Australian Members

[catpower]

It's not necessarily just the Chinese either - it's the same phenomenon in India and other countries where a large part of the population suddenly comes into significant amount of wealth. For them, social status is manifest in Western brands. To an extent you can't really blame them either for a lot of them have come from pretty humble backgrounds and spent their whole lives trying to climb that social and economic ladder. As for their kids, the generation hitting their teens now.....well that's another kettle of utterly effed up fish.

 

[DartagnanRed]

I think everyone here understands why, just that we are too politically correct in this age of "misogyny".

It is a phenomenon that occurs when money is begotten too easily without effort or merit. And not necessarily restricted to Asians, we can include some Russians too.

Hence the reason why there is a roaring trade within China for empty bottles of Lafite. Hell, you can flog a Bin 389 in a Grange bottle, and the chances of someone knowing is less than 1%, and even if that person knows, he/she will keep quiet if some other big shot is paying for the meal.

Go figure that the annual production of Lafite is 30k per annum, and consumption in China is running at 300k bottle per year. Same story with high quality maotai.

And go figure why Starbucks cups are reused in China.

p/s I always thought the word misogyny sounds like a Japanese broth concocted by a mythical creature residing in a lamp.

This is related to what I was saying yesterday (sandwiched between a futile eBay argument). At this stage, certain pockets of Chinese and other Asian culture are exceptionally vain. There's a misconception that vanity is a "self" centred concept, but in reality those who are vain care more about what everyone else thinks of them than what they think of themselves. This is the opposite of being self centred.

In China, when you purchase a LV monogram trucker's hat, that purchase is more about others than it is about you. In Petepan's example, it's more looking like you're drinking the Grange than actually drinking it.

This is of course, partly to blame on the West, or at least the portrayal of the West that Chinese people choose to see.

IMO, releasing oneself from this vain way of consuming is liberating.

There is a strange pleasure in purchasing/wearing/consuming something of extreme quality, purely for your own enjoyment, that you know the vast majority of people will never care to appreciate.

 

[The Ernesto]

Perhaps things are changing slightly...

http://www.brandchannel.com/home/po...fies-Luxury-Handwringing-in-China-092512.aspx

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-24/vuitton-gucci-risk-first-mover-disadvantage-in-china.html

'One challenge for luxury brands is the aspirational market is evaporating, as Reuters notes, on October 1st. That's when all civil servants in China must adhere to a “frugal working style” rule that will prohibit wearing or toting any luxury goods to the workplace. This clampdown (which also affects corporate gift-giving) resulted from “a string of high-profile incidents, including a high-speed Ferrari crash reportedly involving the son of a senior public official and a local government official photographed flaunting luxury watches beyond the reach of his salary,” Reuters notes.'

 

[DartagnanRed]

Perhaps things are changing slightly...
http://www.brandchannel.com/home/po...fies-Luxury-Handwringing-in-China-092512.aspx
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-24/vuitton-gucci-risk-first-mover-disadvantage-in-china.html
'One challenge for luxury brands is the aspirational market is evaporating, as Reuters notes, on October 1st. That's when all civil servants in China must adhere to a “frugal working style” rule that will prohibit wearing or toting any luxury goods to the workplace. This clampdown (which also affects corporate gift-giving) resulted from “a string of high-profile incidents, including a high-speed Ferrari crash reportedly involving the son of a senior public official and a local government official photographed flaunting luxury watches beyond the reach of his salary,” Reuters notes.'

See the video of that ferrari crash? Pretty chilling.

 

[DartagnanRed]

The articles that you linked to describe an inevitable process. Once the market is saturated with "blingy" goods, consumers will start to look for other traits. This may be more interesting design, or it may be a thirst for greater quality.

 

[DartagnanRed]

What would be really interesting is if high income Chinese consumers started replacing their foreign clothing and accessories purchases with goods sourced from high end domestic Chinese producers. Patriotism runs strong in China, I can see that happening. Does anyone who knows the Chinese market better know what sort of domestic based luxury goods market currently exists?

 

[Prince of Paisley]



IMO, releasing oneself from this vain way of consuming is liberating.

There is a strange pleasure in purchasing/wearing/consuming something of extreme quality, purely for your own enjoyment, that you know the vast majority of people will never care to appreciate.

As long as the right kind of people appreciate it though, right?

 

[Prince of Paisley]



What would be really interesting is if high income Chinese consumers started replacing their foreign clothing and accessories purchases with goods sourced from high end domestic Chinese producers. Patriotism runs strong in China, I can see that happening. Does anyone who knows the Chinese market better know what sort of domestic based luxury goods market currently exists?

Local suppliers are preferred in almost every other industry except the luxury sector in China, so yes, I think it is a matter of time.

LV and Gucci have already started to have some of their clobber "designed in China" to appeal to the local markets there, rather than just rely on their allure of their foreigness.

 

[Dusty Brogues]

For a double dose of irony, when the Chinese pay enormous prices for the "Made in Italy" tag, many of those goods are produced by Chinese immigrants in Italy!

Very true DR, the 2008 Italian film Gomorra, accurately portrays modern day Naples in all of it's inglorious corruption! Highly recommended.

 

[JimmyHoffa]

Watch out guys, HC ties are made in Naples.

Given the sizing of his shirting range, I highly doubt they are made by Asians .

 

[lachyzee]

So I'm sure a lot of you got this email, but for those who didn't: Azzaro is soon to launch an online store. Good news for those not located in Melbourne.

 

[Dusty Brogues]



Watch out guys, HC ties are made in Naples.

Given the sizing of his shirting range, I highly doubt they are made by Asians .

Agreed. I wasn't generalising Napoli/Made in Italy, there is however an absolute premium placed on the very tag. I guess we can go down the path of perceived "value" and "quality"....

Kiton suit, Borelli shirt, HC tie, Santoni kicks, no socks - Italy Rocks!

 

[Henry Carter]



Some people don't like it, but I especially like an asymmetrical knot with a cutaway collar as worn by Jason where you see a little bit of the ends of the tie

+1 I'm a fan, probably the single biggest contribution that Styleforum made to how I liked to dress when I discovered it. Hadn't really ever noticed cutaway collars prior to that, and I've not tied a half-windsor in a long long time.

+ 1

Cheers guys. My preference (I think) for cutaway collar shirts and FIH knots go back to the influence older Ralph Lauren ads and HRH Prince of Wales. In fact I can't say I've ever seen a windsor/half in a Ralph Lauren ad. This collar is designed with a bit of length in the points (3.75 in) to sit nicely under a jacket.

Watch out guys, HC ties are made in Naples.

Given the sizing of his shirting range, I highly doubt they are made by Asians .

ha ha well my tie makers are one of the most generous and nicest families I have ever come accross, so I doubt they are in the mafia! As to the Chinese workers, it's no more unlikely than Made in Australia goods being made from Asian labour, which is also very common here for the small made in Australia industry we have left.

 

[Prince of Paisley]

Who honestly cares about the ethnicity of the people that make your clothes (or anything else for that matter)? All I care about is the quality of the item itelf, and the conditions under which it was produced. Black white or brindle I couldn't care less about who the inviduals are as long as they are skilled and treated well.

The fact that the great Italian bespoke shoemakers employ mostly Japanese apprentices is a great thing, for without them the craft might die altogether.

 

[thebrownman]

+1 to what Prince of Paisley just said. I hope it was said with the emphatic tone in which I read it.