@@KillerLettuce nah... you 'paid' for that gift with your time. you , i, we watched this video upload and comment it.. so technically we helped him write off that scraf with our time. thats how YT works..
Yeah thats not how the us tax code works... If you buy a product for a business case but use it in a predominantly personal case, the item cannot be written off as a business expense. Taxes aren't fun in the moment, but lump sum tax debts in your 60's suck when you cannot pay them back.
Should we not instead celebrate artisanal work instead of just artisanal work by luxury brands? There are expert craftsmen who do not sell their products at inflated prices.
Exactly! When he was going on about the renowned designer and the rarity and his death I'm like that's cool but doesn't change the price. The only thing that drives up the price is the labour. Labour is the thing that matters.
*IM A TAILOR OF BESPOKE* mens historical suits 1890 - 1940. I make a tiny number a year and I do everything, I stitch every one of the 10,000+ hand stitches that goes into one Honestly - people really are starting to look for artizans to make things. My ill health dictates the amount of work I can do - but I could take 50 orders a year if I could fulfil them. Redmain - another bespoke tailor, they have closed their books they are full up for 2 years.
@@piccalillipit9211 thanks for your comment. I believe common desires will come back around to personalized manufacturing, I agree. May I ask what part of the world you work in?
Yep. But good luck finding them. They are so difficult to find. I make bespoke leather shoes (oxfords, Derby's, and tango heels) but there are only like 4 of us in the US. Marcell Mrsan is the best in the country and one of the best in the world, but only shoemaking nerds/dorks know his name
All this reminds me of a stupid joke: The boss drives up in his crazy new Ferrari. Me: "Wow, nice car!" Boss: "If you work hard, keep going for your goals and give it your all, then maybe next year I'll be able to afford a second one!"
@@Billy97ify You got triggered by an idea that was never even implied in the joke, lol. It's not contradictory to say that your labour can make your boss rich, but wouldn't make yourself rich without the boss.
@@thegrinderman1090I'm not triggered, just amused. A large segment of employees are hired at a loss. If a the boss can do without them he will get richer. Anyone who can make me money I pay them well and let them work as much as they want.
If I wore a $500,000 necklace to a sanitation engineers convention everyone would think it’s costume jewelry. If I wore a $5 ring to a billionaires party everyone would think it’s the most beautiful ring in the world. It’s all perception.
I think it's actually pretty common for women to wear costume jewelry to fancy events. It's hard to tell the difference, and you don't want your $50k piece to be lost or damaged. So you wear a fake that looks just like it. The point is that you *have* it.
@@youngbear2258their ROG line does carry that reputation now tho. Like, whenever someone shows off their "ROG only" PC build, the common consensus within groups are "yeah, they're probably just basing off the brand, not the performance. More money than sense"
@@craggleshenanigans We call it "RoG tax". But even then, ASUS or RoG has the best feature set and technology out of the competition. I dont use it personally because they are not durable but at least they do this with the money they rake off people
Interestingly, they make absolutely no mention of it running windows, as they did in the old days, when that was considered a valuable thing, instead of a unfortunate deadweight…
As an astrophotographer, I bought my telescope mount from a guy who sadly passed away 2 years ago. He made all his mounts by hand, with unbelievable detail and dedication. I felt honored to buy the mount from him - and now even more, knowing that my mount is the LAST ONE he made.
*IM A TAILOR OF BESPOKE* mens historical suits 1890 - 1940. I make a tiny number a year and I do everything, I stitch every one of the 10,000+ hand stitches that goes into one Hermes makes ASTONISHING quality goods - but I would NEVER buy from a company that makes you buy endless low end products to justify having the item you want. I dont make people buy 10 pairs of €250 socks before I will make them a suit. I just say yes or no based on my workload and [sadly] health. I think this practice is DEEPLY reprehensible.
Honesty of such tradesmen as Henry Pool, Michael Browne, Mr. Cifonelli and others is a better marketing approach than exclusivity through purposedly limited stock , which is pursued by Hermes and other brands. I like the idea that, given enough money you can go to one of those master tailors and get a suit like no other. No one will now the brand, but everyone will see, how well it sits on you, which is more rational approach, when it comes to paying large sums for your look
@@mrashid1995 Henry Pool's is essentially the construction method I use - they have not changed the way they make suits in 130 years. There is a universe of difference IMO between saying "Im sorry our books are full, we cant help you at the moment" and saying "but all this ****** you dont want and when you have done that we might let you have one of our limited places on the waiting list" I cant tell you how horrible I believe that behaviour to be.
I just wanted to say the other day I told my wife if I was super rich I wouldn't shop at either any of the well known luxury brands or any of those "stealth wealth" brands that sell like $500 tshirts and basics. I would find a tailor and give them a big budget to have custom fabric made for custom pieces.
Even the world's most expensive wood OUD AGARWOOD is fake in those fancy brands because they cannot afford the real stuff they don't have the budget to get the real ingredients
Agreed. In Dutch, the notion of "Koppel-verkoop" where you need to daisy chain purchases to be allowed to purchase something is even illegal, so not only are you doing the morally right thing, there is a legal basis for it in some countries. That said, any brand that makes me jump through what I consider to be unreasonable hoops to give them my money will lose my patronage immediately. If you tell me you can't make me a suit because your workload is too high, fair enough. But if you make a million of them a year, and you make me jump through hoops because you're a grumpy brand, I'm out.
As an uncultured outcast, I watch these kinds of videos to both make sense of our shallow consumer mentality as well as make sure I'm not crazy for seeing how insane and pretentious all of this hype is.
It is hype. Fashion is a form insecurity. This year you must have the new green because it's this year's color. You'll feel cast out if you don't have it. Next year, the new color is Taupe and you'll rather be dead than be seen in last year's green. It's all based on constantly shifting insecurity. The way luxury brands work best is if other wealthy people can recognize the quality, exclusiveness, chic style and expense -- but middle class people can't. A wealthy guy once told me, 'All you need now is an expensive watch that looks like a Timex and you could walk into any yacht club." I looked at him, he was as I was, wearing jeans and trainers, and his watch did look like a Timex. He laughed. "See how that works?" I sometimes design things. Since 2015 I've had a custom, one off, lanyard for my iPhone. It has a small carabiner that clips on the back of my iPhone that can make it a body cam. My son cringes when he sees it, no one else comments on it. My students one by one found a quiet moment to tell me 'how stupid it looks.' They didn't want to embarrass me, or let me continue to embarrass myself by wearing it. It's completely practical. I've climbed mountains with it hanging, sailed across the Pacific Ocean, traveled through Japan, the UK, Ireland.... It's not fashionable because no one told anyone else that it is. My students? After it was deemed that I was hopeless a student called me out in class. I responded, "Oh yeah? Do you have an $800 necklace? Because I do." That actually ended it. But only because I hit one of the elements of fashion. Cost. And the Apple Store? It's only been about three years that any of their hundreds of 'custom cases' have an attachment point. Unless that's changed, it's only one and it's weak. Last year when we docked in Taiwan I saw some girls who had their phones on lanyards. Wow, it finally broke through. I've driven and rode in a lot of cars. A 1963 Silver Shadow Rolls Royce? Just as I thinking that it drives exactly like my dad's 1965 Ford F 100 Super (suspension) pick up truck, the owner said, "How about that Rolls Royce Suspension? Like floating on a cloud." Not at all. I've driven a couple 1970s Mercedes Benz. It's suspension is the opposite, nothing tight about it, it drives like a drunk fat man. My Tesla Model Y has more of the tight suspension. But it's better and more secure on the road. When I see Steve McQueen in Bullitt... I wonder how much of that my stock Tesla could do, and how much it could do better? What I've noticed in very high end stores in Beverly Hills is that there are items that are simply grossly overpriced. I would've thought that paying a high price, they'd at least make sure you didn't walk out of there looking like someone just conned you. This was a high end department store, so maybe some of the other shops. But why would I get this far in life and want to look like I live in Beverly Hills? Not conforming, not worrying about it -- and yet being highly educated, well read, experienced.... is better. But the fashionable people won't notice. After all I've been dismissed by working class kids. But directors, artists, writers? They can tell the difference.
These instruments are more or less weapons in the destruction of European culture. The fact that you know how to write like that suggests to me that you're not uncultured, but have received a lot of wisdom from your ancestors (a.k.a. culture).
I think it should be said that a true luxury item doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. The first time i went to Japan I was determined to get a nice Yukata. After looking around and even making a point to avoid the tourist hotspots and find somewhere off the beaten path I had eventually settled on one of mediocre quality at a inflated price. Fast forward to my second trip and by an accident of my google maps shitting the bed and thus walking way outta where I intended and becoming thoroughly lost, i stumbled on a Yukata tailor. This shop had a few complete yukatas displayed but was mostly occupied with bats of all the various materials you could have a yukata made with. After a brief conversation I decided to get one from him. Oh My God. After picking the overall design i liked and then picking the materials, colorways, artwork featured on the inside back of the "overcoat"(don't remember the proper term), and taking my measurements and returning 2 days later i was presented with a gorgeous silk yukata that was better quality than any i had looked at before even in the "high end" stores and tailored specifically for me making it easily the nicest piece of clothing i own. Oh and it cost less than that original one i bought on my first trip
Sometimes the cheaper alternative is actually better. The C8 Corvette ZR1 and Z06 sound better, more reliable, and more comfortable than a Ferrari and just as fun to drive.
Hermes does the same thing Ferrari does! You have to build rapport with your sales associate before they even consider offering you a Birkin or a Kelly bag. There's tips on dress code, location, the better season to "help" you get in and then after all that you don't get a say in anything related to the bag. The associate chooses color, size, material, etc.. you essentially show up, beg, and then pay for what they give you. It's wild.
So the sales associates treat the rich as shitty as the rich treat their personnel. Funny. If I go into a shop because I want to buy shit I don't want to "build rapport" with some random sales associate.
@@frankfahrenheit9537 the psychology of it is fascinating. Also, the shopping experience at that point is so nuanced it's jarring how barely human it is. But yeah, Hermes and Chanel associates are the great equalizers on this planet and on commission for it!
@@cryingsilk17have you shopped at Hermès? This has not been my experience - I think social media greatly hypes “the game”. Yes, you have to be an actual client that buys other H items in order to get a B, K or C due to their limited quantity and high demand. If H didn’t have this system, all the very wealthy ppl would buy all the inventory.
Rolex's strategy is pretty similar to this too. You have to buy used watches or unpopular models before you get put on a multi-year long waiting list to get the chance (only the chance, not guaranteed) at buying a new watch, and you often don't get a say in which model either.
It is no big secret that Italy has a lot of asian sweatshops. This has been going on for many decades and other big brands have been cought using them in the past.
Not every asian factory is a "sweatshop". I'm all for tariffs and protectionism, and bringing mass manufacturing back to the western world - but people call Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese etc factories "sweatshops" just because they wouldn't like to work there. Particularly in recent years the conditions and dignity of work in the factories of those countries has improved. Which of course was predictable and it was always the case that if your primary concern was the wellbeing and standard of living in those countries then punishing firms for outsourcing their manufacturing to them never made sense. But of course my primary concern is not the wellbeing and standard of living of foreigners in far away foreign places, but rather that of my countrymen so we should try to wrestle some of that manufacturing capacity away from them, tweak (relax) our own labor laws, slowly ramp up tariffs on firms that do their manufacturing abroad but are based here and sell to western customers primarily... China's been over there pumping out billionaires and radically and rapidly lifting their huge population out poverty on a steep upward climb. Meanwhile we're headed the wrong direction.
If you want a racing experience that's uncomfortable, noisy, raw, physically demanding and makes you smell like gasoline, just get into Karting. You can experience Ferrari-level g-forces for a fraction of the price. The perception of speed is also intense, even tho the actual velocity of course is relatively low.
Riding a sport bike is similar. All the acceleration, for 1/10th of the cost. A car with proper downforce will outperform a bike in the corners but that's extremely rare. Rider skill development of motorcycle riding is a journey unto itself as well, so there's that whole shared expertise aspect as well, especially when taking a passenger on a ride.
@@magikindianMaybe that is one of the objectives - to not feel. (Not feeling for your fellow human begging for a meal as one mutters, "GET a JOB!" under their breath as they walk by.
@@RichardArpin On public roads with cars, riding a motorcycle is a good way to get killed, no matter skilled you are. lf any of the highly skilled, but now dead riders could talk, they'd tell you. How l survived my own thousands of miles on motorcycles was due almost entirely to luck. May you have enough to live long enough to realize that.
I had never owned any luxury anything in my life until last year when my wife and her parents bought me a Rolex watch. Well, my name was put in the queue for a Rolex and I got one relatively quickly. The entire experience was definitely impressive, if a bit absurd. We were told we could bring our friends to watch me receive it, they served us Champaign and watched as they removed it from its factory package so I could inspect it to decide if I wanted it. Any time I go by the store they will steam clean the watch for me. I personally feel awkward being focused on, so the experience was a bit uncomfortable, but I do love the watch. It was a thoughtful gift, I think it is lovely and is a joy to use.
That's interesting, because the only thing I've bought with the same deal was my wedding ring and engagement ring for my wife. Both came with a lifetime "come in any time for free cleaning" deal. Which makes sense, because luxury watches are basically just jewellery at this point.
Luxury is when you KNOW the maker. Almost without exception, a good made with care by a mutual beneficiary has more a more luxurious quality than the most expensive mass-manufactured alternative.
Depends on the product. Mass manufacturing can now achieve higher quality than craftsman. There are pieces that can't be made by hand. Like microchips. Mechanics and materials are an interesting domain. I don't know enough of it to pass judgement, my hunch is that if craftsman spend enough time on a piece, have the right tools, processes and devices, they might be able to compete with mass production - like Rolls Royce or Ferrari, but your neighbourhood blacksmith won't be able to match a high end factory knife.
Even the world's most expensive wood OUD AGARWOOD is fake in those fancy brands because they cannot afford the real stuff they don't have the budget to get the real ingredients
@ryaniam22 You must be too young for it, a decade or two ago, there were luxury computer chips, hand selected and tested for extreme clock speeds for overclockers and enthusiasts.
@@lajthabalazsHonda held the naturally aspirated horsepower per liter of engine displacement record with the F20C in the original S2000 until the Ferrari 458, a supercar that cost several times more and was much more maintenance intensive just barely eked it out. The mass market one was overall superior for its function. I would argue that companies like Honda know their audience when it comes to driving enthusiasts. Their engines are the easiest to maintain and some of the most peppy. They have the best manual transmissions out there. And their cars are very robust on top of being easy to fix. And they often incorporate thoughtful features to improve usability and quality of life. Like the magic seats in my 2015 Fit which give it way more usable cargo space than its tiny dimensions would suggest. I can tell that the engineers cared about the final product when they made it.
I remember the day when I discovered that Versace suits were actually made here in Romania (granted, by a reputable factory) for cheap, and it was only found out because on a shipment they forgot to change the buttons, and they were all labeled with the factory's logo. And not just Versace. Recently it has been discovered that around 80% of the LV, D&G, Chanel, Burberry, Armani, Hugo Boss products were made here. But after the costs of production have risen (who would've thought workers would demand better pay), these companies have shifted towards other countries of the East European block, like Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine or Bulgaria.
34:55 NO, functional art still exists and is made by passionate people as a side hustle, because a 500k dolar bag feels like it was made with care and love, but so does a cowshaped mug for 20$ at a farmers market.
Yes! It exists! For anybody not seeing it, just look here on youtube for all the craftsman building and making things of beauty, just few examples: the rebuilding of Tally-Ho yacht, Freerk Wieringa - knifes and swords maker, all the cabin-in-the-woods guys and so many more.
Not that the mug isnt art, but I think he meant it like "high end museum type art" Like Id consider a lifelike painting to be art but I wouldnt put it in the louvre
I was about to say that there are still craftsman around. Often working cheaper than luxury brands. When I was young and athletic, I had a suite made. It was unique, not just because of the fitting, but the style. We had multiple meetings just to get it designed, choose the materials, the buttons. And then came the measurement, the fittings. Overall took more than a month. But it was well worth it. Wasn't even that expensive. Unfortunately I don't have it anymore, and wouldn't fit anyways. Another example of craftsmanship is a success story. We ordered a custom bed from a small manufacturer. It survived five moves so far, one intercontinental. Still in perfect condition, still providing refreshing nights after 16 years of use. Unfortunately the company since went under. Our wedding ring is also a completely custom design, we worked with the jeweler from the initial idea, scratches and mould. It's titanium, but worth its weight in gold :) I also made a couple of items myself: furniture, leatherwork, electronics. They are not aesthetically exceptional, but decent quality, and highly functional. I'm now renovating my house, and find pride in making every decision, and some of the tasks myself. Money is a constraint, and the old bones of the house. But I managed to add a personal touch, and improve quality where it matters to me. Owning something unique, and tailored for me is more important than having a brand name slapped on a product that others admire.
As a watchmaker who works almost exclusively with $200k + watches, the "ultra" luxury watch market is ... weird. The whole "our artisans need to be trained for 4 years before they're allowed to work on [this or that product]" is in large large part marketing speak. Yes, a real good angleur (those that do the chamfering on, for example the wheels like you talked about) are super rare and only get good after many years of honing their skills - but only good angleurs and watchmakers actually see the difference, so its easy to cheat the customers. This whole ultra luxury world is both super exciting (because it allows me to really do my best to do a great product), but also super disappointing because so many cheat and get away with it (like your glasses example, but even more subtle).
It's wild to me that Seiko makes it's own knockoffs. I got a cheap Seiko from my grandpa I've got a lot of compliments on, but it's maybe $200? Just looking through their product line it looks almost identical to some of the grandmaster watches. There's even some videos where they put cheap Seikos under microscopes and they still have phenomenal quality.
Each to their own. For me, cell phones made other timepieces obsolete. Before that a $30 Timex or similar with a ten year battery and a button to light the dial at night was the PERFECT watch, as it was functional and durable.
@@JZStudiosonline: I got a Seiko before entering college, because I was just SICK of cheap watches that BROKE within a year every time. This was 1977, and I spent like $100 (it was on sale at a jewelry store) and that was a LOT of money to me at the time. But that was FUNCTIONAL luxury and about the only luxury item I've ever owned. It was perfect. Battery lasted 5 years. Nearly indestructible band and crystal. I wore it whenever I was awake for 30 years until it finally started randomly stopping.
@@JZStudiosonlinewith the expensive seikos, you pay for a more Experimental, non mass manufactured engineering. The cheaper watches have basically the same movement developed in the 70s which is mass produced but the grand seikos Show the modern research by the company.
I follow luxury channels ,i like luxury stuff (though I dont own nothing that is considered luxury)and this is one of the best vídeos ive watched about the subject.
Wow, just wow. I watched carefully, and listened to all you had to say without checking any thing else. Your delivery was beautiful. The advertising of the Asus is beyond my description. Your attention to detail during the research is commendable, and you just made me realize the effect , importance and application of art , psychology, design; (understanding design knowledge is ) to our lives as humans . It made me understand and see the myths demystified, the craft and dedication of the legit luxuries who haven't adulterated the original art, the power of understanding how to employ the psychology of design , sales, stories, arrangements (space) and Art. ❤ 🇳🇬
This is why I look for lesser known luxury products, where craftsmanship is first and you know those products will last a long time. I would much rather support a much smaller business with or without history and takes pride in the materials that they use and their craftsmanship, then Hermes or other big "luxury" companies. The way I see luxury is that, if it's made to last over a decade or multiple generations worth of use, them it's worth investing that extra money into it for a product that is better more ethically made and that multiple generations will enjoy, like bed frames and other wooden furniture, or nice clothes with good local materials, or nice plates and mugs etc.
Lesser known brands tend to gatekeep their products less, too. If you have the money and they have the thing in stock, they'll just sell it to you without making you jump through hoops first.
I think a great example are "luxury" brands that are actually made by artisans in another country. They are local products that are exported to another country where they appreciate the time and effort it took to make your clothes
The best way to get very well made beautiful products is to go to a local tailor or cobbler and ask them to make you a shoe or dress shirt or whatever. Yeah you have to vet them and all that but talented people in all corners exist. They charge reasonable prices and make exquisite pieces that last for a long time. If you visit them often and get stuff regularly you can get really unique one of kind stuff since they will learn your tastes better and how to cater to them.
Man this video NEEDS to be viral WORLDWIDE. In fact, they should make watching this video a mandatory task in schools. People need to think about it all deeper as you did.
I want to point out that in the mid 20th century, part of Rolex's appeal was their durability. The fact that you can buy an old Rolex that still works to ~95% it's original functionality is a testament to this. As it became easier for other companies to manufacture quality watches, Rolex pivoted from making utility watches to luxury watches. They still make wonderful, durable watches but they're less "tool" watches and more watches for tools ;). They also were not nearly as expensive as they are now. The watch mentioned in the video, the Explorer, was $1500-$2000 (adjusted for inflation) the first few decades it was available. Now, they are upwards of $7000. The price gouging is disgusting.
@@ryanwebster5205 They are NOT as good as you think - go have a look at a Grand Seiko before you make any decision. Also they are now coming down in price - you can get them at RRP in the shops direct from stock. But honestly, I have 4 Rolex and in hindsight I would have bought different. I bought into the hype a bit too much.
That's one of the reasons why Rolex doesn't appeal to me. It's almost cliche. "Oh, you're wearing a Rolex? You must be super rich." It feels like anyone with four or five figures to drop on a watch buys a Rolex. My barber wears a big gaudy Yacht Master. I'm a Grand Seiko guy. Vintage ones still keep great time and the modern Spring Drive movement is fascinating. Designs are not overdone and the craftsmanship is superb. Prices are quite reasonable for what you get and you don't have to suck up to your dealer to be allowed the privilege of being on the waitlist. You'll almost never see a Grand Seiko in the wild and if you do, you know the wearer knows watches too.
This is a great breakdown of luxury goods. It points out the negative but doesn't skip the positive. I own a luxury watch by a boutique Swiss brand. I love it. It's well made, I'm supporting a small business, and it's beautiful.
I live in manhattan, the thing about the birkin bag is definitely made up, walking around you tend to see one or two a day. It’s like oh cool thats a birkin, and then you move on with your life.
And I’m sure a huge number of them are well made fakes. Unless you’re literally examining the stitching, which is obviously not something anyone does when walking by, it can be impossible to tell them apart
Answering the question of why we criticize the luxury goods and yet praise the craftsmanship and dedication to the craft. That's because In modern world these two are rarely connected. Take RayBan, gucci, LV, and most other luxury goods and you find no craftsmanship or dedication there. Hermes and Bentley are rare examples, along with truly artisan small workshops around the world that have been dedicated to the craft for generations.
I think your point is, as already stated in the video, valid for luxury fashion but not for timeless luxury goods. Watches, suits, cars, boats, furniture, buildings and so on, there are so many examples of us valuing the designer/artist/builder but looking down on the purchaser for no other apparent reason than jealousy? Or maybe opinion on what exact type of overpriced thing to spend the money on? A car guy dreaming about some specific car not grasping a watch guys dream of owning a specific watch :P
Exactly. You can find quality craftsmen everywhere. Chances are that they absolutely not work for one of these huge brands but just own their own little shop somewhere, hone their craft quietly just with the local community as their customers. Especially in Japan you still see this. These amazing handcrafted casual items that reach a level of perfection a machine never could and the shop owner is just some guy who casually mentions he has been doing that job for 40 years. Even simple things like operating a good ramen shop takes years and years of apprenticeship over there. So if you want true luxury, you have to go out of your way to find it. Find these little unknown craftsmen who have perfected their art over the decades and support their skills by buying from them, often for a fraction of the price than so called luxury brands, but made with infinitely more love and care. And this way items get a real personal story for you too. Like if you own these perfectly hand-crafted shoes and everytime you see them it reminds you of this strange guy who had been making shoes for decades that you just stumbled upon in this weird back ally somewhere in Osaka while traveling. Or like the traditional tailored suits from Hong Kong that are world famous, not for their brand, but for their quality and the craftsmanship involved. Just some random examples but I think true luxury is not thinking in terms of owning items, but in terms of collecting rare and unique pieces of personal imporantance to you. As if every item adds a page in your journey through life. Like I have this small cabinet in my bedroom. It was made by my neighbour 35 years ago. He was a construction worker and did carpenting as a hobby. He made the thing himself from a good quality wood and just wanted me to have it. I was still a kid back then so I guess he just wanted to do something nice for the little boy next door. So the object is completely unique. There is literally only one of them in the world plus it was made especially for me. You just cant put a monetary value on such an item. Now thats luxury!
Hermes has about 8,000 artisans working for them - that said I would NEVER buy from a company that makes you buy low end products to justify getting the thigns you want
Thanks for putting all the effort you do into these videos. It really shows! You are one of the few RUclipsrs that make a professional show, rather than just videos. Keep it up!
As someone from Southeast Asia, I learn that real luxury goods with good craftsmanship are usually made by people or brands that aren't mainstream at all and are only known to the people within the community; it's so obscure to the point where you won't find any fakes, and the shop is located usually outside of a mall, sometimes outside the city, and they want you to come to them.
It would not mean anything to anyone outside of the family, but I have my great-great-grandfather’s signet ring. Its not particularly valuable in terms of the metals, but the history it has: it survived both world wars (from different bearers), the Korean War, and now I’m it’s custodian. Legacy matters.
Everything you talked about in this vid, constantly reminds me of 1911s. Especially the "why 1911s" and the "2011 buyer's guide" vid from the 1911 syndicate. Great eye opening stuff you have! Subbed!
So.... what I understand is... Luxury brands remind or teach rich people how it feels to be a normal person. You know... wanting something that's (for them) out of reach. Like wanting a nice car but you know it will take you 5 years of savings. Appreciating and taking care of something you already own because you can't get another one as easily just like you'd keep your old cracked phone because you can't buy a new one. Taking time effort and money to learn about your belongings like learning basic mechanic work just so you can keep your old car running and saving on mechanics by fixing it yourself. The Ferrari thing makes a ton of sense. Taking all of that into account: Rich people can usually get whatever they want with money. While getting into the ferrari market will indeed take money from them, for rich ppl money means nothing. It takes from them something they are not used to give out; their time and effort. They see theirselves as above anyone cuz an hour of their time is worth thousands of dollars so going to an event or a factory tour will take time from them. They do have all the time and money but by making them use it they make the brand seem more valuable cuz it's measured in something nobody can quantify. Luxury brands have figured out how to make rich people feel a "reward" for their effort. We are used to puting a ton of effort into things cuz we have to do it. Rich people can get most things with litle to no effort. They are making rich people "work" for their own luxury. It's pretty genious.
That's an interesting perspective about teaching rich people to value something. It's training them to become more human. I'd never thought of it in those terms. Thanks.
Rich people want to be poor but without all the downsides that come with being poor. Just goes to show that it doesn't matter how much money you have, you'll always think the grass is greener on the other side.
@@ThwipThwipBoom ... Our basic wiring seems to basically be the same ... We all want to scratch the very same itch at the very same spot ... We just have different heights and arm lengths.
A quick insight about "etiquette": indeed, a French word meaning "label", but which also carries a meaning of "proper conduct", in many ways similar to "protocol" in English.
Same as in spanish. Ettiquete is translated to "Etiqueta" (wow, romance languages being similar) and the definitions also are the same as the ones you are highlighting.
this helped me make sense of how atleast us modern artists can still market ourselves despite new technologies. That the relationship of craftsman to consumer can still be craved for as the gratifying or humanizing choice. People like to feel special, even if it's just deciding to hand write a letter as opposed to buying a card for a few dollars
4:14 I believe Enzo Ferrari hated his customers and only sold cars to fund his F1 team. Many early Ferrari models lacked “luxury” interiors. Ostensibly for racing reasons (lower weight, etc.) but also because he didn’t want the customers to be too comfortable. Or so I have heard.
Ferrari only started selling their cars to the public to fund the f1 team, and most of their cars were just racing cars adapted to the street at that time
One of the few luxury items we get are eyeglasses. Both of us NEED them, so it's nice to have something you need, to be nice. I bought retro 60's Masunaga eye glasses. I had to keep taking them into the eyeglass store to get replaced because the metal would actually discolor or the leafing would flake. I finally replaced them with a Korean "knock-off" and had no issues for 2-years.
I made glasses for over a year and after handling over 75,000 pairs i have never been impressed with a high end frame. The plastic sunglass frames are the only ones that will last forever. That being said almost anything under $50 is probably trash and warps easily if its plastic. $80-200 is usually the same (or better) quality as "high end" frames. People can do what they want but those $1000 frames are probably the same quality as a $100 frame.
In my case, My family always struggle because our heads are slightly bigger than average people, making it almost impossible to find glasses, hats, masks, headbands, and even a shirt collar that wouldn't strangle and fit your body, since larger head also means thicker neck. That's one of the reasons why some of our stuff have to be expensive, because normal ones wouldn't fit!
You know what? I was going to watch just a couple of minutes of this video while I was finishing my dinner, but man, this is a well done video! Thanks for the thorough research and such a well put video. Keep up the good work!
It's fascinating to realize how perception shapes our judgment of what is considered luxury and what isn't. Watching brands meticulously focus on even the smallest details to influence public perception (or that of a select group) about their sophistication feels almost like witnessing true war strategies. I’m Brazilian, and here, believe it or not, Zara is perceived as a luxury brand, to a certain extent.
Yes. When I used to drink, I learned that almost the WHOLE perception of why people choose whisky is by the fancy BOTTLE -- NOT the whisky itself. And even KNOWING that, I'd catch myself admiring the bottles of the expensive whisky and wanting to buy that. I love art glass, but that was just ridiculous to me how much my brain was attracted to those fancy artsy bottles. All perception. All discovered because of a whisky maker who hired an ad firm to understand why their sales kept falling off, despite their enduring quality/process for the whisky. It was their very simple bottle...
Really great video, a Rolex is actually one of the more accurate mass produced mechanical watches. I believe their standard is -2/+2 sec per day. It was the quartz crisis that caused them to move into the luxury market because the quartz watch is (and always will be) far more accurate (and far cheaper). The highest accuracy quartz watches (just for reference) are only off by a few seconds per year.
I was watching the video and I must commend this channel for sourcing their information, like at the bottom at 29:05. Please keep up this quality research and including your sources. It makes me feel like you did your own research and didn't rip off other RUclipsrs' content like some have done.
As a creator myself, I feel Bill Waterson’s comic in my soul. It’s so true that mostly all big companies sell is the brand name. If you want quality, handmade goods made with care then your best bet is to buy from individual creators. The bonus is you’ll be supporting the little guy instead of some multi-billion dollar company.
No doubt that luxury goods are _generally_ superior, but in my experience, the people who buy them don't really appreciate them. They just like the idea of owning them for whatever reason. i.e. psychological 'reward' for hard work/wealth accumulation, differentiating oneself from the 'unwashed' etc. A rich relative of mine owns an A. Lange & Söhne watch, which is a stunning handmade piece that makes Rolex look 'common' by comparison. He is definitely a man that appreciates the finer things in life and knows exactly why he buys the things he does, but that isn't 'the norm. Whether these goods are worth the money or not is entirely subjective. If you are constantly questioning the value proposition of things you buy, then you don't have a luxury consumer mindset.
In Nigeria, we think of white men, rich colonial masters (who ruled us until our independence and whom we're mysteriously still dependent on till date).
What got me off guard is people conveniently forgetting that that brand exploited toddlers in their bondage fetish fashion campaign...but anything still goes in Hollyweird
I'm honestly not sure if Balenciaga is actually a fashion company or a really long and complicated form of performance art making fun of the rich people who buy from them
God Damn. I thought my attention span was short because normally I can't watch anything longer than five minutes. I was sleepy and tired, but I just sat through 37.04 minutes of this content and absorbed everything. What quality content! SUBSCRIBED!!! Thank you for this.
I bought a leather band for my Apple Watch and I specifically bought because it was hand made. When I got the shipping notification I saw that it was coming out of a small town in the same province I live in and it immediately made it feel more special and unique. A small group of artisans crafted my leather band and it creates something special because of it. I had a fake leather band off Amazon and it broke after a few months. I am slowly wanting more personal, hand crafted things more than what I can just get quickly. It’s more expensive but it feels like it has more value.
Very, very well told, covering almost all aspects of luxury products. The gloss, the way they build and sell expensive things. Not in a bewildered amazement, but down to earth and honest. Thank you.
I worked for Louis Vuitton. The bags cost a few hundred to make 😂. Trust me. The high price makes them a little exclusive but people still buy them to look rich 😂. Brainwashed for sure.
Truly rich people don't wear brands because they don't need to boast about being rich. Their yacht and mansion already signals to others that they're filthy rich.
Even the world's most expensive wood OUD AGARWOOD is fake in those fancy brands because they cannot afford the real stuff they don't have the budget to get the real ingredients
Agree. Most luxury brand items are better quality than most. But cetainly not worth the 20x more that they charge for. For example a Louis Vuitton handbag is $2k-3K. Those are $500 handbags at best.
I appreciated how you gave some of the psychological mechanics before going into the history, this is very well structured. Thank you for sharing it for free. and unironically great ad.
most, if not all, of the example given are of brands with with craftsmanship and family heritage, often being +100 years old. it seems being relatively old is an essential currency for a luxury brand. i wonder, if possible, how truly newfound brands succeed to convince their audience to be luxurious from the get-go, without seeming pseudo-classic. i didn't know about Palessi, but its name seems to be a family name. very insightful, thank you for this video.
I've become almost allergic to marketing and especially commercials, I almost can't even watch television because of the repulsive commercials. It makes me feel like the only purpose of life on Earth is consuming and it's obnoxious.
I work for a rich lady, and I'm always astounded at how much she reveres the shittiest polyester shirt just because it has the name "Armani" on it. My homemade clothes out of linen sheets are so much better quality in the way they're made, and the materials are honestly so much more skin friendly.
Must be new money. The actual wealthy don't wear those brands rather have items hand made or buy from brands most of us wouldn't recognize. Though they have their idiosyncracies just like everyone else. They do what you do, higer quality, well fitted clothes. Kudos to you for natural fibers because most people don't realize they are wearing plastic bags. I see the discussions about scarce natural materials. I wish I could learn how to sew to make my own. Some still just wear normal clothes because you don't stay wealthy by spending it. I knew a millionaire who hasn't updated their house in 30 years, they can pinch a penny till it screams. I had another friend whose parents unknowingly reached $1M because they were extreme penny pinchers.
@@Nylon_riot You also have to consider that nearly all luxury brands run different lines of products. One for the "wannabe rich" regular customer. Those are the things with the giant brand names on it you see daily on the streets, bought by baffoons who think they can display wealth with it. And then the real actual good quality products with no branding on it (except the label inside) made extremely well from premium materials. That's the stuff the real wealthy buy. Funnily enough the brands use the former products to simultaneously shit on their customers (by marking them to the public and the real wealthy, who buy the actual good products) and extort enormous sums of money for China sweat shop wear out of them.
I love the way you approach things into a very close to reality statements. I've argued for many years over this topic, not so eloquently as you, however I always felt dumb and unable to express this reality. Thank you, you have put it in better words.
My frequency of comments is one in 20years, however your publication is on the point. You touch on a seemingly simple topic, profoundly and right to its very essence. Thats rare. Thank you.
This video is very insightful, well researched and presented. With regards to luxusy fashion brands, they have lost their allure in an attempt to appeal to the masses and now scream fool to the people brandishing their labels. In Europe there is now a trend towards bespoke fashion and hiring tailors and other artisans in small ateliers.
Supporting artisans that have taken the time to refine their skills and knowledge is the ideal way to get truly luxury artifacts that provide personal satisfation and lasting quality.
_”Here, luxury and prosperity diverge. Prosperity is what is good for you; luxury is what feels good to you. Luxury serves your present self; prosperity serves your future self”._ Curtis Yarvin
The Ferrari thing is a bit easier to understand than psychology. Limited edition Ferraris begin appreciating immediately.. you're given a 1m car that's worth 1.2m on the market the day you get it and will likely only ever appreciate.
I’ve got an Omega watch I paid $2800 for. I love it but I am a watch enthusiast. I could care less about Hermes / Berken bags, expensive jackets shoes and other jewelry.
Honestly most higher end things seem to be this way for some reason 😢 One exception I can think of is higher end camera gear is pretty damn durable… but that’s not really luxury hahaha
They probably use the same supply chain as the products in dollar stores or similar. Just add a large logo which is the only thing separating your product from others.
umm..durability isn't necessarily the driving factor of a product. light products aren't made to be durable...but light. There are compromises with design based on the product requirements
BMWs are called "Break My Wallet" because they often need expensive repairs. The owner of a higher priced BMW is saying is, "I can afford frequent, expensive repairs and I can afford to be late or not show up in violations of the expectations of others." Normal people think choosing to buy an unreliable luxury car is dumb but the person buying it isn't even talking to us.
I love all your videos but the quality of the writing and the research on this one really blew me away. Congratulations on the very nuanced and informative piece on this :-)
I personally do like that arrow face the displayed generation sports, I do not consider it a boring design as it's often labeled, but apparently you're not allowed to like anything of the car because it's just a Camry.
@@TheValiantZero I’m disabled and live in the sticks; I work from home, all my hobbies are computer-based, all my friends are online Travel is expensive and largely unnecessary for me; travel itself is a luxury item
i agree with il.ma.le. cars with big lower grilles appeal to me, and even besides that there have been quite a few common cars i really like the look of. Seat Altea was one of my favourites at the time, i like the look of the H and J generation 3 door Opel Astra, i really like the Honda Civic with the lightbars,....
Nicely done! Great to see and great to see you are setting a great example that ultimate freedom is possible with the knowledge and understanding of money!
On the aspects of luxury stores you missed how the staff treat you: the less helpful and more aloof the staff, the more expensive the store. Sometimes even after you've just dropped a couple of grand...
It kinda makes you wonder, how showcasing the artist behind the process of creating luxury goods could affect the image of said good. For example, I still remember the bit about Nissan GTR engines being put together by only a few people in the world, and each engine being signed by the person who built it, which kinda makes me think of said car model more as a luxury, even when the brand isn't exactly luxurious. If we're inclined to buy more into a story of the luxury piece, why hasn't more brands go into crediting the craftsman behind the work?
Some indie brands have started doing this, I've noticed it a few places in the food industry. Distributors of bespoke small-batch or single-origin coffee, tea, chocolate, things like that, have been putting the farmer's name and region on the label somewhere. Sometimes there's even a QR code or link you can follow to read more info on the person.
That's just a fake marketing ploy. The thing with the names. It tries to establish a connection between you and someone else who worked on something you bought and adds nothing of value. It's just for you to feel better, somehow) I have worked as a student for a small company shipping absurdely overpricecd mundane shit (glasses for flowers, 2€ value purchase, sold at 59,99€). They made us put our name on a little pre printed paper card when we packed the boxes for shipping. Did we do anything different from any other person packing a box full of merchandise at Amazon or wherever? Were we more careful? Of course not. Most didn't even put their real name on these cards. But I guess there were real stupid people out there who thought "Oh nice, my box was packed by Timmy. How neat."
I love how u very quickly jump into the subject matter 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Most other YTbers would spend 7-8 minutes making "warm up noises". Then, as ur about to 👎🏼 it, they'll then (always 😬) say "Now with that being said, let's jump right into it" (🤦🏽♂️Yeah. 5-6 mins "right into it") Buddy - U've done really well. I'll like, notify and sub 👍🏼👍🏼
Ummm Ermes stated as a bridle and saddlery company- so the first example actually makes sense in the context of the company. Is not as absurd as it appears. In fact that is still a part of their company’s products.
I LOVE Toyotas. They're so nice. They're not forgettable, they deliciously useful, reliable, and a dream to service so much so I compare almost every other car to some Toyota or Lexus model. Maybe it's because I'm autistic lol.
So you know maths means you will never afford to buy a Kelly Bag. I also know maths and brownnosing some sales people to buy a Kelly Bag is something I would never do even if I had the money .
All I care about is to pay like a 100 dollars for a generic thing and like a 1000 for a crasftsmanship thing. Not 10 for a knockoff and like 1000000 for a luxury brand purse. Also I allways knew that rich people are not smart but this Ferrari thing is really making me laugh. I don't care how nice of a car they tempt you with. I would not spend a minute on someone that is treating me like this. Really, if you're a fan of Ferrari tear down the posters from your wall. No matter how much faster your car is than mine I really, really don't have a shred of admiration or envy for you. Quite the opposite actually. All you do is make more luxoriuos thing more expensive for the rest of us while loosing your own money.
Jay Leno, who really knows and loves cars and can afford whatever he wants, won't own a Ferrari because the people who own the company and determine the sales policies are such assholes.
I've worked creatively with retail and advertising my whole life and your video is spot on. I once had a friend who was a craftsman at a premium 'hand-made' shotgun makers in the UK. He left because he said that most of the work was bing completed, production line fashion by relatively low paid and unskilled employees and he felt the customers were being short-changed. He set up his own business where his guns were made entirely by hand, by him, bespoke and personal to the client and at a much lower cost and guess what? his business failed because the guns didn't have the well-known brand name on them. I've seen so many examples of buyers not believing their own eyes but buying into the hype and branding. You can sell anything to anyone if your sales pitch is right. Human beings eh?
I work for a luxury car maker and this is a great explanation of why luxury goods CAN be worth the money they cost. I love being part of making something where so much time and care has been taken to make the cars as good as they can be. It’s so hard to explain, but you’ve done a great job of explaining it.
35:34 I believe there’s a certain beauty in ruthless efficiency, and we should focus our resources on achieving it, especially in areas that haven’t yet reached that level. For instance, I don’t understand why every car doesn’t resemble the Volkswagen XL1 in some way. The XL1 is an example of finding better ways to do things and never reverting to old methods, yet people don’t seem to adopt such innovations for some reason.
The XL1 is just efficient, aerodynamically. Otherwise it's not very practical. and most people probably don't like the looks, including me. I agree that there is some beauty to efficiency, but it has to please the eye, and the World would be really boring if everyone drove the same cars.
Is the beauty you find IN the efficiency of the vehicle, or in the time and dedication to testing and refining the details to make the vehicle efficient? I think this point in the video is discussing efficiency as a means of "how easy or efficient" something can be created and not how easy this created thing can perform its operation.
@@silverburrito 1. Both 2. His video is about luxury brand; I'm arguing consumers should support things for its efficiency so it would improve life for everyone.
bro made a full banger vid just to write off a gift for his girl. legend
It wouldn't count as a write off if he's buying it as a gift for his wife. Just mentioning something in a video doesn't qualify it as a write off.
@@KillerLettuce He bought it for the video. But now it is just lying around and he allows his wife to wear it.
@@KillerLettuce nah... you 'paid' for that gift with your time. you , i, we watched this video upload and comment it.. so technically we helped him write off that scraf with our time. thats how YT works..
@@KillerLettuce you should see how little it takes for some people to justify a business expense.
Yeah thats not how the us tax code works... If you buy a product for a business case but use it in a predominantly personal case, the item cannot be written off as a business expense. Taxes aren't fun in the moment, but lump sum tax debts in your 60's suck when you cannot pay them back.
Should we not instead celebrate artisanal work instead of just artisanal work by luxury brands? There are expert craftsmen who do not sell their products at inflated prices.
Exactly! When he was going on about the renowned designer and the rarity and his death I'm like that's cool but doesn't change the price. The only thing that drives up the price is the labour. Labour is the thing that matters.
*IM A TAILOR OF BESPOKE* mens historical suits 1890 - 1940. I make a tiny number a year and I do everything, I stitch every one of the 10,000+ hand stitches that goes into one
Honestly - people really are starting to look for artizans to make things. My ill health dictates the amount of work I can do - but I could take 50 orders a year if I could fulfil them. Redmain - another bespoke tailor, they have closed their books they are full up for 2 years.
@@piccalillipit9211 thanks for your comment. I believe common desires will come back around to personalized manufacturing, I agree. May I ask what part of the world you work in?
@@important9836 I'm English but I live in Bulgaria - most of my clients are in Am3ric4.
Yep. But good luck finding them. They are so difficult to find. I make bespoke leather shoes (oxfords, Derby's, and tango heels) but there are only like 4 of us in the US. Marcell Mrsan is the best in the country and one of the best in the world, but only shoemaking nerds/dorks know his name
All this reminds me of a stupid joke:
The boss drives up in his crazy new Ferrari.
Me: "Wow, nice car!"
Boss: "If you work hard, keep going for your goals and give it your all, then maybe next year I'll be able to afford a second one!"
So if he fires you, you can buy a Ferrari in a year working on your own. Go for it.
Funny how everyone subconsciously understands the concept of surplus value, but when you even mention Marx...
@@Billy97ify You got triggered by an idea that was never even implied in the joke, lol. It's not contradictory to say that your labour can make your boss rich, but wouldn't make yourself rich without the boss.
@@thegrinderman1090 and workmates.
@@thegrinderman1090I'm not triggered, just amused.
A large segment of employees are hired at a loss. If a the boss can do without them he will get richer. Anyone who can make me money I pay them well and let them work as much as they want.
If I wore a $500,000 necklace to a sanitation engineers convention everyone would think it’s costume jewelry. If I wore a $5 ring to a billionaires party everyone would think it’s the most beautiful ring in the world. It’s all perception.
I think it's actually pretty common for women to wear costume jewelry to fancy events. It's hard to tell the difference, and you don't want your $50k piece to be lost or damaged. So you wear a fake that looks just like it. The point is that you *have* it.
@@crusherven True. But I never understood anyone having an obsession with expensive jewelry. I always thought it was so shallow.
Exactly .
To a extent, this is true, but SOME things are self evident, like cars
❤❤❤ Correct ❤❤❤
The Asus ad that cynically hit all the manipulative methods luxury brands use cracked me up, good one
I thought it was satire! Now I know I don't want a zenbook haha
I own a zenbook and it has been good for years. I don't think Asus is a vanity laptop like MacBook, though it will become one if given a chance....
@@youngbear2258their ROG line does carry that reputation now tho. Like, whenever someone shows off their "ROG only" PC build, the common consensus within groups are "yeah, they're probably just basing off the brand, not the performance. More money than sense"
@@craggleshenanigans We call it "RoG tax". But even then, ASUS or RoG has the best feature set and technology out of the competition. I dont use it personally because they are not durable but at least they do this with the money they rake off people
Interestingly, they make absolutely no mention of it running windows, as they did in the old days, when that was considered a valuable thing, instead of a unfortunate deadweight…
As an astrophotographer, I bought my telescope mount from a guy who sadly passed away 2 years ago. He made all his mounts by hand, with unbelievable detail and dedication. I felt honored to buy the mount from him - and now even more, knowing that my mount is the LAST ONE he made.
*IM A TAILOR OF BESPOKE* mens historical suits 1890 - 1940. I make a tiny number a year and I do everything, I stitch every one of the 10,000+ hand stitches that goes into one
Hermes makes ASTONISHING quality goods - but I would NEVER buy from a company that makes you buy endless low end products to justify having the item you want. I dont make people buy 10 pairs of €250 socks before I will make them a suit. I just say yes or no based on my workload and [sadly] health. I think this practice is DEEPLY reprehensible.
Honesty of such tradesmen as Henry Pool, Michael Browne, Mr. Cifonelli and others is a better marketing approach than exclusivity through purposedly limited stock , which is pursued by Hermes and other brands.
I like the idea that, given enough money you can go to one of those master tailors and get a suit like no other. No one will now the brand, but everyone will see, how well it sits on you, which is more rational approach, when it comes to paying large sums for your look
@@mrashid1995 Henry Pool's is essentially the construction method I use - they have not changed the way they make suits in 130 years.
There is a universe of difference IMO between saying "Im sorry our books are full, we cant help you at the moment" and saying "but all this ****** you dont want and when you have done that we might let you have one of our limited places on the waiting list"
I cant tell you how horrible I believe that behaviour to be.
I just wanted to say the other day I told my wife if I was super rich I wouldn't shop at either any of the well known luxury brands or any of those "stealth wealth" brands that sell like $500 tshirts and basics. I would find a tailor and give them a big budget to have custom fabric made for custom pieces.
Even the world's most expensive wood OUD AGARWOOD is fake in those fancy brands because they cannot afford the real stuff they don't have the budget to get the real ingredients
Agreed. In Dutch, the notion of "Koppel-verkoop" where you need to daisy chain purchases to be allowed to purchase something is even illegal, so not only are you doing the morally right thing, there is a legal basis for it in some countries.
That said, any brand that makes me jump through what I consider to be unreasonable hoops to give them my money will lose my patronage immediately. If you tell me you can't make me a suit because your workload is too high, fair enough. But if you make a million of them a year, and you make me jump through hoops because you're a grumpy brand, I'm out.
"BE GONE, LOWLY PEASANT" broke me. Funniest use of stock video footage I've seen in a minute.
29:40 for anyone who can't find the clip afterwards (or are lazy).
As an uncultured outcast, I watch these kinds of videos to both make sense of our shallow consumer mentality as well as make sure I'm not crazy for seeing how insane and pretentious all of this hype is.
You're probably not an uncultured outcast! I appreciate you checking out the vid
Don't worry, you're lucky that you don't care about such petty vanities.
It is hype. Fashion is a form insecurity. This year you must have the new green because it's this year's color. You'll feel cast out if you don't have it. Next year, the new color is Taupe and you'll rather be dead than be seen in last year's green. It's all based on constantly shifting insecurity. The way luxury brands work best is if other wealthy people can recognize the quality, exclusiveness, chic style and expense -- but middle class people can't. A wealthy guy once told me, 'All you need now is an expensive watch that looks like a Timex and you could walk into any yacht club." I looked at him, he was as I was, wearing jeans and trainers, and his watch did look like a Timex. He laughed. "See how that works?"
I sometimes design things. Since 2015 I've had a custom, one off, lanyard for my iPhone. It has a small carabiner that clips on the back of my iPhone that can make it a body cam. My son cringes when he sees it, no one else comments on it. My students one by one found a quiet moment to tell me 'how stupid it looks.' They didn't want to embarrass me, or let me continue to embarrass myself by wearing it. It's completely practical. I've climbed mountains with it hanging, sailed across the Pacific Ocean, traveled through Japan, the UK, Ireland.... It's not fashionable because no one told anyone else that it is. My students? After it was deemed that I was hopeless a student called me out in class. I responded, "Oh yeah? Do you have an $800 necklace? Because I do." That actually ended it. But only because I hit one of the elements of fashion. Cost. And the Apple Store? It's only been about three years that any of their hundreds of 'custom cases' have an attachment point. Unless that's changed, it's only one and it's weak. Last year when we docked in Taiwan I saw some girls who had their phones on lanyards. Wow, it finally broke through.
I've driven and rode in a lot of cars. A 1963 Silver Shadow Rolls Royce? Just as I thinking that it drives exactly like my dad's 1965 Ford F 100 Super (suspension) pick up truck, the owner said, "How about that Rolls Royce Suspension? Like floating on a cloud." Not at all. I've driven a couple 1970s Mercedes Benz. It's suspension is the opposite, nothing tight about it, it drives like a drunk fat man. My Tesla Model Y has more of the tight suspension. But it's better and more secure on the road. When I see Steve McQueen in Bullitt... I wonder how much of that my stock Tesla could do, and how much it could do better?
What I've noticed in very high end stores in Beverly Hills is that there are items that are simply grossly overpriced. I would've thought that paying a high price, they'd at least make sure you didn't walk out of there looking like someone just conned you. This was a high end department store, so maybe some of the other shops. But why would I get this far in life and want to look like I live in Beverly Hills? Not conforming, not worrying about it -- and yet being highly educated, well read, experienced.... is better. But the fashionable people won't notice. After all I've been dismissed by working class kids. But directors, artists, writers? They can tell the difference.
These instruments are more or less weapons in the destruction of European culture. The fact that you know how to write like that suggests to me that you're not uncultured, but have received a lot of wisdom from your ancestors (a.k.a. culture).
….relatable comment of the day…carry on… “ignore me!!”
I think it should be said that a true luxury item doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. The first time i went to Japan I was determined to get a nice Yukata. After looking around and even making a point to avoid the tourist hotspots and find somewhere off the beaten path I had eventually settled on one of mediocre quality at a inflated price. Fast forward to my second trip and by an accident of my google maps shitting the bed and thus walking way outta where I intended and becoming thoroughly lost, i stumbled on a Yukata tailor. This shop had a few complete yukatas displayed but was mostly occupied with bats of all the various materials you could have a yukata made with. After a brief conversation I decided to get one from him. Oh My God. After picking the overall design i liked and then picking the materials, colorways, artwork featured on the inside back of the "overcoat"(don't remember the proper term), and taking my measurements and returning 2 days later i was presented with a gorgeous silk yukata that was better quality than any i had looked at before even in the "high end" stores and tailored specifically for me making it easily the nicest piece of clothing i own. Oh and it cost less than that original one i bought on my first trip
Sometimes the cheaper alternative is actually better. The C8 Corvette ZR1 and Z06 sound better, more reliable, and more comfortable than a Ferrari and just as fun to drive.
Hermes does the same thing Ferrari does! You have to build rapport with your sales associate before they even consider offering you a Birkin or a Kelly bag. There's tips on dress code, location, the better season to "help" you get in and then after all that you don't get a say in anything related to the bag. The associate chooses color, size, material, etc.. you essentially show up, beg, and then pay for what they give you. It's wild.
Ridiculous really
So the sales associates treat the rich as shitty as the rich treat their personnel.
Funny.
If I go into a shop because I want to buy shit I don't want to
"build rapport" with some random sales associate.
@@frankfahrenheit9537 the psychology of it is fascinating. Also, the shopping experience at that point is so nuanced it's jarring how barely human it is. But yeah, Hermes and Chanel associates are the great equalizers on this planet and on commission for it!
@@cryingsilk17have you shopped at Hermès? This has not been my experience - I think social media greatly hypes “the game”.
Yes, you have to be an actual client that buys other H items in order to get a B, K or C due to their limited quantity and high demand. If H didn’t have this system, all the very wealthy ppl would buy all the inventory.
Rolex's strategy is pretty similar to this too. You have to buy used watches or unpopular models before you get put on a multi-year long waiting list to get the chance (only the chance, not guaranteed) at buying a new watch, and you often don't get a say in which model either.
That transition into the ad read was luxurious. I didn’t even notice it was an ad even after you’d said “which is today’s sponsor”
Right. Damn and now i want that computer. 😂
It is no big secret that Italy has a lot of asian sweatshops. This has been going on for many decades and other big brands have been cought using them in the past.
Scamming goes on in the Italian wine industry, and the Italian olive oil industry.
Ever been to Prato?
@@kurgo_ Truth. I lived in Prato for a bit 20 tears ago. I remember the Chinese sweatshops being around back then
read up on Christian Dior’s $57 Handbags
Not every asian factory is a "sweatshop".
I'm all for tariffs and protectionism, and bringing mass manufacturing back to the western world - but people call Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese etc factories "sweatshops" just because they wouldn't like to work there. Particularly in recent years the conditions and dignity of work in the factories of those countries has improved. Which of course was predictable and it was always the case that if your primary concern was the wellbeing and standard of living in those countries then punishing firms for outsourcing their manufacturing to them never made sense.
But of course my primary concern is not the wellbeing and standard of living of foreigners in far away foreign places, but rather that of my countrymen so we should try to wrestle some of that manufacturing capacity away from them, tweak (relax) our own labor laws, slowly ramp up tariffs on firms that do their manufacturing abroad but are based here and sell to western customers primarily...
China's been over there pumping out billionaires and radically and rapidly lifting their huge population out poverty on a steep upward climb. Meanwhile we're headed the wrong direction.
So basically luxury brands play bdsm with the customers.
Yes.
The Eric Cartman you can't go here approach.
It's why I like Porsche. It may be luxury but they actually let you test drive a car.
@@QuickQuips Porsche got their BDSM fix in the 1940's.
I would raise the question if that play is consensual....
If you want a racing experience that's uncomfortable, noisy, raw, physically demanding and makes you smell like gasoline, just get into Karting. You can experience Ferrari-level g-forces for a fraction of the price. The perception of speed is also intense, even tho the actual velocity of course is relatively low.
You're so right about the experience, yet karting is still one of the greatest things I've ever done. It's actually incredibly fun!
Riding a sport bike is similar. All the acceleration, for 1/10th of the cost. A car with proper downforce will outperform a bike in the corners but that's extremely rare.
Rider skill development of motorcycle riding is a journey unto itself as well, so there's that whole shared expertise aspect as well, especially when taking a passenger on a ride.
In Western culture, it's all about how you look and not how you feel.
@@magikindianMaybe that is one of the objectives - to not feel. (Not feeling for your fellow human begging for a meal as one mutters, "GET a JOB!" under their breath as they walk by.
@@RichardArpin On public roads with cars, riding a motorcycle is a good way to get killed, no matter skilled you are. lf any of the highly skilled, but now dead riders could talk, they'd tell you. How l survived my own thousands of miles on motorcycles was due almost entirely to luck. May you have enough to live long enough to realize that.
I had never owned any luxury anything in my life until last year when my wife and her parents bought me a Rolex watch. Well, my name was put in the queue for a Rolex and I got one relatively quickly. The entire experience was definitely impressive, if a bit absurd. We were told we could bring our friends to watch me receive it, they served us Champaign and watched as they removed it from its factory package so I could inspect it to decide if I wanted it. Any time I go by the store they will steam clean the watch for me. I personally feel awkward being focused on, so the experience was a bit uncomfortable, but I do love the watch. It was a thoughtful gift, I think it is lovely and is a joy to use.
That's interesting, because the only thing I've bought with the same deal was my wedding ring and engagement ring for my wife. Both came with a lifetime "come in any time for free cleaning" deal. Which makes sense, because luxury watches are basically just jewellery at this point.
Smart buy. The Rolex will never go down in value. It’s an investment.
Luxury is when you KNOW the maker. Almost without exception, a good made with care by a mutual beneficiary has more a more luxurious quality than the most expensive mass-manufactured alternative.
Depends on the product. Mass manufacturing can now achieve higher quality than craftsman. There are pieces that can't be made by hand. Like microchips. Mechanics and materials are an interesting domain. I don't know enough of it to pass judgement, my hunch is that if craftsman spend enough time on a piece, have the right tools, processes and devices, they might be able to compete with mass production - like Rolls Royce or Ferrari, but your neighbourhood blacksmith won't be able to match a high end factory knife.
Even the world's most expensive wood OUD AGARWOOD is fake in those fancy brands because they cannot afford the real stuff they don't have the budget to get the real ingredients
@@lajthabalazsNo one buys luxury computer chips.......yet
@ryaniam22 You must be too young for it, a decade or two ago, there were luxury computer chips, hand selected and tested for extreme clock speeds for overclockers and enthusiasts.
@@lajthabalazsHonda held the naturally aspirated horsepower per liter of engine displacement record with the F20C in the original S2000 until the Ferrari 458, a supercar that cost several times more and was much more maintenance intensive just barely eked it out. The mass market one was overall superior for its function.
I would argue that companies like Honda know their audience when it comes to driving enthusiasts. Their engines are the easiest to maintain and some of the most peppy. They have the best manual transmissions out there. And their cars are very robust on top of being easy to fix. And they often incorporate thoughtful features to improve usability and quality of life. Like the magic seats in my 2015 Fit which give it way more usable cargo space than its tiny dimensions would suggest. I can tell that the engineers cared about the final product when they made it.
I remember the day when I discovered that Versace suits were actually made here in Romania (granted, by a reputable factory) for cheap, and it was only found out because on a shipment they forgot to change the buttons, and they were all labeled with the factory's logo.
And not just Versace. Recently it has been discovered that around 80% of the LV, D&G, Chanel, Burberry, Armani, Hugo Boss products were made here. But after the costs of production have risen (who would've thought workers would demand better pay), these companies have shifted towards other countries of the East European block, like Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine or Bulgaria.
I think Meze Audio is a great example for actual luxury that is proudly made in Romania.
34:55 NO, functional art still exists and is made by passionate people as a side hustle, because a 500k dolar bag feels like it was made with care and love, but so does a cowshaped mug for 20$ at a farmers market.
completely agree
Absolutly agree with you.
Yes! It exists! For anybody not seeing it, just look here on youtube for all the craftsman building and making things of beauty, just few examples: the rebuilding of Tally-Ho yacht, Freerk Wieringa - knifes and swords maker, all the cabin-in-the-woods guys and so many more.
Not that the mug isnt art, but I think he meant it like "high end museum type art" Like Id consider a lifelike painting to be art but I wouldnt put it in the louvre
I was about to say that there are still craftsman around. Often working cheaper than luxury brands. When I was young and athletic, I had a suite made. It was unique, not just because of the fitting, but the style. We had multiple meetings just to get it designed, choose the materials, the buttons. And then came the measurement, the fittings. Overall took more than a month. But it was well worth it. Wasn't even that expensive. Unfortunately I don't have it anymore, and wouldn't fit anyways.
Another example of craftsmanship is a success story. We ordered a custom bed from a small manufacturer. It survived five moves so far, one intercontinental. Still in perfect condition, still providing refreshing nights after 16 years of use. Unfortunately the company since went under.
Our wedding ring is also a completely custom design, we worked with the jeweler from the initial idea, scratches and mould. It's titanium, but worth its weight in gold :)
I also made a couple of items myself: furniture, leatherwork, electronics. They are not aesthetically exceptional, but decent quality, and highly functional. I'm now renovating my house, and find pride in making every decision, and some of the tasks myself. Money is a constraint, and the old bones of the house. But I managed to add a personal touch, and improve quality where it matters to me.
Owning something unique, and tailored for me is more important than having a brand name slapped on a product that others admire.
just pure 37 minutes of elevation and expanding the boundaries of my univers... i love this content so much man,, dont you ever stop
As a watchmaker who works almost exclusively with $200k + watches, the "ultra" luxury watch market is ... weird. The whole "our artisans need to be trained for 4 years before they're allowed to work on [this or that product]" is in large large part marketing speak. Yes, a real good angleur (those that do the chamfering on, for example the wheels like you talked about) are super rare and only get good after many years of honing their skills - but only good angleurs and watchmakers actually see the difference, so its easy to cheat the customers. This whole ultra luxury world is both super exciting (because it allows me to really do my best to do a great product), but also super disappointing because so many cheat and get away with it (like your glasses example, but even more subtle).
It's wild to me that Seiko makes it's own knockoffs. I got a cheap Seiko from my grandpa I've got a lot of compliments on, but it's maybe $200? Just looking through their product line it looks almost identical to some of the grandmaster watches. There's even some videos where they put cheap Seikos under microscopes and they still have phenomenal quality.
Thats a pretty cool job. How did you get into it?
Each to their own. For me, cell phones made other timepieces obsolete. Before that a $30 Timex or similar with a ten year battery and a button to light the dial at night was the PERFECT watch, as it was functional and durable.
@@JZStudiosonline: I got a Seiko before entering college, because I was just SICK of cheap watches that BROKE within a year every time.
This was 1977, and I spent like $100 (it was on sale at a jewelry store) and that was a LOT of money to me at the time. But that was FUNCTIONAL luxury and about the only luxury item I've ever owned.
It was perfect. Battery lasted 5 years. Nearly indestructible band and crystal. I wore it whenever I was awake for 30 years until it finally started randomly stopping.
@@JZStudiosonlinewith the expensive seikos, you pay for a more Experimental, non mass manufactured engineering.
The cheaper watches have basically the same movement developed in the 70s which is mass produced but the grand seikos Show the modern research by the company.
After writing a thesis on sociology of art and esthetics, I am amazed how much new stuff I learned from this vid.
I follow luxury channels ,i like luxury stuff (though I dont own nothing that is considered luxury)and this is one of the best vídeos ive watched about the subject.
I once had a dream of owning a Camry..
honestly i kinda get it
Unlike a Ferrari, you actually get to drive it everyday instead of telling people, "it's in the shop."
I still do. I saw it in black at the airport. I think it looks really sleek.
I still do...
Half of my home country does!
Wow, just wow.
I watched carefully, and listened to all you had to say without checking any thing else. Your delivery was beautiful. The advertising of the Asus is beyond my description.
Your attention to detail during the research is commendable, and you just made me realize the effect , importance and application of art , psychology, design; (understanding design knowledge is ) to our lives as humans .
It made me understand and see the myths demystified, the craft and dedication of the legit luxuries who haven't adulterated the original art, the power of understanding how to employ the psychology of design , sales, stories, arrangements (space) and Art.
❤ 🇳🇬
This is why I look for lesser known luxury products, where craftsmanship is first and you know those products will last a long time. I would much rather support a much smaller business with or without history and takes pride in the materials that they use and their craftsmanship, then Hermes or other big "luxury" companies. The way I see luxury is that, if it's made to last over a decade or multiple generations worth of use, them it's worth investing that extra money into it for a product that is better more ethically made and that multiple generations will enjoy, like bed frames and other wooden furniture, or nice clothes with good local materials, or nice plates and mugs etc.
Lesser known brands tend to gatekeep their products less, too. If you have the money and they have the thing in stock, they'll just sell it to you without making you jump through hoops first.
@@HumbleWooper Exactly! I can't stand it when brands gatekeep their own products
I think a great example are "luxury" brands that are actually made by artisans in another country. They are local products that are exported to another country where they appreciate the time and effort it took to make your clothes
@@rodrigoperalta822 completely agree!!
The best way to get very well made beautiful products is to go to a local tailor or cobbler and ask them to make you a shoe or dress shirt or whatever. Yeah you have to vet them and all that but talented people in all corners exist. They charge reasonable prices and make exquisite pieces that last for a long time. If you visit them often and get stuff regularly you can get really unique one of kind stuff since they will learn your tastes better and how to cater to them.
Man this video NEEDS to be viral WORLDWIDE. In fact, they should make watching this video a mandatory task in schools. People need to think about it all deeper as you did.
I want to point out that in the mid 20th century, part of Rolex's appeal was their durability. The fact that you can buy an old Rolex that still works to ~95% it's original functionality is a testament to this. As it became easier for other companies to manufacture quality watches, Rolex pivoted from making utility watches to luxury watches. They still make wonderful, durable watches but they're less "tool" watches and more watches for tools ;). They also were not nearly as expensive as they are now. The watch mentioned in the video, the Explorer, was $1500-$2000 (adjusted for inflation) the first few decades it was available. Now, they are upwards of $7000. The price gouging is disgusting.
In about 1992 I bought a Submariner for £1850
I shit on a Rolex, they are no more than a very precision made tool watch, but for douches, who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing
@@piccalillipit9211 take me back. I want an explorer so bad
@@ryanwebster5205 They are NOT as good as you think - go have a look at a Grand Seiko before you make any decision. Also they are now coming down in price - you can get them at RRP in the shops direct from stock. But honestly, I have 4 Rolex and in hindsight I would have bought different. I bought into the hype a bit too much.
That's one of the reasons why Rolex doesn't appeal to me. It's almost cliche. "Oh, you're wearing a Rolex? You must be super rich." It feels like anyone with four or five figures to drop on a watch buys a Rolex. My barber wears a big gaudy Yacht Master. I'm a Grand Seiko guy. Vintage ones still keep great time and the modern Spring Drive movement is fascinating. Designs are not overdone and the craftsmanship is superb. Prices are quite reasonable for what you get and you don't have to suck up to your dealer to be allowed the privilege of being on the waitlist. You'll almost never see a Grand Seiko in the wild and if you do, you know the wearer knows watches too.
This is a great breakdown of luxury goods. It points out the negative but doesn't skip the positive. I own a luxury watch by a boutique Swiss brand. I love it. It's well made, I'm supporting a small business, and it's beautiful.
I live in manhattan, the thing about the birkin bag is definitely made up, walking around you tend to see one or two a day. It’s like oh cool thats a birkin, and then you move on with your life.
I wouldn't know one if I saw one.
And I’m sure a huge number of them are well made fakes. Unless you’re literally examining the stitching, which is obviously not something anyone does when walking by, it can be impossible to tell them apart
What do you think of all the knockoffs and counterfeits products ? They have zero respect for the original creators.
Birkins are so replicated now, that even if you have a real one people would assume is fake :)
The simple fact that you can even recognize one in the wild shows that the comment wasn't intended for you........
I am only 6 min in, but you have completely nailed it! You cover the subject quite completely. This is your best video yet IMHO.
Answering the question of why we criticize the luxury goods and yet praise the craftsmanship and dedication to the craft. That's because In modern world these two are rarely connected. Take RayBan, gucci, LV, and most other luxury goods and you find no craftsmanship or dedication there. Hermes and Bentley are rare examples, along with truly artisan small workshops around the world that have been dedicated to the craft for generations.
Just watched Bliss Foster's vid on luxury fashion, and Hermes was one of the few he cited as being the real deal.
I think your point is, as already stated in the video, valid for luxury fashion but not for timeless luxury goods. Watches, suits, cars, boats, furniture, buildings and so on, there are so many examples of us valuing the designer/artist/builder but looking down on the purchaser for no other apparent reason than jealousy? Or maybe opinion on what exact type of overpriced thing to spend the money on? A car guy dreaming about some specific car not grasping a watch guys dream of owning a specific watch :P
@@eldsprutandedrakeI think you misunderstand. It’s not jealousy. It’s disdain.
Exactly. You can find quality craftsmen everywhere. Chances are that they absolutely not work for one of these huge brands but just own their own little shop somewhere, hone their craft quietly just with the local community as their customers. Especially in Japan you still see this. These amazing handcrafted casual items that reach a level of perfection a machine never could and the shop owner is just some guy who casually mentions he has been doing that job for 40 years. Even simple things like operating a good ramen shop takes years and years of apprenticeship over there.
So if you want true luxury, you have to go out of your way to find it. Find these little unknown craftsmen who have perfected their art over the decades and support their skills by buying from them, often for a fraction of the price than so called luxury brands, but made with infinitely more love and care. And this way items get a real personal story for you too. Like if you own these perfectly hand-crafted shoes and everytime you see them it reminds you of this strange guy who had been making shoes for decades that you just stumbled upon in this weird back ally somewhere in Osaka while traveling. Or like the traditional tailored suits from Hong Kong that are world famous, not for their brand, but for their quality and the craftsmanship involved.
Just some random examples but I think true luxury is not thinking in terms of owning items, but in terms of collecting rare and unique pieces of personal imporantance to you. As if every item adds a page in your journey through life. Like I have this small cabinet in my bedroom. It was made by my neighbour 35 years ago. He was a construction worker and did carpenting as a hobby. He made the thing himself from a good quality wood and just wanted me to have it. I was still a kid back then so I guess he just wanted to do something nice for the little boy next door. So the object is completely unique. There is literally only one of them in the world plus it was made especially for me. You just cant put a monetary value on such an item. Now thats luxury!
Hermes has about 8,000 artisans working for them - that said I would NEVER buy from a company that makes you buy low end products to justify getting the thigns you want
Thanks for putting all the effort you do into these videos. It really shows! You are one of the few RUclipsrs that make a professional show, rather than just videos. Keep it up!
I approve of nerd luxury like Mitutoyo calipers, Fluke multimeters and Zeiss camera lenses.
As someone from Southeast Asia, I learn that real luxury goods with good craftsmanship are usually made by people or brands that aren't mainstream at all and are only known to the people within the community; it's so obscure to the point where you won't find any fakes, and the shop is located usually outside of a mall, sometimes outside the city, and they want you to come to them.
It would not mean anything to anyone outside of the family, but I have my great-great-grandfather’s signet ring. Its not particularly valuable in terms of the metals, but the history it has: it survived both world wars (from different bearers), the Korean War, and now I’m it’s custodian. Legacy matters.
Everything you talked about in this vid, constantly reminds me of 1911s. Especially the "why 1911s" and the "2011 buyer's guide" vid from the 1911 syndicate. Great eye opening stuff you have! Subbed!
So.... what I understand is...
Luxury brands remind or teach rich people how it feels to be a normal person.
You know... wanting something that's (for them) out of reach. Like wanting a nice car but you know it will take you 5 years of savings.
Appreciating and taking care of something you already own because you can't get another one as easily just like you'd keep your old cracked phone because you can't buy a new one.
Taking time effort and money to learn about your belongings like learning basic mechanic work just so you can keep your old car running and saving on mechanics by fixing it yourself.
The Ferrari thing makes a ton of sense. Taking all of that into account: Rich people can usually get whatever they want with money. While getting into the ferrari market will indeed take money from them, for rich ppl money means nothing. It takes from them something they are not used to give out; their time and effort. They see theirselves as above anyone cuz an hour of their time is worth thousands of dollars so going to an event or a factory tour will take time from them. They do have all the time and money but by making them use it they make the brand seem more valuable cuz it's measured in something nobody can quantify.
Luxury brands have figured out how to make rich people feel a "reward" for their effort. We are used to puting a ton of effort into things cuz we have to do it. Rich people can get most things with litle to no effort. They are making rich people "work" for their own luxury.
It's pretty genious.
That's an interesting perspective about teaching rich people to value something. It's training them to become more human. I'd never thought of it in those terms.
Thanks.
Excellent breakdown ...
Rich people want to be poor but without all the downsides that come with being poor. Just goes to show that it doesn't matter how much money you have, you'll always think the grass is greener on the other side.
Your explanation makes sense! I have never thought of it this way.
@@ThwipThwipBoom ... Our basic wiring seems to basically be the same ... We all want to scratch the very same itch at the very same spot ...
We just have different heights and arm lengths.
A quick insight about "etiquette": indeed, a French word meaning "label", but which also carries a meaning of "proper conduct", in many ways similar to "protocol" in English.
Same as in spanish. Ettiquete is translated to "Etiqueta" (wow, romance languages being similar) and the definitions also are the same as the ones you are highlighting.
"and maybe the fumes from gasoline burn off a few brain cells, making it easier to justify your multi-million dollar purchase " :D
this helped me make sense of how atleast us modern artists can still market ourselves despite new technologies. That the relationship of craftsman to consumer can still be craved for as the gratifying or humanizing choice. People like to feel special, even if it's just deciding to hand write a letter as opposed to buying a card for a few dollars
Literally was watching the documentary: "The Century of the Self" for this video to play next, ironic...
fantastic documentary. I watched it when I was researching my video about design propaganda last year.
Adam Curtis is a genius.
Century of the Self, Hypernormalization, Can’t Get You Out Of My Head; all S-tier documentaries.
That was the smoothest transition into an ad I've ever seen. I had to rewind the video just to watch it again. Well played!
4:14 I believe Enzo Ferrari hated his customers and only sold cars to fund his F1 team. Many early Ferrari models lacked “luxury” interiors. Ostensibly for racing reasons (lower weight, etc.) but also because he didn’t want the customers to be too comfortable. Or so I have heard.
Ferrari only started selling their cars to the public to fund the f1 team, and most of their cars were just racing cars adapted to the street at that time
I'm literally addicted to your videos, I couldn’t tear myself away from a single one once it started, no matter the topic.
One of the few luxury items we get are eyeglasses. Both of us NEED them, so it's nice to have something you need, to be nice. I bought retro 60's Masunaga eye glasses. I had to keep taking them into the eyeglass store to get replaced because the metal would actually discolor or the leafing would flake. I finally replaced them with a Korean "knock-off" and had no issues for 2-years.
I made glasses for over a year and after handling over 75,000 pairs i have never been impressed with a high end frame.
The plastic sunglass frames are the only ones that will last forever.
That being said almost anything under $50 is probably trash and warps easily if its plastic. $80-200 is usually the same (or better) quality as "high end" frames.
People can do what they want but those $1000 frames are probably the same quality as a $100 frame.
In my case, My family always struggle because our heads are slightly bigger than average people, making it almost impossible to find glasses, hats, masks, headbands, and even a shirt collar that wouldn't strangle and fit your body, since larger head also means thicker neck. That's one of the reasons why some of our stuff have to be expensive, because normal ones wouldn't fit!
Saying you were too poor to own a single horse, let alone a basket for carrying "equestrian essentials" got an instant like and subscribe.
Support the local artisan or artist!
This is why so many people are looking for small artist owned brands.
As a self employed bespoke tailor - THANK YOU
@@piccalillipit9211I'm sure your work is lovely 🥰👍
@@ethiopiazoldyk4667 OH thank you - I try my very best.
Or online, doesn't have to be local just as long as it isn't a brand-name.
You know what? I was going to watch just a couple of minutes of this video while I was finishing my dinner, but man, this is a well done video! Thanks for the thorough research and such a well put video.
Keep up the good work!
It's fascinating to realize how perception shapes our judgment of what is considered luxury and what isn't. Watching brands meticulously focus on even the smallest details to influence public perception (or that of a select group) about their sophistication feels almost like witnessing true war strategies. I’m Brazilian, and here, believe it or not, Zara is perceived as a luxury brand, to a certain extent.
Yes. When I used to drink, I learned that almost the WHOLE perception of why people choose whisky is by the fancy BOTTLE -- NOT the whisky itself.
And even KNOWING that, I'd catch myself admiring the bottles of the expensive whisky and wanting to buy that. I love art glass, but that was just ridiculous to me how much my brain was attracted to those fancy artsy bottles.
All perception. All discovered because of a whisky maker who hired an ad firm to understand why their sales kept falling off, despite their enduring quality/process for the whisky. It was their very simple bottle...
Really great video, a Rolex is actually one of the more accurate mass produced mechanical watches. I believe their standard is -2/+2 sec per day. It was the quartz crisis that caused them to move into the luxury market because the quartz watch is (and always will be) far more accurate (and far cheaper). The highest accuracy quartz watches (just for reference) are only off by a few seconds per year.
Still not as accurate as a cheap Casino watch that syncs time with an Atomic clock daily.
I was watching the video and I must commend this channel for sourcing their information, like at the bottom at 29:05. Please keep up this quality research and including your sources. It makes me feel like you did your own research and didn't rip off other RUclipsrs' content like some have done.
its great but most of the time I found it difficult to read black text on a black background :(
As a creator myself, I feel Bill Waterson’s comic in my soul. It’s so true that mostly all big companies sell is the brand name. If you want quality, handmade goods made with care then your best bet is to buy from individual creators. The bonus is you’ll be supporting the little guy instead of some multi-billion dollar company.
No doubt that luxury goods are _generally_ superior, but in my experience, the people who buy them don't really appreciate them. They just like the idea of owning them for whatever reason. i.e. psychological 'reward' for hard work/wealth accumulation, differentiating oneself from the 'unwashed' etc.
A rich relative of mine owns an A. Lange & Söhne watch, which is a stunning handmade piece that makes Rolex look 'common' by comparison. He is definitely a man that appreciates the finer things in life and knows exactly why he buys the things he does, but that isn't 'the norm.
Whether these goods are worth the money or not is entirely subjective. If you are constantly questioning the value proposition of things you buy, then you don't have a luxury consumer mindset.
'when you think of rollsroyce you think of English artisans...'
i think of aircraft engines. and spirit airlines.
In Nigeria, we think of white men, rich colonial masters (who ruled us until our independence and whom we're mysteriously still dependent on till date).
Those Balenciaga bracelets got me off guard
What got me off guard is people conveniently forgetting that that brand exploited toddlers in their bondage fetish fashion campaign...but anything still goes in Hollyweird
I'm honestly not sure if Balenciaga is actually a fashion company or a really long and complicated form of performance art making fun of the rich people who buy from them
God Damn. I thought my attention span was short because normally I can't watch anything longer than five minutes. I was sleepy and tired, but I just sat through 37.04 minutes of this content and absorbed everything. What quality content! SUBSCRIBED!!! Thank you for this.
I bought a leather band for my Apple Watch and I specifically bought because it was hand made. When I got the shipping notification I saw that it was coming out of a small town in the same province I live in and it immediately made it feel more special and unique. A small group of artisans crafted my leather band and it creates something special because of it. I had a fake leather band off Amazon and it broke after a few months. I am slowly wanting more personal, hand crafted things more than what I can just get quickly. It’s more expensive but it feels like it has more value.
@benwaardenburg where did you get the watch band from? :? I prefer leather but finding good quality leather products is quite a pain
@ I got it from Popov Leather. They are based out of BC, Canada.
Very, very well told, covering almost all aspects of luxury products. The gloss, the way they build and sell expensive things. Not in a bewildered amazement, but down to earth and honest. Thank you.
Packing tape bracelets 😂😂😂 ... That's truly amazing. I would like to see the face of one of the buyers.
My friend work at the UPS store and wears a company issued one all the day
@@AliasHSW 😂😂😂
As always the most thoughtful , well researched & eloquent watch channel around , MAMACOO keep coming !
I worked for Louis Vuitton. The bags cost a few hundred to make 😂. Trust me. The high price makes them a little exclusive but people still buy them to look rich 😂. Brainwashed for sure.
Truly rich people don't wear brands because they don't need to boast about being rich. Their yacht and mansion already signals to others that they're filthy rich.
Even the world's most expensive wood OUD AGARWOOD is fake in those fancy brands because they cannot afford the real stuff they don't have the budget to get the real ingredients
Ikr
Agree. Most luxury brand items are better quality than most. But cetainly not worth the 20x more that they charge for. For example a Louis Vuitton handbag is $2k-3K. Those are $500 handbags at best.
I appreciated how you gave some of the psychological mechanics before going into the history, this is very well structured. Thank you for sharing it for free.
and unironically great ad.
most, if not all, of the example given are of brands with with craftsmanship and family heritage, often being +100 years old. it seems being relatively old is an essential currency for a luxury brand.
i wonder, if possible, how truly newfound brands succeed to convince their audience to be luxurious from the get-go, without seeming pseudo-classic. i didn't know about Palessi, but its name seems to be a family name.
very insightful, thank you for this video.
It’s a play on Pay Less
I've become almost allergic to marketing and especially commercials, I almost can't even watch television because of the repulsive commercials.
It makes me feel like the only purpose of life on Earth is consuming and it's obnoxious.
this is why gucci is going down,too much "poor" people buying it.
I would not consider Gucci to be luxury tbh. At least not anymore.
@@Design.Theory Ouch.
Well composed comment, sir.
According to many posts on reddit: Quality of Gucci is actually better than LV and especially Chanel, so it's not really the reason.
@@Design.Theory Yeah it is more like a "premium" brand now.
I work for a rich lady, and I'm always astounded at how much she reveres the shittiest polyester shirt just because it has the name "Armani" on it. My homemade clothes out of linen sheets are so much better quality in the way they're made, and the materials are honestly so much more skin friendly.
Must be new money. The actual wealthy don't wear those brands rather have items hand made or buy from brands most of us wouldn't recognize. Though they have their idiosyncracies just like everyone else. They do what you do, higer quality, well fitted clothes. Kudos to you for natural fibers because most people don't realize they are wearing plastic bags. I see the discussions about scarce natural materials. I wish I could learn how to sew to make my own. Some still just wear normal clothes because you don't stay wealthy by spending it. I knew a millionaire who hasn't updated their house in 30 years, they can pinch a penny till it screams. I had another friend whose parents unknowingly reached $1M because they were extreme penny pinchers.
@@Nylon_riot You also have to consider that nearly all luxury brands run different lines of products. One for the "wannabe rich" regular customer. Those are the things with the giant brand names on it you see daily on the streets, bought by baffoons who think they can display wealth with it. And then the real actual good quality products with no branding on it (except the label inside) made extremely well from premium materials. That's the stuff the real wealthy buy.
Funnily enough the brands use the former products to simultaneously shit on their customers (by marking them to the public and the real wealthy, who buy the actual good products) and extort enormous sums of money for China sweat shop wear out of them.
nobody rich reveres armani polyester..
The Invicta Pro Diver in the thumbnail is an excellent alternative to a Rolex for anyone not looking to break the bank.
I love the way you approach things into a very close to reality statements. I've argued for many years over this topic, not so eloquently as you, however I always felt dumb and unable to express this reality. Thank you, you have put it in better words.
My frequency of comments is one in 20years, however your publication is on the point. You touch on a seemingly simple topic, profoundly and right to its very essence. Thats rare. Thank you.
This video is very insightful, well researched and presented. With regards to luxusy fashion brands, they have lost their allure in an attempt to appeal to the masses and now scream fool to the people brandishing their labels. In Europe there is now a trend towards bespoke fashion and hiring tailors and other artisans in small ateliers.
Supporting artisans that have taken the time to refine their skills and knowledge is the ideal way to get truly luxury artifacts that provide personal satisfation and lasting quality.
_”Here, luxury and prosperity diverge. Prosperity is what is good for you; luxury is what feels good to you. Luxury serves your present self; prosperity serves your future self”._
Curtis Yarvin
The Ferrari thing is a bit easier to understand than psychology. Limited edition Ferraris begin appreciating immediately.. you're given a 1m car that's worth 1.2m on the market the day you get it and will likely only ever appreciate.
I’ve got an Omega watch I paid $2800 for. I love it but I am a watch enthusiast. I could care less about Hermes / Berken bags, expensive jackets shoes and other jewelry.
An Asus ad posing as a design video, classy.
Your explanation from 07:40 to 08:44 really brings another perspective to look at the recent Jaguar Ad.
Imagine paying more money for a product that is less durable
Honestly most higher end things seem to be this way for some reason 😢
One exception I can think of is higher end camera gear is pretty damn durable… but that’s not really luxury hahaha
They probably use the same supply chain as the products in dollar stores or similar. Just add a large logo which is the only thing separating your product from others.
umm..durability isn't necessarily the driving factor of a product. light products aren't made to be durable...but light. There are compromises with design based on the product requirements
We do that every 2 years already.
BMWs are called "Break My Wallet" because they often need expensive repairs. The owner of a higher priced BMW is saying is, "I can afford frequent, expensive repairs and I can afford to be late or not show up in violations of the expectations of others."
Normal people think choosing to buy an unreliable luxury car is dumb but the person buying it isn't even talking to us.
I love all your videos but the quality of the writing and the research on this one really blew me away. Congratulations on the very nuanced and informative piece on this :-)
3:05 gatekeeping drip is crazy
The most valuable video on the internet
I dream of owning a Camry. Or a car. Any car really. Hell, I dream of owning an old Ford Escort with an engine that knocks.
I personally do like that arrow face the displayed generation sports, I do not consider it a boring design as it's often labeled, but apparently you're not allowed to like anything of the car because it's just a Camry.
How do you do transportation currently?
@@TheValiantZero I’m disabled and live in the sticks; I work from home, all my hobbies are computer-based, all my friends are online
Travel is expensive and largely unnecessary for me; travel itself is a luxury item
i agree with il.ma.le.
cars with big lower grilles appeal to me, and even besides that there have been quite a few common cars i really like the look of.
Seat Altea was one of my favourites at the time, i like the look of the H and J generation 3 door Opel Astra, i really like the Honda Civic with the lightbars,....
Nicely done! Great to see and great to see you are setting a great example that ultimate freedom is possible with the knowledge and understanding of money!
On the aspects of luxury stores you missed how the staff treat you: the less helpful and more aloof the staff, the more expensive the store. Sometimes even after you've just dropped a couple of grand...
By that logic, every supermarket in Germany must be a luxury store.
@@Alias_AnybodyA concept of Boutique Lindl is actually interesting lol
This is an excellent video! I loved it. It was so well done. It gave me a lot to think about, and I want to learn more.
It kinda makes you wonder, how showcasing the artist behind the process of creating luxury goods could affect the image of said good. For example, I still remember the bit about Nissan GTR engines being put together by only a few people in the world, and each engine being signed by the person who built it, which kinda makes me think of said car model more as a luxury, even when the brand isn't exactly luxurious. If we're inclined to buy more into a story of the luxury piece, why hasn't more brands go into crediting the craftsman behind the work?
Some indie brands have started doing this, I've noticed it a few places in the food industry. Distributors of bespoke small-batch or single-origin coffee, tea, chocolate, things like that, have been putting the farmer's name and region on the label somewhere. Sometimes there's even a QR code or link you can follow to read more info on the person.
That's just a fake marketing ploy. The thing with the names. It tries to establish a connection between you and someone else who worked on something you bought and adds nothing of value. It's just for you to feel better, somehow) I have worked as a student for a small company shipping absurdely overpricecd mundane shit (glasses for flowers, 2€ value purchase, sold at 59,99€). They made us put our name on a little pre printed paper card when we packed the boxes for shipping. Did we do anything different from any other person packing a box full of merchandise at Amazon or wherever? Were we more careful? Of course not. Most didn't even put their real name on these cards.
But I guess there were real stupid people out there who thought "Oh nice, my box was packed by Timmy. How neat."
I love how u very quickly jump into the subject matter 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Most other YTbers would spend 7-8 minutes making "warm up noises". Then, as ur about to 👎🏼 it, they'll then (always 😬) say "Now with that being said, let's jump right into it"
(🤦🏽♂️Yeah. 5-6 mins "right into it")
Buddy - U've done really well. I'll like, notify and sub 👍🏼👍🏼
Ummm Ermes stated as a bridle and saddlery company- so the first example actually makes sense in the context of the company. Is not as absurd as it appears. In fact that is still a part of their company’s products.
It’s a scaled down horse feeder bag.
I LOVE Toyotas. They're so nice. They're not forgettable, they deliciously useful, reliable, and a dream to service so much so I compare almost every other car to some Toyota or Lexus model.
Maybe it's because I'm autistic lol.
Great video, but the math is wrong: 20:57, 500% increase in value over 35 years is not 14% per year. It's 5^(1/35) - 1 = 4.7% per year.
So you know maths means you will never afford to buy a Kelly Bag.
I also know maths and brownnosing some sales people to buy
a Kelly Bag is something I would never do even if I had the money .
+
All I care about is to pay like a 100 dollars for a generic thing and like a 1000 for a crasftsmanship thing. Not 10 for a knockoff and like 1000000 for a luxury brand purse. Also I allways knew that rich people are not smart but this Ferrari thing is really making me laugh. I don't care how nice of a car they tempt you with. I would not spend a minute on someone that is treating me like this. Really, if you're a fan of Ferrari tear down the posters from your wall. No matter how much faster your car is than mine I really, really don't have a shred of admiration or envy for you. Quite the opposite actually. All you do is make more luxoriuos thing more expensive for the rest of us while loosing your own money.
Eventually(5-8yrs) we'll all have super quick electric cars anyways so there is gonna be a whole new class of "exclusive" for cars then
Jay Leno, who really knows and loves cars and can afford whatever he wants, won't own a Ferrari because the people who own the company and determine the sales policies are such assholes.
That’s great, they don’t care about your opinions or impressing you. They care about impressing other rich people, people in their own circles
That cashback was a lifesaver last week. It’s comforting to know you get something back after a rough day
Love these Videos
What a great video! Had my attention from the beginning to the end :D
0:34 I guess 20 dollars at most.
Exact my thought😅
I've worked creatively with retail and advertising my whole life and your video is spot on. I once had a friend who was a craftsman at a premium 'hand-made' shotgun makers in the UK. He left because he said that most of the work was bing completed, production line fashion by relatively low paid and unskilled employees and he felt the customers were being short-changed. He set up his own business where his guns were made entirely by hand, by him, bespoke and personal to the client and at a much lower cost and guess what? his business failed because the guns didn't have the well-known brand name on them.
I've seen so many examples of buyers not believing their own eyes but buying into the hype and branding. You can sell anything to anyone if your sales pitch is right. Human beings eh?
I work for a luxury car maker and this is a great explanation of why luxury goods CAN be worth the money they cost.
I love being part of making something where so much time and care has been taken to make the cars as good as they can be. It’s so hard to explain, but you’ve done a great job of explaining it.
This video was very well made
NVIDIA will never be the Leather Jacket guy. You will always retain that luxury!
This is single handedly the best(and most valuable lesson)video I have ever watched on RUclips
Great content, but you should really announce when the ad starts. I thought it was part of the content until the end of the ad.
And that my friend.. is called Great Writing.
Its labeled in the video chapters
All this was interesting, from someone who never got into the luxury thing but that shoe store story was worth the time spent watching. Loved it!!!
35:34 I believe there’s a certain beauty in ruthless efficiency, and we should focus our resources on achieving it, especially in areas that haven’t yet reached that level. For instance, I don’t understand why every car doesn’t resemble the Volkswagen XL1 in some way. The XL1 is an example of finding better ways to do things and never reverting to old methods, yet people don’t seem to adopt such innovations for some reason.
The XL1 is just efficient, aerodynamically. Otherwise it's not very practical. and most people probably don't like the looks, including me.
I agree that there is some beauty to efficiency, but it has to please the eye, and the World would be really boring if everyone drove the same cars.
Is the beauty you find IN the efficiency of the vehicle, or in the time and dedication to testing and refining the details to make the vehicle efficient?
I think this point in the video is discussing efficiency as a means of "how easy or efficient" something can be created and not how easy this created thing can perform its operation.
@@silverburrito 1. Both
2. His video is about luxury brand; I'm arguing consumers should support things for its efficiency so it would improve life for everyone.