Following the publication of a piece over on
The Melbourne Review there’s been some pixels splashed about on Alternative Hedonism, and it’s shaping up to be a major trend for 2012 and beyond. I need to remind myself of this as I’m starting to go wild with sales shopping fever, I know those silly little bargains end up collecting dust - or in landfill. Anyway – here’s a timely rehash of Alternative Hedonism.
The only growing market segment in the fashion industry is luxury goods, this has been the case for the past few years. Especially this year’s annual reports are showing very healthy growth across the luxury brands. The strong financial results are seen most keenly at the top end of the luxury stable. With Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) recording 13% revenue increase, Hermès 14% growth and the Richemont group, encompassing Cartier, Piaget and Montblanc is dominating with 41% growth in sales for jewellery, and 34% growth for specialist watchmaker watches. This is even more striking in contrast with the oft-discussed slump across fashion retailing, significantly Topshop’s announcement that they are closing up to 260 stores in the coming years, after posting a 38% fall in profit.
I see the shift towards high value fashion market resulting from the novelty of buying multiples wearing off; when everyone can afford the shoes in 5 colours, owning them at all is passé. People are more interested in long lasting items that won't need constant replacing, objects you can have evolving and satisfying relationships with.
There’s a great quote from RMIT’s fashion doyenne Karen Webster, earlier this year “We live in a world where the norm is to want more, more, more for cheaper, cheaper, cheaper in an environment that works faster, faster, faster... resulting in a ho-hum fashion and more product that looks the same.” She foresees future fashion customers seeking “true value and integrity; products that capture the spirit of artisan creators, sustainable style and brand authenticity.”
Manolo Blahnik said pretty much the
same thing in November "good product that lasts, something solid, well-done and handmade. Women invest in good things. The days of cheap things and gimmicks are over. These are new times, different times. You need to buy something that lasts." My favourite Danes, Noir, are also commenting on the shift in their customers: “There are more and more intelligent consumers who don’t want to be buying things all the time. They see fashion as a meaningful process.” Vivienne Westwood puts it much more bluntly “don't consume crap, make a choice."
Closer to home Melbourne based sustainable fashion designer Alex Trimmer gave the example of a shirt he designed in October last year when commenting on luxury and the connection between garment and wearer. This shirt used super high quality fabric in the design, he wanted to see how the shirt would perform against a $20 alternative. Wearing the $99 shirt at least once a week since October last year, he has not discerned a difference in colour, shape or handle of the fabric, although he didn't replace the $20 shirt, he had to bin after a few months. Replacing the $20 shirt every three months would have cost $100 by now.
This mindset makes sense intuitively, I remember experimenting at DFO, loading up at multiple stores. The satisfaction of walking around with an armful of bags was far greater than the wearing and eventual discarding of clothes that weren't quite right. Compare this experience to a pair of boots I spent a week’s wage on five years ago that I've worn hundreds of times, and unfailingly give me a feeling of style and satisfaction. The same is true of fragrance, the more expensive perfumes give a subtle yet persistent scent, outlasting multiple sprays of immediate and overly strong cheaper options. The 'expensive' option, continually eventuates as better value in the long term.
To actualise better value and active an alternatively hedonistic life, look for meaning and beauty in products. Form connections with the people from whom you buy, seek out high end boutiques, markets and artisan makers, spend more on each item, and don't take home anything you don't love. Look for the one perfect piece that will last as long, and provide deeper connection and satisfaction than several low cost, but unfulfilling items. As Karen Webster surmises “True value has nothing to do with price, it is all about quality and longevity.”