She is a young woman growing into adulthood by paving her own path in a big city. You can find her buried in fashion magazines or tweeting about the next big thing at any given moment. She and her girlfriends constantly swap designer duds to stay in style without breaking the bank.
Sound familiar? It’s no secret, a lot of us are what I call “luxury lusters.” Lusting over high fashion, its craftsmanship, precision, and high quality. To our dismay, the price tag is usually enough to keep us from falling too deeply in love. While we work our way to the top end of the wealth spectrum, mass-premium brands like H&M and Target are doing something worth watching. Designer collaborations that offer the luxury seeker a taste of brands many of us aspire to own.
The entire luxury industry has changed due to the ample choices we as consumers have. The influence of fashion communications online and in new media has pushed fashion houses and designers to create something for an audience with less purchasing power.
There’s an evolution of mixing luxury and street fashion – and bloggers can take credit for this phenomenon, we do it best!
We are more individualistic and daring than ever and have disrupted the high entry barrier that the luxury industry has guarded for centuries. This is a modern concept that may not have been accepted in the past with more traditional fashion. Back when these brands were launched in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries aristocracy reigned supreme. (I wear my invisible crown everyday, thank you very much!)
In order to resonate with an audience of bloggers and influencers, social media is an essential tool for luxury brands; collaborations allow them to change their tone of voice. They’re becoming accessible and relatable by offering us a taste of luxury and talking to us. Of course, designer collaborations have a high-perceived value (thanks to brand reputation) and are a seamless integration of bricks and clicks.
Last year, Versace for H&M went on sale at 8:00 a.m. and lines started forming at 4:30, and the Missoni for Target collection crashed Target’s entire website. Fashion bloggers can take some credit for these beautiful and frenzied designer collaborations. We’re democratizing luxury.
It’s only fitting to mark our calendars now, because February 10th is the launch date for Prabal Gurung for Target. The chicest of all department stores is going to have over eighty pieces of what looks to be a beautiful collection with strappy sandals and neon floral prints. It’s okay to fall in love.
By Nadia Babar, GlamorizedCliche
Definitely agree! “Luxury Lusters” is the perfect term for the phenomenon.
Love the post! Thanks for sharing!