Luxury: trend vs. lifestyle

The fog of the past few weeks seems to be finally lifting from my brain! Yupi! Its been slightly eerie of late - a feeling of brain and body going each their separate ways, and the first loosing control of the second (and no, I am no longer on painkillers so this has nothing to do with meds - just with contractures in neck and shoulders)... Anyway, as always, I digress. So back to the thought, or rather, the subject for debate that has come to the surface: is luxury about trends or about lifestyle?

Today I  would definitely and inequivocably vote for "lifestyle". But I know that there have been times in my life when "luxury" could have been defined as "being able to keep up with the trends posited by the fashion designers and houses that I liked / identified with". Does this mean a new maturity? I never felt the need for "boatloads of money" to enjoy luxury, not really... maybe just a cool million in a currency where that sum buys you a nice house and leaves you with enough small change for other things...

I think there are people for whom luxury - understood in the sense that the "luxury industry" projects of material posessions created with care and aiming to achieve excellence -  is all about being liked / admired / envied /assimilated by and into different social circles. That can happen in a conscious way - emulating the spending habits of those we wish to resemble or in a subconscious way - creating through consumption the alter ego of ourselves that we believe will engraciate us most with those that surround us. That is the most straight forward, basic way - the "nouveau riche" way if you will. And we have all sucumbed in some way or other at some point.

The "luxury as lifestyle" thesis is more subtle, more lasting, and also more personal. Because it does not necessarily have anything to do with what you can buy with a credit card. (Hence the brilliance of the whole Mastercard ad campaign about making spending money all about the experience and not the spending... Personally I like the HSBC "What does luxury mean to you?" campaign much better - it is more sophisticated, more subtle - and if you ask me definitely an inspiration for the other). 

Haven't begun to read "Buyology" yet but I figure this is all part of  Martin Lindstrom's research. I love the fact that his name has been cropping up in articles I have been reading recently. Didn't really know he was so famous a wiz kid but I liked the word game. But then life got in the way and its been sitting on my shelf for ... six months already!  Still, I look forward to reading it now that my mind has defogged. I am always curious about what really pushes us to do what we do, be how we are... pop psychology, serious psychology, spiritual enlightenment, history - anything that helps me shed a light on my character and actions and those of others is welcome. So will let you know how I find the book - I plan to start on it as soon as I finish Pepys's biography. It is thrilling to follow the taylor's son transition from Cromwellian Commonwealth to Charles II's Kingly Spending and his rise to administration glory! Incidentally, he grew into his wealth and revelled in it - but seems to have always remained a "nouveau riche" when it came to the basics... Good night to all!!!