Key words: France, luxury goods, popularity, global, mystery. When some of our countrymen intend to boycott LV bags, we might as well "think in reverse": what factors have made French fashion popular globally?
When brand experts discuss luxury goods, they all agree that French products have unique advantages, such as perfection, detail, tradition, and French taste, which often run through the entire discussion. In fact, anyone just needs to walk into France to come to this conclusion. The exquisite and perfectly preserved stone buildings, the golden metal gates shining with gold, and the polished perfect gilded emperor statues all provide the best proof.
Paris, the city known as the "City of Light", has become the most popular tourist destination in the world, with more than 30 million tourists carrying cameras here every year to absorb the nutrients of fashion. France attracts 79 million tourists every year due to its vineyards, lavender fields, and unique culinary culture. However, the focus of tourism always falls on Paris. Whether it is the Seine River shimmering with gold reflecting the Eiffel Tower, or the rude attitude of the French towards tourists wearing T-shirts, the underlying philosophy of this city is rooted in its bold attitude and tradition towards beauty and detail.
Leonard Crochet, the owner of all luxury travel businesses on the famous Avenue Montaigne, said: "Paris gathers the best things the world can offer. Children growing up in French families are raised in the best way, naturally possessing a sense of life's taste. We may not be born with a special sense and creativity for trends, but after being educated for 20 years, even the stitching of a Chanel suit is clear to us."
However, with the changing trends of the global economy, so-called "luxury" products are becoming increasingly popular, and luxury brands and their concepts are facing unprecedented challenges. This is particularly evident in two recent books about luxury brands. The first is Dana Thomas's book "How Luxury Brands Lose Their Luster," which describes the details of the entire history of French fashion, such as spending a full 200 hours making a robe, or designers insisting on their original creative ideas without being influenced by nobles when designing their clothes.
Historically, two factors have enabled this force to grow into luxury brands. The first factor is that creators can focus on quality—asking questions like whether you can sit, stand, or what you will do while wearing this piece of clothing—so that these clothes can be worn repeatedly and won't be discarded because they're out of style. The second factor is that creators have undeniable authority over fashion trends, providing indispensable advice to nobles seeking trends, elegance, and taste.
The definition of luxury stems from the intimate relationship between designers and customers. Thomas discusses the integration of modern luxury brands and the inevitable loss of their luster. Today, the exclusivity and uniqueness of luxury brands are eroded by mass-market products and increasing commercialization. The wealthy should, and are, seeking higher realms and exclusive luxury goods, so they continue to pay attention to luxury brands.
Another more notable book is "The Worship of Luxury Brands: Asia's Obsession with Luxury," which describes the rise of luxury brands on the other side of the world. The collectivist society of Asia is experiencing continuous prosperity, and luxury brand buyers are no longer just customers; they are fanatical enthusiasts. In Asia, a Louis Vuitton bag is not only a must-have luxury item but has even become an object of worship in Japanese culture. Japan accounts for 40% of the world's luxury purchases. China is also growing exponentially, and India and South Korea have large groups of luxury brand enthusiasts. Under this change, the long-dominant American luxury brand market is no longer the main driving force behind luxury brands and lifestyles.
Elegance Facing Vulgar Impact
Balance, elegance, and focus on details are clearly becoming the pursuit of the new generation. Antoine Chevannat, aged 34, who owns a family hotel in Saint-Tropez, feels proud of the traditions created by his family. However, he does not take anything for granted. Mr. Chevannat sat in a meeting room very different from the extremely utilitarian and small-sized ones in America, with oil paintings lining the walls and a long carved wooden table in the middle. He politely crossed his hands on his chest and explained: "Luxury, to me, is carefully made according to orders, and it must have the randomness and uniqueness that differ from the mass market. A luxury item is something specially handcrafted for a particular person."
Taking fashion design as an example, the word "fashion" is often misused in English. Simply translated, fashion means making clothes and sewing. In French, "haute" means high-end custom-made. Therefore, "high-end custom-made fashion" means clothing made specifically for a unique individual, handmade.
As the number of luxury enthusiasts around the world increases, luxury brands are becoming easier to obtain and more vulgar, facing the risk of losing their true value and perception.
The Definition of Luxury Brands Is Losing. For example: When Norma Kachetorian, a private shopping guide in Paris exclusively for the rich, was asked about the sales situation of luxury brands, she said that due to the weakness of the dollar, it was now difficult for her to find American customers. "All my customers now are Russians, but I have to teach them the French concept of luxury. When they first found me, they wanted shiny things," she said. However, in the French concept of luxury, "shiny" is just an occasional factor.
Luxury Goods Are a Story
France's concept of longevity and continuity is linked to the quality of products. In this modern market where wearing unfortunate jeans and shirts is called personality, many people tend to think that it's just something we've created, like theme parks. The French value tradition because it has its own story—they have uniqueness. They are barrel-aged wines brewed over the years, and the stone buildings from the 15th to 19th centuries that have been weathered and corroded.
Creative Director Alexander Gallet, who once worked for French luxury brands YSL, Garrard, and Boucheron, pointed out: "If we take our work seriously, then we must agree with this concept: a person is great because he stands on the shoulders of past giants."
For many luxury brands, French taste is the value: combining sincere creation, real but indescribable subtle differences, timeless elegant products, it will never lose its meaning. For the French, quality exists objectively before the brand is presented.
In fact, the French despise materialism very much. Brands originate from reputation and exist based on quality standards. Philippe Starck once said: "We (the French) are the guardians of world concepts. Creators must remain extremely vigilant to maintain their position under the scrutiny of their peers. Therefore, France is a moral capital."