“For the Snark's a peculiar creature, that won't Be caught in a commonplace way. Do all that you know, and try all that you don't, No a chance must be wasted today!” (Lewis Carroll; The Hunting of the Snark.) Saudi Gazette report Luxury: We all know it when we see it, but as in the case of Lewis Carroll's mythical creature the Snark defining it accurately enough to identify it positively and to capture it with understanding is probably not possible. Carroll was rather given to semantics and pragmatics as he demonstrated in Alice Through the Looking Glass. Debating the meaning of words with a loquacious egg, the egg (Humpty Dumpty) told Alice; “When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” This could be the mantra of any marketeer promoting luxury goods, augmented by luxury good consumers that who aspire to it, desire it and are willing to pay for it. The word luxury originates from the Latin term “luxus” signifying, “soft or extravagant living, indulgence, sumptuousness or opulence”. In simpler times, only rulers, the rich and influential could afford that kind of lifestyle, so although not clearly defined, there was a slightly sharper concept of luxury. The poor did not have it; their masters (implied superiors) did. Now it is a rather slippery term to define for at least a couple of reasons: the democratization of luxury and because of the strong involvement of human element and value recognition from others. The ability to live a softer life has spread over large swathes of society through raised levels of income and access to disposable cash. More people now can afford goods that were previously exclusive; anyone can buy an expensive “luxury” car with hard cash. Possession of such a car is not defined by social status, rather the other way round. Therein lies an important element of luxury; possession of expensive things equates to social status. The very perception of luxury to an individual in part relies on the hope that others share this perception. Baldy put, what is the point of sporting a luxurious diamond necklace if the observer thinks it is only glass? One does not consume luxury for just oneself, rather it is very much a socially-oriented consumption. The aspect of self-indulgence, an essential element in the idea of luxury, is intertwined with the socially directed motives when it comes to luxury. Clearly, an element in the concept of luxury is the need for recognition by a peer group or at least others who share the same values and are aware of the perceived value, usually defined by price, of the luxury good. However, luxury is more complex than simple price or perception. Elements of need (luxury is not necessary) and comfort (it brings pleasure) are part of the mix. What is clear is that any definition of luxury will be extremely subjective and multidimensional in nature but will include dimensions such as high price, high quality, uniqueness, exclusivity, necessity and association with an individual luxury client's stature in society. Hence the huge importance of advertising and concept-building and the idea of “worth” in the luxury goods industry. Without that, why would anyone aspire to an expensive luxury car rather than a practical one? What is the point of purchasing a lump of crystallized carbon from a famous name? It is a badge of worth; self worth and perceived worth by the values of the society the possessor moves in. In reality however, it was Popeye the existential sailor who summed it all up: “I am what I am and that's all that I am, I'm Popeye the sailor man.” A diamond “is what it is and that's all that it is” – a lump of crystallized carbon; all the luxury connotations are attributions and perceptions and the expression of ambition. All the foregoing begs the question, “Has the luxury market any real value?” I would suggest it has. Its main value is the retention and development of craftsmanship, making goods up to a quality rather than down to a price. That craftsmanship, design development and creativity, if retained, can and is applied to new technological development to produce what might originally be perceived as luxury goods but are years later accepted as mainstream and matter-of-course. Prototypes of goods that are mass-produced are still often made by hand and to lose the craft skills involved it pattern and prototype making would severely hamper several areas of industrial development. Examples are numerous; the quality of comfort in a standard saloon car of the 1930s compared with 2010 is infinitely better. It has all sorts of benefits, including driver safety. An electric kettle or iron in 1920 was an unreachable target for the most people. Now it is a minimum standard for most. The key is that luxury is a moving target and increasing accessibility to luxury reduces the perceived quality of the good by removing the important element of exclusivity. The moving target of luxury is also a driver for innovation, for quality increase for mass produced goods as expectations of the buying public rise. The biggest fear of the “luxury goods” industry is the trivialization – aka democratization – of luxury. However, it is seemingly impossible to stop – with ‘luxury' soaps even luxury water and other everyday items grabbing the word. Thus the definition of luxury has to keep moving to remain desirable, and aspirational and essentially, undefinable.
