A Pinay teen was recently bashed for calling a Charles and Keith bag a “luxury”. For some netizens Uniqlo is a luxury. But trolls seem to be offended. ONLY the most-known luxury brands: Gucci, Dior, Louis Vuitton etc, should only be called luxury, they said.
But who defines luxury? Is your perception of luxury the same or similar to mine? Let’s discuss.
The C&K tea
Early January of this year, seventeen-year old Zoe Gabriel, who is based in Singapore, made a TikTok video thanking her dad for buying her a US$60 (around Php 4,000) bag from Charles & Keith, but trolls says it’s like ‘calling a fast-food restaurant fine dining’.
TikTok / zohtaco
Gabriel then responded to trolls who shamed her by posting another video replying to one comment that said, “Who’s gonna tell her?”
“I am so happy and grateful for you, that you can consider Charles and Keith not a luxury. also btw if you google it, lots of sources do classify them as a luxury brand,” she captioned her explanation video response.
“Growing up, I did not have a lot. My family didn’t have a lot,” she said. “We couldn’t buy things as simple as bread.” Gabriel started to sob when she said “For me and my family, it is a lot, and I’m so grateful that my dad was able to get me one. He worked so hard for that money,” the TikToker continued.
Charles and Keith reached out to Gabriel and her dad, inviting them to have lunch with the company’s founders, who also came from “humble beginnings”.
From theonlinecitizen.com
“Our founders believe that our products should spark joy, empower fashion lovers and give them confidence, something we believe she presented so eloquently in her video and for which we are so grateful,” the Charles and Keith spokesperson told a Singapore-based broadsheet, The Straits Times.
Gabriel then shared an update on her Tiktok where she showed the pair of black and white saddle bags.
“To everyone who has shown their support and endless kindness, this is for you. You have made things happen for me I never thought possible, taught me lessons I will never forget, and have given me so many valuable memories. I would not be here if it weren’t for you, and for the millionth time and counting, I give you all my love, thanks, and well wishes; I am forever grateful and indebted to you all,” she wrote on the caption of her Tiktok video.
The Abstractness of Luxury
The charm of luxury goods is the affirmation of a lifestyle that only the elite can afford. The more “novel” reasons of the affluent tells that it is about supporting the heritage and tradition of a certain brand.
Sure, any handbag, pair of shoes, or jewelry could be expensive due to the material, the craftsmanship, and the time needed to make it. Such luxury items can go beyond functionality, durability, and style to provide for some an investment, and to others, an achievement of emotional resonance.
But for what it’s worth, the purchase of luxury goods is relatively exclusive, limited, and often merely hypothetical. According to a study by Hansen and Wanke in 2011, these luxury brands may seem psychologically distant than ordinary goods only because of an abstract mental representation that both consumers and advertisers describe luxury products in more abstract language than they describe ordinary products, and that abstract product descriptions are perceived as more luxurious than concrete product descriptions.
In short, luxury is simply a specific kind of sign value, produced in specific narratives and used in processes of stratification. “I, a member of the 1%, can afford this and you can’t.”
Luxury Changes Over Time
We may not realize it, but luxury continuously redefines itself. When Marie Antoinette supposedly said “let them eat cake”, she was seen as an insensitive luxury junkie who’s out of control spending grated on the poor and unfortunate French people. Of course today, one may expect to receive a cake at least once in their life.
While luxury is no longer the embrace of the kings and queens of France, scholars like Velben says it is based upon the belief that as wealth spreads, what drives consumers’ behavior is increasingly neither subsistence nor comfort but the “attainment of esteem and envy of fellow men”. “I see you’ve been looking at this beautiful watch. Well I can have it and you can’t.”
Sign of privilege
As a sign, it becomes apparent that luxury is a relative concept. Every social group can be said to have its own luxury.
Every social group has in fact a different kind of luxury, which means that a Coach is also no luxury item in the 0.5% wealthy population, or that a Uniqlo shirt is already a luxury in other cases.
Redefining luxury
However, luxury may just take a turn with these recent discussions. The rise of inflation and widening of wealth gaps can push an emerging trend where we can redefine luxury that can only relate to a consumer’s desire to be meaningful and genuine, thereby generating sensible value. In these cases, luxury is closely linked to consumers’ perceptions of meaningfulness and well-being.
Imagine finding luxury in non-commercial contexts and specific activities like cycling or gardening. These activities provide more contributions to personal well-being in a highly competitive and hustle-culture world. Through this, we can base consumerism in values generated for personal well-being and try to bridge the gaps instead of widening them.
What do you think?
