseau weighing in on its meaning. Karl Marx even described it as "the opposite of the necessary." It's a "shape shifter," explains Dr John Armitage, an associate professor and author of books on luxury philosophy.
The latest iteration of luxury is all about conspicuous consumption – a return to loud, flashy, and expensive clothing and accessories that shout about wealth and status. The £8m Birkin bag is back in style, as are five-figure Labubus and President Trump's gaudy gold Oval Office makeover.
Demna's Gucci collection was similarly unapologetic, featuring giant logo-ed trunks, faux-fur coats, and scuffed edges on a £425 baseball cap. There's no subtlety here – it's all about making a statement.
So what does this say about our understanding of luxury? Dr Armitage suggests that its meaning is constantly changing, but rather than diluting the term, we're simply understanding it differently. "The thing about luxury," he says, "is that its meaning is not fixed."
Perhaps this shift in perception is a reflection of our online-driven lives, where the notion of quiet luxury has given way to a desire for showy wealth and status. The question remains – does 'luxury' still mean anything? Or has it simply become a marketing term with no deeper meaning?
Fashion designer Demna Gvasalia is a prime example of this shift. His designs often spark controversy and outrage, but they also tap into a desire for showy wealth and status. Balenciaga's latest collaboration with British Vogue features Gwyneth Paltrow wearing the £1,590 hoodie in her luxurious Hamptons home, where she chops a pineapple in a marble kitchen. The juxtaposition is striking – it's almost as if the designer is asking us to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
However, luxury has always been contentious. The word has been debated for over 2,000 years, with philosophers like Plato and Rousseau weighing in on its meaning. Karl Marx even described it as "the opposite of the necessary." It's a "shape shifter," explains Dr John Armitage, an associate professor and author of books on luxury philosophy.
The latest iteration of luxury is all about conspicuous consumption – a return to loud, flashy, and expensive clothing and accessories that shout about wealth and status. The £8m Birkin bag is back in style, as are five-figure Labubus and President Trump's gaudy gold Oval Office makeover.
Demna's Gucci collection was similarly unapologetic, featuring giant logo-ed trunks, faux-fur coats, and scuffed edges on a £425 baseball cap. There's no subtlety here – it's all about making a statement.
So what does this say about our understanding of luxury? Dr Armitage suggests that its meaning is constantly changing, but rather than diluting the term, we're simply understanding it differently. "The thing about luxury," he says, "is that its meaning is not fixed."
Perhaps this shift in perception is a reflection of our online-driven lives, where the notion of quiet luxury has given way to a desire for showy wealth and status. The question remains – does 'luxury' still mean anything? Or has it simply become a marketing term with no deeper meaning?
! Like, who needs a £9,000 coffin when you can just have a nice family plot and some dignity 
? And don't even get me started on the prices – £1,590 for a hoodie? That's like buying a whole new wardrobe for my tiny niece 
. Anyway, I think luxury has always been about excess and showing off, but now it's more like a never-ending parade of tacky logos and overpriced stuff 
. Maybe we just need to redefine what "luxury" means – like, is it actually about the quality of something or just about how much money you're willing to throw at it? 
I mean, I've seen some DIY projects that are way more stylish and functional than anything those brands come up with 
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And don't even get me started on these giant logo-ed trunks – can you imagine wearing something that says "I'm so extra"? 
I mean, can't luxury just be about exclusivity and craftsmanship without having to shout it from the rooftops? And what's with all these expensive coffin designs... is Elon Musk trying to make a point about immortality or something? 
The term 'luxury' has always been subjective, but maybe we need to re-evaluate our understanding of it in this digital age. Do we still value the art of subtle elegance, or are we just chasing after a fleeting status symbol? 
come on people, don't be so hard on luxury brands! I think they're doing exactly what's needed - embracing the absurdity of it all and having a good laugh at themselves. It's like, yeah sure, that £1,590 hoodie is a bit ridiculous, but isn't that kinda the point? We should be laughing at our own excesses rather than shaming them. And honestly, who says luxury has to be subtle all the time? Sometimes I think we're just too hung up on "class" and forget that fashion is supposed to be fun! 
. It just seems like people are more interested in showing off their money than actual quality or craftsmanship. And don't even get me started on the environmental impact of all these flashy items 
. I mean, can't we just appreciate a good design without breaking the bank? 
The irony is that luxury brands are actually embracing the idea of conspicuous consumption, which is kinda the opposite of what I think of as high-end fashion 
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. But at the end of the day, does it really matter if your hoodie costs £1,590 or £425? 
It's all just about being comfortable and feeling good, right? 
But I still don't get what makes something "luxury" - is it about feeling exclusive? Or is it just about having a lot of money? 
. But is that really a good thing? Are we just losing sight of what truly makes something valuable or meaningful?
. It's like, can't we just appreciate the value of something without needing to shout about it from the rooftops? I mean, who needs a £1,590 hoodie with faux fur or an £8m Birkin bag just because it's flashy and expensive? It's just so...tacky 
. At least those things will last and not make you look like a try-hard 
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And don't even get me started on Demna Gvasalia's designs... I get what he's trying to do, but sometimes it feels like he's just trolling us 
I think this shift in perception is kinda wild. Like, back in the day, luxury meant exclusivity & craftsmanship, not just flashing cash everywhere 
. Does it really matter what the term 'luxury' means anymore, or are we just along for the ride?