LUXURY CONSUMPTION AND ETHICS

The luxury world fascinates me; I’m dazzled by both the sheer magnificence and its distinct lack of values and integrity. It’s a world built on false dreams of acceptance and happiness, powered by the insecurities of its consumers. It’s a needy cycle where you’re constantly told what will make you happy and what store to get it in. When trends change, if you don’t keep up, you fall behind and are pushed out of social circles. No amount of luxuries can make you happy if you aren’t happy from the inside.


Hearing and reading about people upholding their luxury lifestyle sickens me in times such as these. We are heading into a global recession but all these hungry consumers care about is buying more of what they want instead of what they need. (Although I’m sure they don’t need anything) The beauty and service is admirable at Daslu in Sao Paolo but such a place just proves where society values are being placed; on consumption. Luxury lifestyle people live in a hermetic bubble believing that the recession won’t affect the top end of the market. For now they can bring out their inspired escapism collections but to me the change has already begun. A focus from buying trendy to buying long lasting craftsmanship or one offs. Cristiane Saddi expresses that “Luxury is not how much you can buy...[rather] Luxury is buying the right thing.” What’s the right thing?? To me luxury is time; time to read or sleep. Luxury is not a materialistic object but i guess my indifference is why i find it all so fascinating.