THE ART OF CRAFT
IN LUXURY BRANDS
Craftsmanship and quality are one of the
essential dimensions of a ‘luxury’ product. It elevates a functional product into
an art form high above simple great-design. But with quality mass production
available to all brands, how many brands
can still boast of true craftsmanship? Is
the art of craft dying, or is it an essential
part of a luxury brand’s DNA?
Hermès, that bastion of elegance and
style, recently held a worldwide tour of its
artisans, to present their ‘savoir faire’ in
silk scarf printing, handbag stitching and
the crafting of luxury jewellery.
It was called ‘Hermès Craftsmanship’.
Perhaps a marker of how the brand has
distinguished itself in a crowded market
place. In fact, The Bastion of Fashion,
reports that there is; “an advertising war
among luxury groups to show off the
craftsmanship behind their brands”.
In an age where consumers are increasingly sceptical about brands, as well as
“
DO LUXURY BRANDS
TODAY STILL FAVOUR
CRAFTSMANSHIP OVER
MASS PRODUCTION?
streets of the world, the luxury market is
really using their heritage as artisans and
craftsmen to demonstrate their authentic
design and production. For example, Gucci have held over 100 ‘artisan corner’
events including one at Bloomingdale’s
department store in New York where customers could watch craftsmen at work.
A recent survey by the Luxury Institute
revealed that 40% of wealth consumers,
craftsmanship is only a short way behind
price and quality, and for older customers that rises to 51%. The label ‘Made in
Italy’ however, may not always be what
it seems. Many Italian textile producers
are sending work abroad, for commercial reasons. But as consumers demand
the behindthe- scenes view of the artists
at work, luxury brands will be forced to
look into new channels. LVMH recently
purchased a highend Italian wool, cashmere and textile producer + retailer, Loro
Piana. Some analysis report that this is a
vision into the future - strategic partnerships that breathe life and cash into fifth
and sixth generation producers and give
the brands that can afford it the ultimate
credibility. Prada go to great lengths to
demonstrate this commitment to craft in
their annual report. Their average craftsman has been with them twenty years,
they have just 11 hand-picked suppliers
in the UK and Italy.
So while people
still believe they
are buying into
the quality and
craftsmanship
luxury brands will
continue to grow.
The big luxury
brands are clamouring to demonstrate their art to
their consumers,
and this will be a
trend that trickles down to more
niche brands.
Watching the
artist at work is
nothing new, and
is a strong weapon
in the war against
mass production.
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