Does luxury need to be for everyone?

I ask again, does luxury (in all its forms) belong in the hands of the masses? My frame of reference for this post comes from the folks at Bag Borrow or Steal but I'm gonna put a long tail on this kite so read on...

I've had this post brewin' for a while now because I have a strong opinion/concern about the state of the union and our desensitization to price tags, luxury brands, goods, cars, clothing, water, vodka, etc. I can remember a time when luxury was unknown, elusive, unattainable and generally "not for you".  On a recent trip to Monaco one of our lead designers (we'll call him Dan) was told this very thing when he tried to go to the world famous, ornate, baroque, Casino with his new wife...both dressed in their Sunday best (good enough to get them anywhere in San Francisco or Manhattan). They were greeted at the door, looked up and down and simply told, "It's not for you." Shocked, they courteously left.

This doesn't happen in the US, as long as you're willing to pay. $12 bottle of water, hell yes. $50K for a Hummer + $10K for rims, yes please. $300 for some True Religion Jeans, why not. My last trip to the Motocross I saw 20 yr olds carrying Gucci bags (to accompany their crooked Fox racing hat and their "proud to be a bitch" wife beater).  I will only guess that it was a swap-meet-Gucci, but the point is that the masses are all FASCINATED with luxury.  I am quite certain that a decent percentage of folks who buy luxury items can actually afford them, but more than can, do buy these items. Why? Tabloid magazines, MTV et al have become evangelists for the Bling generation where luxury is "in" and anything less is inferior. Is anything unattainable?  The concept of layaway (where you put a lil' somethin' on it) is a thing of the past. Now it's about instant gratification. Wealth, in general, has a completely different meaning to current generations than say my Grandfather who lived through the Great Depression.

And, what happened to normal brands?  They're all GONE.  At least when you look at advertising for clothing, travel, transportation, hotels, alcohol, entertainment, etc., etc.  Still in an effort to keep some sort of posh exclusivity, makers of luxury had to create a new Super/Ultra/Uber Luxury level, just to keep the riff-raff out. One of many examples of this illogic is in nightclubs. Last time we went out big in Las Vegas we went to LAX in the Luxor (where Paris Hilton frequently "makes it rain").  The only way to get a decent table with a view and some room to breathe (without dropping $20K at the gaming tables), was to buy our way in. I believe the night for 20 was in the range of $4,000. Who would pay that?  Everyone apparently, the place was PACKED!  And not just LAX, rather, every one of the Vegas super clubs was packed with people paying the same tabs we did. And at the very same time, equally packed were clubs in LA, New York, Miami, the ATL, etc.  I think we're all takin' crazy pills because this has somehow become the rule vs. the exception.

I really don't even know why I am on this rant. I consume luxury as much as the next guy, but at the risk of sounding egotistical, I am not [presently] bangin' it out paycheck-to-paycheck either. Still, nothing is going to change, until the economy forces it to.  Looks like here in 2008, the great economic equalizer may be ready to wield its sickle.

OK, back to the BASIS for this post.  Here is what got me juices flowin' on this topic.  I went to Babelfish (on the great Altavista) to translate something from English to French to send off to a colleague in Paris.  On the translation screen I saw this ad...

...and dammit I thought I was losing my mind.  Rent a f-ing handbag?  Yes. Now, in true Netflix fashion, the genius' at Bag Borrow or Steal [applicable name] will RENT you a Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, etc. bag, just to impress your [easily impressionable] friends.  Keep it a day, week, month, year, they don't care, its all razor blades as far as they're concerned. When you're done with it, you just send it back and they send you the NEXT one on your list.  What's next?

• Will people soon start asking what sort of lease rates are available on a new Versace clutch?
• Will my wife finally get her feet into those red-sole Christian Louboutin shoes because they have a payment plan?
• Will I soon be renting my William Rast Denim?
• Could I launch a new gum brand, packaged in a suede lined wrapper, available only at high-end boutiques, and get people to pay $15/pack just because Jay-Z & Jessica Simpson chew it to freshen their breath and whiten their choppers? [this is a topic in itself]

Don't laugh...all of this is theoretically possible. Part of me says brilliant, and part of me says that this is a sign that Armageddon is coming. You be the judge.

Whew, thats a lot of key bangin'. I'm glad I got it out. I feel so much better. I think I'm gonna go down to the CalAve and do some shopping.

WBV