1. Definition of luxury goods

Of course, there is no absolute authority on any definition, including the definition of luxury. However, there is a common understanding of a few key elements of luxury:

The scarcity of materials is the material basis of luxury goods.

Diamonds, birkin bags, and clothing inlaid with gold and silver in certain materials will become luxury goods. So the scarcity of the material determines the scarcity of the quantity. Luxury's truly scarce products are not sold in stores because they have already been ordered by the brand's VIP.

The uniqueness of design.

Why are star designers mostly born in luxury groups? On the one hand, marketing needs, brands need people who can produce stories, designers with outstanding talent can play such a role; On the other hand, the designer's design creativity plays an important role in luxury goods. History is full of examples of designers turning around brands. Tom Ford to Gucci; Christopher Bailey for Burberry; John Galliano at Dior.

Unique type of manual craft.

The most classic is Haute Couture, although the term has been overused over the years; Although there are not hundreds of people in the world who will consume real haute couture, and it is no longer a category that can make money for the brand, one of the reasons why Paris Haute Couture Week continues is to preserve its unique handmade craft. By the way, so far, the best manual still can not be replaced by machines (whether it will not be known in the future).

Stand the test of time.

This is important. Luxury things can not stand the test of time, then what luxury? Stand the test of time. First, of course, it must be durable -- it is a test of quality; Then there are the classics of design, which is why the works of masters look out of date after decades or centuries. Haute couture from before the 1950s still looks breathtaking. Finally, there is investment value. Luxury goods have investment value.

Ok, now that we have a common understanding of the definition of luxury, let's talk about how the luxury industry was formed. There is a good industrial ecological chain, there is the possibility of doing the brand.

2. Formation of luxury industry

Some friends have asked why luxury goods are mostly born in Italy and France. This one does have a history. The answer to this question also applies to how the luxury industry came to be.

Italy

Italy has two important historical origins.

One is related to the Renaissance period.

At this time, the city's economy is prosperous, human thinking is active, and culture and art are highly developed, which are the humanistic and economic basis for the achievement of high-end fashion products. And as we all know, the Renaissance had a huge impact on the whole of Europe and even humanity.

Secondly, the textile industry in Italy has been very developed since the Middle Ages.

In order to make France a global luxury center, the French government invited artisans from the Italian textile industry to train French artisans under Louis 16. To this day, Italian fabrics are still number one in the world. This provided the technological foundation for it to become a luxury hub.

In addition, Italian leather products also have a long history - to this day, when it comes to leather products made in Italy, it still represents the best quality. Leather goods are an important category of luxury goods (bags, shoes, etc.).

France

And France:

1. Personal influence factors.

Such as France's favorite Kings and queens: Louis XIV; Marie Antoinette; Empress Eugene (wife of Napoleon III). You can find out more about how obsessed these Kings and queens were with their clothes from the book list at the end of this article. As royalty, they were the "influencers" and "stars" of their generation. The difference from today's influencers and celebrities is that they have power.

Being powerful means they can use their power to politicize clothing. However, the politicization of clothing is not unique to France, and almost all countries have experienced this phenomenon in the history of dynasties. The obsession of the French Kings and queens with dress intensified the importance and popularity of fashion.

Louis XIV, for example, spent half a day having his hair, beard and clothes adjusted. For the guests who ask to meet, regardless of men, women and children, regardless of illness and health, they are required to wear etiquette. Queen Maria, on the other hand, prefers to be called the "Queen of fashion." Queen Eugene was the one who discovered the first haute couture designer, Charles Worth. It was she who saw Voss's dress for the Austrian ambassador's wife for the ball and made Voss her personal designer.

2. During the reign of Louis XVI, his Minister of Finance, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, was an important founder of the French luxury industry.

Colbert was the French Minister of Finance from 1665 to 1683 (during the reign of Louis XVI) and a cultural and economic champion of France, determined to make France the center of luxury goods in the world. He invited the best textile craftsmen from Italy to train his own people; Lyon as a silk base; The establishment of textile (handicraft, tailoring) industry association to improve the overall product quality and the standardization of business operations; The French are legally required to consume products made in France. In short, French luxury goods can become an industry with a complete ecological chain, which has an inseparable relationship with the actions of Jean-Baptiste Colbert in this period.

3. The colonial invasion of France brought it treasures from all over the world, including the import of foreign cultures.

The accumulation of these cultural and material aspects is also the basis for its ability to become a luxury center. Of course, this is not unique to France.

4. Business system.

Paris has the world's first department store, Le Bon Marche, established in 1838 (it is also said that 184X was established, the specific time is forgotten). The birth of department stores was crucial to the development of the fashion industry.

First, before the birth of department stores, people shopped like this:

It's very personal. Imagine when the economy was not developed, everyone went to the tailor to make clothes, that kind of one-to-one service. Department stores are public places where people come from all over the world.

Because it's private, people can bargain. Department stores have only begun to set prices.

The old shop only sold a certain category of products. The department store gathers all kinds of goods, the category covers almost all the necessities of life.

For the promotion of fashion, in addition to further stimulating the development of consumption, department stores allow more people to see more fashionable items, even if there is no money, is to see, but also long eyes. As a public place, the department store gathers the rich and poor from all over the world (including the countryside) (the rich and the poor rarely have intersection in the past), everyone wears their own clothes representing different classes, you can imagine it is a "flowing fashion picture". These are conducive to the consumption of fashion.

5. Consumer culture.

This is not unique to France. Europe in general was very dressy, especially the aristocracy. Several changes of clothes a day. From the morning coat, to the afternoon tea dress, to the hunting dress, to the opera, to the ball, the dinner party, the different dress etiquette for different occasions, at least cultivate the habit of European people pay great attention to the dress etiquette.