Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster | Dana Thomas | Fantastic, informative, and interesting read!

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster | Dana Thomas | Tour Elite Shows, Remarkable Ateliers, Sweat Shops, and Bogus Goods Stores

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Deluxe: How Luxury...

	Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster Dana Thomas Penguin Press HC, The, 2007 - 384 pages average customer review:based on 37 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Fantastic, informative, and interesting read!

I had wanted to read this book for some time before I purchased it, and it exceeded my expectations. As a luxury brand consumer since my childhood, it really opened my eyes to just what I have really been spending my money on. I'll never look at another $1500 purse the same way again, and I foresee becoming a much more discerning customer before spending my hard earned money.

Tour Elite Shows, Remarkable Ateliers, Sweat Shops, and Bogus Goods Stores

If you like behind-the-scenes books about privilege, luxury, greed, and lust for status, you've come to the right book. Ms. Thomas has a remarkable knowledge of luxury goods which she combines with an insatiable curiosity about everything related to luxuries. She's a keen observer who relates her tours of the highways, byways, and back roads of fashion so vividly you'll think you are part of the scene.

I was delighted to see that Deluxe was a perfect balance of the origins of luxury (as enjoyed by royalty), the methods by which luxury has been and is produced, how the major luxury goods houses got started and evolved, and the trends that dominate today and tomorrow. If there's some part of the book you don't like, you'll soon be into a part that you will like.

I had only one reservation about the book: Ms. Thomas doesn't seem to appreciate the benefits that upscale goods provide for middle class people. She seems to resent that the money made in serving the middle class has led many luxury firms to ignore those with the most elevated taste and money. I don't blame her for resenting that, since she knows that world well. But it does seem to me that having tens of millions enjoy life a bit more is hardly a bad thing.

You'll learn lots about perfume, hand bags, luggage, backpacks, scarves, knits, and dresses. You'll learn even more about those who make fashion succeed. It's a fun ride!

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Fascinating!!!

Wonderful book for anyone interested in retailing either as a shopper or employee.
Good information on the economics of retailing

An excellent resource for anyone interested or obessed with luxury goods

If this is an area of interest, then this is a great resource. It is well written, engaging, well researched and provides many good inside tales and some background history.

Dana Thomas has penetrated past the sparkle of luxury and illuminated the dark side of fake counterfeit goods and the move towards mass market that all Luxury brands have taken.

Growing new and developing economies have created a feeding frenzy for these goods. However, the most important lesson is that now that the luxury goods companies have so much at stake with the mass-market strategy, they are now more susceptible to recessions.

There are many other valuable lessons in here and I highly recommend it!

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Surprised I didn't like it more...still worth a quick read

As a regular reader of fashion news and periodicals, and with an amateur interest in fashion history, I expected to enjoy this book at a 4- or 5-star level. Instead, I found myself glossing over the somewhat dry history given (role of B. Arnault in LVMH, for example) and enjoying the odd little facts presented, such as the statement that 40% of Japanese people own a Louis Vuitton product. The rare typo (Asprey-Girard rather than Asprey and Garrard) was disconcerting. Overall, worth a quick read if you can borrow it from a friend. Or you can look for my copy at the used-book shop.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8

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