Why am I passionate about this?
As an academic my work is in the area of political theory and my interest in âluxuryâ came from the awareness that it involved questions of history (why was it seen as a threat to the Roman republic) and socio-political issues around inequality and consumerism. I was awarded a grant to start the investigation and my university (Glasgow) published it along with other awards and it got picked up by the media with the consequence I had my âten minutes of fameâ as I was interviewed by newspapers and on the radio. My book is the eventual fruit of that study which has, in the words of more than one author, been judged âseminalâ.
Christopher's book list on answering the question, what is âluxuryâ?
Why did Christopher love this book?
This is a deservedly best-selling book that decries what the author judges to be the decline of true luxury products into mass-produced items. The luxury industry she believes has sacrificed integrity and hoodwinked consumers. The bookâs strength is its investigative reportage of how (so-called) luxury goods are actually made but, as befits the writerâs non-academic, journalistic background, this is done in a readable, accessible way. While it is very different from my own work, its stimulating discussion will prompt those whose interest it piques to explore the issue more widely.
1 author picked Deluxe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
Dana Thomas's Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre goes deep inside the workings of today's world of profit margins and market share to discover the real meaning of 'luxury'.
Fashion may be fabulous, but what's the true price of luxury? From the importance of fashion owners, to red carpet stars and the seasonal 'must-have' handbags, Dana Thomas shows how far illustrious houses have moved from their roots. Thomas witnesses how these 'luxury' handbags are no longer one in a million, discovers why luxury brand clothing doesn't last as long, and finds out just who is making your perfume.
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