Eddie Parsons: This Is Luxury
I found myself obsessing on luxury products or name brands as a kid… I was always sensitive and often stubborn when it came to brands or quality. That attention to the hand, tailoring or color palette became increasingly particular during my thrift shopping years. I spent hours over decades combing through thrift stores to find the best quality products from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s (not to show my age but the ’80s were too recent.) Some of the best finds were in Florida during the early ’90s with cashmere coats, angora sweaters, fur everywhere (less guilt bought second-hand) and early ’60s tuxedos… the retiree that died and the kids didn’t want his clothes… score! R.I.P. of course.
I am always asked when working with “luxury” products: Why are they so expensive? Honestly, it’s all perspective and anyone can choose their own luxury within their budget. There’s generally a significant amount of time spent by every person on that team to learn their perspective. Before Margiela for H&M consumes us and we have to view designer shoppers as Marie Antoinettes, there are key things to consider before looking at the price.
Time is luxury. There has been serious time spent by people who appreciate every single detail of the garment. Like a piece of art, they consider every visual detail of the piece; there can be a meeting room of people to discuss a clasp or a button and as arrogant as that sounds, it’s in these meetings that people revolutionize the way you dress. I personally would like to talk to the proponents of “button fly” and let them know that sometimes I need a zipper. The way the mass retailers offset this cost is by maximizing their distribution. Luxury labels appeal to a specific lifestyle by bringing the finest resources they have available to make items that the client will cherish and want to share. All the time that is spent by members of design, production and sales come down to the point of sale; the client is not only buying the item but the time that it took to reach this moment.
The function of a garment is something that is considered from the start. The reason we have different collections is to address the environmental or social needs of the client. Subcategories keep cropping up but generally three to six months of an entire company concentrate on the wardrobe needs of a client range in a specific season or travel schedule. That kind of attention deserves a high price and should be seen as an investment more than an extravagance. Why do people buy high performance cars or vintage wine? Apparel is an investment that has a direct affect on you: It’s on you. If you can afford to feel as comfortable as possible but still meet the requirements of your occasion, than that is luxury.
Telling the story of the collection takes teams of photographers, stylists, hair/makeup and the models. All within the vision of the creative director, this is massive artistic collaboration and personal expression. It’s like a boxing ring and the strongest ideas or expertise make it; that’s another investment. The creative director oversees all the team member’s contributions and makes all the final decisions. After all this commotion, there is a peace and the product comes to life. Now it is the salesperson left with the job to interpret the collection into the client’s life. The salesperson needs to know their client’s lifestyle and be able to speak to all the reasons this particular item will enrich their quality of life. The client falls in love with the piece and the salesperson loves selling it to them. So much time and work have been spent to reach this moment. Once everyone is in love, than that is luxury.
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The Bitter Truth About Why Your Coffee Isn’t Tasting as Good Lately
Filed under: Economy, Kraft Foods, Starbucks, Smucker, Food & Drink
Oscar Wilde once said, “A cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
If he was right, the supermarket aisles of America are probably crowded with coffee-drinking “cynics” right now.
Reuters is reporting that many of America’s major brands have been quietly tweaking their coffee blends. While most coffee companies consider their blends trade secrets, and are loath to disclose exactly what goes into them, both circumstantial and direct evidence suggests…
The Bitter Truth About Why Your Coffee Isn’t Tasting as Good Lately originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2012-06-19T05:30:00Z.
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The original article and other great content can be found at this URL: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/06/19/noticed-that-your-coffee-tastes-funny-heres-why/
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This German Woman Has Been Living Without Money For 16 Years
Filed under: Family Money, Features
By Mandi WoodruffAs we edge closer to a cashless society, some consumers are quietly challenging the idea of money in the first place — by giving it up completely.
Daniel Suelo, 50, traded his nine-to-five for dumpster diving and a cozy cave in Utah’s canyonlands back in 2000.
But even before Suelo, there was Germany native Heidemarie Schwermer. In her early 50s, Schwermer decided to see what it’d be like to leave her cushy job as a psychotherapist and live money-free, a journey that’s…
This German Woman Has Been Living Without Money For 16 Years originally appeared on DailyFinance.com on 2012-06-18T16:15:00Z.
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Does your Christmas Tree die too early? If so, then read this article: Make Christmas Tree Last Longer
Shrinking stomach may boost risk for booze abuse
CHICAGO (AP) — The most common type of obesity surgery may increase patients’ chances for alcohol abuse, according to the largest study to demonstrate a potential link….
The original article and other great content can be found at this URL: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_OBESITY_SURGERY_ALCOHOL?SITE=RIPAW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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Romney looks to Midwest’s working class for gains
Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney is pushing to win a band of Midwestern states that voted for President Barack Obama four years ago and that generally have a long history of backing Democrats in White House elections.
The original article and other great content can be found at this URL: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-looks-midwests-working-class-gains-211323418.html
Confused about what to get teens for their birthday or Christmas? Check out these teen gift ideas and find out what they want!
Parties are worlds apart on how to fix economy
Millions of Americans are desperate for work, runaway government spending clouds the future and Democratic and Republican candidates are busy making one thing clear: They're light years apart on what to do about it.
The original article and other great content can be found at this URL: http://news.yahoo.com/parties-worlds-apart-fix-economy-163019916.html
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