Sotheby’s Institute of Art
Paper Title: CreaRtivity: Art Collaborations Redefining Luxury Production
Over the past 30 years luxury brands have been strengthening their partnership with the art world, engaging with artists and artisans in numerous collaborative projects.
Launched in its modern format in the early 2000s by Marc Jacobs – then-creative director of Louis Vuitton – through a series of object-based productions with artists such as Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama etc., the association with art has been traditionally interpreted as a strategic move for luxury brands to infuse their items with a sense of uniqueness and authenticity, thus compensating for the increased availability of luxury and the production of diffusion lines.

Taking stock of the evolution of luxury brands and art collaborations, the paper advances the argument that these initiatives are reconfiguring practices and narratives of luxury making. Specifically, the paper draws from recent cases alongside three main dimensions:
a. artists and artisans confronting the material features of luxury objects – such in the case of: the Rolls Royce Phantom Gallery; street artist Cyril Kongo working on the bridges and baseplate of Richard Mille’s Calibre RM68-01 watch; Murano master glassblower Simone Cenedese reinterpreting Frank Gehry’s design for Louis Vuitton’s “Les Extraits” fragrance line
b. the craftsmanship of luxury brands becoming subject of artistic reinterpretations, celebrated in museum exhibitions or presented as artwork – see the “Hors-champ” (Off camera) exhibition about Hermès’ petit mains at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai; Liu Bolin and the ratification of Ruinart’s wine-making process; Loewe’s Weave project with Sotheby’s

c. ensemble products, i.e, projects released as multiple material, immaterial, media outputs – for instance, Rémy Martin’s series of initiatives in occasion of Charlotte Perriand exhibition in London; the Royal Salute 21-year-old “Richard Quinn Edition”.

In this context, luxury brands and art collaborations seem to go beyond the mere balancing of luxury mass-tige or the mythicisation of brands’ lost craftsmanship, questioning in broader terms the meaning and the value of creativity in luxury production.
The polarised decisions of Gucci to appoint as creative director industry veteran Domenico Di Sarno as opposed to Louis Vuitton choosing non-designer Pharrell is a case in point of luxury brands’ current debate about the focus of creativity, i.e., about making VS spectacle. From a Debordian perspective, with its emphasis on images the spectacle obliterates the object: the artistic reinterpretation of a luxury product and the transfiguration of a brand’s savoir faire into content for advertising campaigns, promotional videos or museological exhibitions are producing simulacra that endanger the ‘suchness’ of luxury product-making.
The cases above profiled suggest that the implementation of art collaborations in luxury production transcends the realm of making not to efface it, rather to enhance it by including the competences of digital artists, recontextualising artisanal skills, and multiplying the creative potential of an idea into different outlets. In so doing, this ‘creaRtivity’ rewires the interrelation between human creativity, craftsmanship, and luxury production, translating the delivery of luxury value into the era of postmodern, spectacular consumption.

Keywords: luxury production; art collaborations; creativity; craftsmanship; spectacle

City University of Hong Kong
Paper Title: Redefining luxury: a social semiotic analysis of luxury branding narratives in the social media
Luxury has always been defined by its properties of exclusivity, uniqueness, high quality, and limited access (Kapferer & Bastien, 2009, 2012). Semantically, these properties are bound together as a privilege for the very few that could afford it. However, in the 21st century the aura of rarity appears eroded and luxury goods originally destined for an elitist market popularized.
This study aims at understanding what is conceived as luxury based on an investigation into its semiotic construction as a product of its time (Thurlow, 2015). The study examines how luxury branding narratives are semiotically constructed across different social media, and how hosting platforms enable and constrain its production and distribution (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001). Furthermore, the study demonstrates how different factors, including digital transformation, pandemic, black lives matter, and sustainability have contributed to the definition of a new paradigm for luxury.

The study adopts an empirical approach based on social semiotics to analyse the semiotic choices made by luxury brands in constructing their multimodal branding discourse on a diverse set of media. The dataset includes 597 Facebook posts retrieved from the official accounts of three luxury brands (year 2015), 923 Instagram posts collected from the official accounts of nine luxury brands (timeframe 2019-2021) annotated with the support of O’Donnell’s UAM corpus tools and MAXQDA.
The study combines and adapts marketing and multimodal discourse analysis frameworks (Bateman et al., 2017; Kress & van Leeuwen, 1996, 2006) to define the steps for a comprehensive investigation of multimodal artefacts in the digital media.

The analysis of the dataset retrieved in 2015 shows that the choice of communicating on social media dilutes the exclusive features of luxury by promoting a wider access to information and goods. This creates a clash of abundance and rarity in which exclusivity is artificial. Facebook posts become visual merchandising displays of luxury goods disposed as if they were part of an art exhibition. Photographs semiotically construct the products as affordable based on the reduction of social distance between the brand and the potential consumer. Captions boost integration across media, introduce seasonal products, and invite the readership to both a virtual and physical consumption of information and products.

The analysis of the Instagram posts retrieved from 2019 till 2021 documents the shift towards the use of social media to construct environmental, social, and governance claims by deploying a diversified set of semiotic resources enacting both conceptual and narrative processes, intertextual references, cohesive devices such as colour and medium-specific features to articulate a call for collective action and play the role of a catalyst for certain causes. In this vein, brands discursively construct an alignment between their financial ambitions and long-term value creation for society to advocate, influence, and drive the sustainability discourse.
Overall, the semiotic construction of luxury branding discourse appears to be the product of adaptation to the contemporary ecosystem. It also generates hybrid discursive practices and highlights the evolution of the definition of luxury and new stratification of the sector which entails an ephemeral egalitarian access.

Keywords: luxury; social media; social semiotics; digital transformation; sustainability

Università degli Studi di Torino
Paper Title: Luxury: an aesthetic and/or political example?

My purpose in this paper is link the concept of luxury to the one of exemplary. I proceed both on a theoretical and an empirical level. I firstly introduce the notion of exemplary, well analysed in the political philosophy of Alessandro Ferrara, who worked on Kant, Arendt and Rawls. Then I consider four utterances derived from interviews and ordinary usages that reveal some subjective intended meanings that can be typified in a weberian logic (extensional understanding). Retracing some common features of phenomena described by the speakers, I show my thesis: luxury is nothing more than a category of a particular aesthetic experience. In this operation, the luxury experience has to be considered in between the one of the beautiful and the one of the agreeable.

The experience of luxury has to be analysed under an other aspects, not analysed by Kant: the act of possession (Walter Benjamin). Once arrived at a definition of the minimum characteristic of luxury in an intensional understanding, but derived from the analysis of philosophical texts and from the extensional understanding of ordinary act of speeches, it will be clearer why luxury has to do, for subjects, with an experience that reveals of something exemplary. This means, that through luxury, people could think about the possession (not ownership) of what every person should have in order to live not a decent life, but a better life.

Keywords: luxury, Kant, Benjamin, aesthetics of luxury, exemplary

Team One / Publicis Groupe
Paper Title: Luxury that has Power: Relying on an Archetypal System of Luxury to Make Sense of the Divide
Within the walls of an advertising agency that positions itself as having expertise in the domains of the affluent consumer and luxury brands, the question of luxury constitution and designation often arises. What are the building blocks of luxury? Who are the global affluent and in what ways are they different from the general population? How do we distinguish mass brands from premium brands from luxury brands? This final question is perhaps the most perplexing of all, and is the subject of not only this proposed paper, but also an ongoing research initiative that is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Jungian depth psychology, cultural anthropology, semiotics, and brand strategy at the aforementioned advertising agency. The research project was born out of the need to distinguish luxury brands from mass brands, recognizing that much of the language and aesthetic of luxury has been co-opted, particularly as we get further along in what our industry calls “the democratization of luxury.” As we debated luxury classification, we wondered whether or not there might be an archetype system specific to the category of luxury representing a radical difference from the original Pearson Mark system of brand archetypes or other Jungian-style archetypal systems. And if so, what role does the system have in identifying the qualities or characteristics of luxury brands, differentiating them from premium and mass brands?

In this paper, I discuss early learnings from the first major phase of the research around the archetypal system of luxury and the ways in which it builds our understanding on the difference between luxury and premium. I begin by contextualizing and detailing the research, before moving into a discussion of three key learnings and their impact on the questions outlined above. The first point of discussion is around luxury consumers — a perplexing subject that emerged unexpectedly when it became clear that we needed to categorize research participants into 4 “types” in order for us to execute the research and make sense of the findings. This typology may also have strategic business implications beyond the archetypes. The second key learning is related to the archetypal indicators — those elements that helped us identify whether or not we were in the realm of the archetypal and the luxury. These indicators can be useful in helping us understand whether or not we are dealing with luxury, and might be one way to contribute to the debate around luxury and craftsmanship. Finally, I discuss the early archetypal system as it is today, and the potential impact that the research team believes it could have for brands, particularly within the domains of brand strategy and creative output.

Keywords: luxury brands, archetypes, cultural anthropology, advertising, branding

Koźminski University / De Galluchat Paris

The Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School, Lodz, Poland
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Andrzej KARP, Kossecki Tax Planning, Warszawa, Poland
Zofia FRĄCKOWIAK, Kozminski University Warsaw, Poland
Jacek WACHOWICZ, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Bydgoszcz, Poland

Paper Title: Can you hear the luxury?
The paper aim is to describe the high-end audio sector by highlighting its attributes and to present the audiophiles attitudes. The paper seeks also to explore the contemporary luxury scene to provide ideas and directions for more in-depth, focused investigations. Drawing on sociological and historical inquiry, it first addresses some of the key conceptual issues arising in the analysis of high-end audio. This provides a framework for investigating the audiophiles’ motivations for consumption as well as their attitudes in today’s world. Then contemporary luxury market of high-end audio is being examined through different perspectives. The paper aims to present a set of characteristics of the present luxury scene. It is based on the analysis of 16 in-depth interviews which reveal the complexity of the market. Finally, the paper suggests themes for further research.

Keywords: high-end audio, audiophiles, luxury, purchase motivations, perceived quality, sound

Brooklyn College, CUNY

University of Westminster
Paper Title: Cashmere at risk -from Mongolia to Masstige
There is an existential crisis faced by luxury cashmere in the fashion industry created by overconsumption and globalisation of the fashion supply chain. During the last twenty years over consumption, fuelled by global fast fashion has become a major factor in the creation of an unsustainable fashion industry (House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2019) ;(United Nations Economic Commission for Europe 2018);(UN Sustainable Development Goals 2016).Cashmere supply chain is at a turning point overconsumption and democratisation created easy access to cashmere ,placing luxury cashmere in a precarious place contributing to the overall negative effect of fashion on the environment (Danka, Brigitta, Grochowska and Kim Van Rijt 2017) ;( Abnett 2016).Cashmere is sold traditionally to luxury consumers who understand and appreciate the quality including lightweight, high-thermal properties with drape that takes colour extremely well. Thus, it evolved into a seasonal product in the mass market, sold often as a gift for Christmas, Chinese New Year, and other holidays (Faust and Surchi 2015).

Global democratisation of fashion has created an unsustainable situation for cashmere and the environment placing both at risk by damage from desertification and impact of climate change (Abnett; 2016) ;(Ellwood 2017) ;(Danka, Grochowska, and van Rijt 2017). Cashmere is historically a rare, sought-after valuable raw material historically found in the luxury market; overuse of cashmere has been created by mass market adoption over the last two decades Abnett (2016); Ellen Macarthur Foundation (2017).
Excessive breeding programmes means the number of cashmere goats increased by almost 50% between 1993 to 2009 in Mongolia, expanding herds from 23 to 44 million, Ellwood (2020). The cashmere market globally is valued at just under 2 billion sterling and predicted to grow by 4% by 2025 (World Bank Mongolian Value Chain Analysis 2019).

The total annual production of raw cashmere fibre from Mongolia is 9,400 tons only approximately 80 tons of this fibre is produced with the SFA (Sustainable Fibre Alliance) certification. The certified sustainable cashmere fibre sells for 10% more than the regular market price and is used largely by luxury Scottish and Italian knitters (Ellwood 2020).
Premium cashmere fibre comes from China and Inner Mongolia, farmed, and produced by several large conglomerates with vertical supply chains, noted by Waldron, Brown and Komarek, (2014) who control the entire process of manufacturing to finished product. Luxury brands secure the best quality sustainable fibres from direct trusted sources.

Cashmere goats inhabit inhospitable landscapes with hot, dry climate in the summer and sub-zero temperatures in winter. Furthermore, cashmere goats exert negative impact on the environment due to stiletto-like hooves that completely eradicate vegetation, climate change means winters are becoming warmer and summers even hotter.

Conclusions
Cashmere is directly affected by climate change and yield per goat is already low (Abnett 2016); (Yang, Han, and Lee, 2017). Cashmere is equally at risk from oversupply in the mass market and ultimately could become a ‘unicorn’ product -and may not exist in 30-50 years’ time.
Bain & Co (2020) have noted Mongolia is a global warming flashpoint where temperatures have risen 4 degrees in the last 50 years threatening the ecosystem on which the goats thrive (Ellwood 2020); (McKinsey 2020). Urgent action is required in the cashmere industry to preserve this special fibre for future generations of luxury.

Keywords:
Cashmere -Climate Change- Masstige-Desertification -Overconsumption

Copenhagen Business School
Paper Title: Exploring the Paradoxes of Contemporary Luxury
Paradoxes in management have gained significant attention from researchers and practitioners in recent years (Smith et al. 2017). This paper explores the different forms of paradoxes that emerge in the context of luxury management and their implications for contemporary notions of luxury and managerial practices.

Drawing on literature from paradox theory, luxury studies, and organizational and management theory, I first review and discuss existing work addressing paradoxes related to temporality, sustainability and authenticity in luxury management. Applying Quine’s (1962) distinction between veridical and falsidical paradoxes and ‘antinomies’, I reflect on how paradoxes of luxury may point to inadequacies and confusion surrounding our concepts of luxury, or even represent “crisis of thought” in the ways luxury is understood and managed (Chia & Nayak 2017). Paradoxes are at the heart of contemporary luxury management.

Bernard Arnault, in his account of the rise of premier luxury conglomerate LVMH elaborated on the paradox of star brands (Wetlaufer & Arnault 2001). Star brands apparently defy conventional business logic in being simultaneously fast-growing and highly profitable. They do so primarily by being timeless, yet modern – old and new at once. Paradoxes of temporality have to do with tensions and contradictions between heritage, legacy, tradition, craft on the one hand and innovation, creativity, fashion on the other. Arnault stressed the difficulties of mastering this paradox (invoking magic) but unveiled certain ‘tricks’ to navigate tensions relating to temporality. Paradoxes of sustainability arise due to the tension between the luxury industry’s emphasis on constant growth, efficiency and novelty, and pressures to reduce the environmental and social impact of production and consumption (Akrout & Guercini 2022). While many luxury brands are investing in sustainability initiatives, such as ethical sourcing, circular production, and reducing waste, there is a constant pressure to create new products, expand markets.

Furthermore, issues of social equity are endemic in the field of luxury, as paradoxes of luxury work illustrate (Sieben & Haunschild 2012). The relationship between the genuine and the imitation in contemporary luxury markets give rise to paradoxes of authenticity. Knockoffs and counterfeits have traditionally been viewed as illegitimate and detrimental to luxury, but new streams of research have started to problematize simplistic accounts of the boundaries and dynamics of real and fake in luxury. Imitation practices are widespread within the luxury and fashion, which raises fundamental questions of what qualifies as genuine. It has also been argued that knockoffs and counterfeits may, paradoxically, legitimize “authenticity” claims of genuine offerings and thereby contribute to the renewal and growth of luxury markets (Heitanen et al. 2018, p.750). Overall, this paper contributes to the literature on luxury management by highlighting the importance of paradoxes in understanding managerial practices in the luxury industry. By exploring the different forms of paradoxes that emerge in luxury management, this paper provides a framework for understanding the complex and dynamic nature of contemporary and the challenges that managers and researchers face in navigating these paradoxes.

Keywords: Luxury, paradox, temporality, sustainability, authenticity

University of Southampton
Paper Title: Why Craft skills are the essential ingredient in the sustainability of Luxury Menswear
The Luxury Menswear industry is one of the growing areas of the fashion business in an albeit saturated marketplace. Luxury Menswear brands are evolving as they endeavour to remain relevant and at the top of the fashion pyramid. To do this many Luxury brand groups have expanded across product areas. These include automobiles, jewellery, luxury hotels, fragrances, and yachts, as well as clothing. To get even greater attention, the luxury menswear brands have recently reviewed their marketing campaigns with bolder approaches including Augmented Reality (AR) experiences on global cultural sites and dabbled with the metaverse. However, with this foray into virtual technologies maintaining a high level of quality within all products is essential for continuity.

The research will discuss that craft skills are still very much at the forefront to create the type of products needed to meet the market demand and business needs of the future. The research will also make it clear what are the challenges facing the luxury sector such as global developments, local policies and social issues that affect the sustainability of the luxury menswear industry. The research methodology used was a qualitative study, while the research method undertaken consisted of a systematic literature review of academic journals and market intelligence sources. The research highlighted that a large percentage of luxury menswear is now being purchased by a Generation Z brand loyal consumer who is conscious of the need for a luxury menswear brand to meet its sustainability agenda requirements and these Generation Z consumers are putting pressure on luxury brands to incorporate their sustainable values. The research explains the role craft skills can play in meeting these sustainability demands otherwise luxury menswear products become bland, monotonous, and mass produced. The research also discusses the problems in maintaining these craft skills, and why they are key to enhance luxury menswear provenance.

Keywords
Craft, Luxury, Menswear, Provenance, Sustainability