Preconceptions of 'Luxury'

Understandably people have commandeered a number of preconceptions of luxury, the main and reoccurring one being in relation to money, which is becoming a dominating cliché.

Luxury’s context as the years have gone by has become to a great extent indescribable. There is a fixed and limited idea that you need to part with a great deal of money to purchase a luxury product or service. Along with the thought that you need to be particularly wealthy to even contemplate purchasing a product characterized as luxurious. Luxury in general is very subjective, yet in my opinion a very important and integrated component of today’s modern world especially for us as designers.

However, there are numerous products at discount stores like ‘Poundland’ who sell ‘luxury’ branded boxes of chocolate for merely One UK British Sterling Pound. The chocolate could be cheap but packaged differently to appear of more value, or they are indisputably rare, authentic branded chocolates, which are more expensive elsewhere making them a bargain?! By using exclusive gift wrapping services and packaging in shops worldwide, this gives the opportunity for the shop keeper, company managing director or product designer to give their products a special ‘status’. This then has the concept to majestically make their products become more appealing to a wider target group. By concealing products in boxes with countless ribbons, gift tags, assortments of tissue paper and other embellishments particularly fabricates and increases a product’s image and intensity to appear more ‘luxurious’ than it actually may be.

The high street retailer, La Senza is a good example of this. Their well-established gift-wrapping services are probably one of the best complimentary services any person can receive these days in the mass-produced fast-pace retail and fashion sector, making their products appear to be more of a boutique or high end status, even though La Senza is extremely reasonably priced and affordable to virtually every working person. The luxury gift-wrapping service they offer really sets them apart from other stores, making the luxury of purchasing their products to be more of an enriched experience and appearance, rather than just plain ‘designer’ merchandise. 

‘An increased awareness of how people process visual information can help designers to create meaningful messages that are understood on both a cognitive and emotional level.’ Designers need to be aware of everyone’s opinions, beliefs and preconceptions – otherwise we cannot provide clients with what is required emotionally and psychically, let alone technically. Designers could consider that ‘luxury’ needs not be an expensive product, but could just be part of the vital services offered. By exceeding expectations and providing a satisfying and enriching experience for all cliental a designer’s services’ will heighten ‘luxuriousness’.