The Haute Couture fashion houses of Hermes, Balenciaga, and Oscar De La Renta pride themselves on creating high quality fashion in fresh and innovative ways season after season. But what kind of quality can a $5000 cocktail dress truly bring that a $200 one cannot? I understand that sophisticated cuts, silhouettes and even color palettes are difficult to find in your every day Express or Gap. And undoubtedly the level of quality is compromised at bargain stores such as H&M or Forever21. However, what's the difference between Diane Von Furstenberg's infamous wrap dress (top) and one that I found at Banana Republic (bottom) for much less?
In an article in Vanity Fair, Calvin Klein recounted a story that has stayed with him throughout his career. When working at his father's grocery store growing up he observed that certain grapes were marked 50 cents and others $1.00. Intrigued, he asked his father why these sets of grapes, both exactly the same, were different prices. His father replied, "Some people like to pay 50 cents and some people like to pay $1.00". I believe people in fashion (among other industries) are exploiting this same mentality, simply marking up prices and repackaging the same products by clever PR people in hopes of catering to consumers that succumb to exclusivity and status. Take Goyard for example. The French luxury trunkmaker has one of the most creative logos I've ever seen. But $900 for a simple canvas bag? Give me a break!
Perhaps we will always be a society that thrives on labels instead of ingenuity, consumerism rather than resourcefulness. But the beauty of fashion and art is that it should be whatever you want it to be. If it makes sense to you, who cares if it came from Salvatore Ferragamo or Salvation Army! Cheers :)
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