What is luxury?!

Having researched extensively in to how people personally perceive ‘luxury’ and what people class ‘luxury’ to mean nowadays, there is ultimate proof that everyone dictates luxury in different ways. Luxury seems to have gradually evolved in to lots of established personal meanings, and it has also proved a difficult challenge to pin down just one generalized modern meaning. However, it appears as you delve deeper in to the subject of ‘luxury’ it soon becomes apparent that the appeal [of luxury] is so deeply rooted in human nature.

But do luxury products and services make us feel better? Today products’ have the theory and ability to make us happier and more comfortable in some ways, and ‘studies identify a variety of categories in which extra spending would promote longer, healthier and happier lives for all’. Though, understandably ‘luxury’ does not always involve and rely on the expense paid – but it entails the services we offer as designers, and receive as clients. A large part of quality service and ‘luxurious’ experiences comes with gaining trust and providing loyalty, and not just focusing how designs are demonstrated aesthetically and technically.

A luxurious interior can be created just by completing and exceeding a client’s wishes – creating the perfect aura or colour palette etc. Purchasing expensive fittings to create a ‘luxury’ setting is unnecessary, the chosen items merely need to work and feel right in the environment. Simple details like adding unexpected touches, balancing elements and transitions within spaces can also create a luxurious experience and impact. Even flooding areas with light can be interesting - shadows can be thrown in spaces creating striking silhouettes. Most importantly, items and possessions can be opulent in appearance yet be very inexpensive. As Tricia Guild has said, 'a room can possess grand ballroom proportions, yet be uninviting and dull.' Luxury within design involves a great deal of thought, time and subtle surprises. 

So can purchasing a luxury product or service cause us to feel luxurious? By exceeding a product or service luxury has in some cases been proven to provide us with a ‘spiritual edge.’ Luxury appears to have a deep meaning which is closely linked within human thoughts.

What is ‘luxury’ and how can it help us as designers? There is huge clash of opinions concerning ‘luxury’, but everyone appears to expect an exceptional service as part of a luxury product, ‘customers expect service to be at the same level as the creations brands are promoting’. Conceivably ‘luxury’ comes down to the happiness that the products or services we offer, provide. ‘Customers value some products as much as what they symbolise as for what they do’. Significance is in how consumers will come and go, while finances will fail and thrive yet ‘luxury’ forever endures.

I believe luxury should be considered within the design process, and part of the provisions we offer. But are you worth the luxury?

Ps. If anybody would like a copy of my research questionnaire regarding luxury, please email - the results are actually incredibly interesting :)

Status Sells and Exploitation in Design

Internationally successful and recognised products are perceived as either ‘top quality’, ‘fashionable’ or ‘expensive’. Therefore most designs and finished products are sold for a vast amount of money compared to average high street store prices. Yet, are the expensive price tags acceptable to pay for a label? 

A designer's success and reputation are factors in the high prices; however, quality and cost of materials are also contributing factors. 

Receiving status awards, such as OBE’s (Officer in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), may have an effect upon the pricing of their produce because they have been acclaimed for their products excelled quality and their triumphant design decisions, so become much-admired. Is it down to the principle of awarding the designer’s for the designs they themselves came up with, or is it just greed?

Are communities in third world countries seeing the vast amount of money we see on the retail prices of the finished fabric? This is very much undoubtful and there is much exploitation within the production and industry in general. However this question seems to have a different answer depending on the fabric designer. 

Obviously it is clear Anne Quinn (a fabric designer who uses felt) isn’t exploiting anyone, she’s working from a sustainable material and finishing her products by hand, herself. Her products aren’t sold for a massive price, they are sold at a price which arguably justifies the fact that they are partly handmade and extremely time consuming to make, as well as being aesthetically very pleasing. 

It appears big brand names like Versace don’t seem to have a lot of care for where their materials come from, and don’t give off a very fair-trade image.

Versace, who’s reputation is so huge they don’t seem to be willing to do much for change – they already know their products sell and for a great deal of money and thus see no reason to change their ways regardless of carbon footprint or social inequalities.

But large designer brands aren’t always selfish, for example, Gucci have had a partnership with UNICEF since 2005, “Gucci has intensified the company’s commitment to UNICEF and to saving and improving children’s lives by expanding the annual campaign and introducing significant new initiatives to support the partnership.” In February 2008 they raised in just one night, $2.7 million together with UNICEF.

I am sure no designer’s deliberately choose to exploit anyone for labour, they are merely doing what as a company they need to do in order to gain profit and survive the market in these tough financial times.