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Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster Kindle Edition

by Dana Thomas (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 589 ratings
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“With Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, [Dana] Thomas—who has been the cultural and fashion writer for Newsweek in Paris for 12 years—has written a crisp, witty social history that’s as entertaining as it is informative.” —New York Times

From the author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes 

Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don't want us to know. Deluxe is an uncompromising look behind the glossy façade that will enthrall anyone interested in fashion, finance, or culture.
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  1. Print length
    396 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    August 16, 2007
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. File size
    1928 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Newsweek reporter Thomas skillfully narrates European fashion houses' evolution from exclusive ateliers to marketing juggernauts. Telling the story through characters like the French mogul Bernard Arnault, she details how the perfection of old-time manufacturing, still seen in Hermès handbags, has bowed to sweatshops and wild profits on mediocre merchandise. After a brisk history of luxury, Thomas shows why handbags and perfume are as susceptible to globalization and corporate greed as less rarefied industries. She follows the overarching story, parts of which are familiar, from boardrooms to street markets that unload millions in counterfeit goods, dropping irresistible details like a Japanese monk obsessed with Comme des Garçons. But she's no killjoy. If anything, she's fond of the aristocratic past, snarks at "behemoths that churn out perfume like Kraft makes cheese" and is too credulous of fashionistas' towering egos. Despite her grasp of business machinations, her argument that conglomerates have stolen luxury's soul doesn't entirely wash. As her tales of quotidian vs. ultra luxury make clear, the rich and chic can still distinguish themselves, even when Las Vegas hosts the world's ritziest brands. Thomas might have delved deeper into why fashion labels inspire such mania, beyond "selling dreams," but her curiosity is contagious. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Thomas has been the fashion writer for Newsweek in Paris for 12 years and writes about style for the New York Times Magazine and other well-known publications. She traces the origins of luxury from the mid–nineteenth century, when Louis Vuitton made his first steamer trunks and custom-made clothing was strictly the province of European aristocracy, through the fashion boom of the 1920s, when names such as Dior, Gucci, and Yves Saint Laurent came into prominence, and buyers with expendable income could afford exquisite clothing and perfume. Sadly, today most of the well-known names are owned by multinational groups, and luxury items have become commodities, where buyers crave name brands for what they represent rather than their inherent quality of manufacture and design. Thomas takes us into the streets of New York, where counterfeit items are sold that look so much like the real thing that it takes an expert to tell them apart, to the Guangzhou region in China, where children make knockoff goods under appalling conditions. She manages to remove the veil from the fashion industry with a blend of history, culture, and investigative journalism. Siegfried, David

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000UZPINO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (August 16, 2007)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1928 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 396 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 589 ratings

About the author

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Dana Thomas

Dana Thomas

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Dana Thomas is the author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes, Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano and the New York Times bestseller Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. She began her career writing for the Style section of The Washington Post, and for fifteen years she served as a cultural and fashion correspondent for Newsweek in Paris. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times Style section and has written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and Architectural Digest. In 1987, she received the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation’s Ellis Haller Award for Outstanding Achievement in Journalism. In 2016, the French Minister of Culture named Thomas a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters. And in 2017, she was a Logan Nonfiction Fellow at the Carey Institute for Global Good. She lives in Paris.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
589 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book informative, fascinating, and well-researched. They describe it as a wonderful, enjoyable read with an easy-to-read and digestible format. Readers appreciate the value for money and the visual appeal of the book.

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InformativeReadabilityWriting styleValue for moneyVisual appealHumor
53 customers mention "Informative"53 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-researched, fascinating, and engrossing. They appreciate the odd little facts presented and the solid business information. Readers also mention the book provides great insight into the fashion industry.

"...I also thought it did a great job with sources and reporting such as Miuccia Prada and Tom Ford and all the way down to regular employees." Read more

"...It's utterly fascinating and engrossing. And it's funny!..." Read more

"I loved this book: very interesting and bringing you through the history or the birth of lots of the luxury houses...." Read more

"...This book is FASCINATING!..." Read more

50 customers mention "Readability"50 positive0 negative

Customers find the book wonderful, interesting, and enjoyable. They say it's educational about brands. Readers also mention it provides an entertaining expose of the burgeoning luxury.

"...purse, and don't own a single designer knockoff product, this book will fascinate, educate and entertain...." Read more

"...Superb quality and true luxury will always be there if you know where to look...." Read more

"...Overall, it's a largely enjoyable read for the casual reader interested in fashion or business in general." Read more

"...The currency of the subject matter and the incredibly engaging and interesting writing style of Dana Thomas, mean this book will appeal to readers..." Read more

23 customers mention "Writing style"20 positive3 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book well-written, easy to read, and digestible. They say it reads like fiction and is worth a quick read.

"...text (kindle edition) was a bit annoying, but overall the writing was definitely readable (it is not in academese)...." Read more

"...The writing is beautifully done. Actually I was pleasantly surprised by how good the writing is...." Read more

"...of the subject matter and the incredibly engaging and interesting writing style of Dana Thomas, mean this book will appeal to readers of any age,..." Read more

"...The book is well written and avoids any technical jargon. The anecotes and first hand research is admirable...." Read more

10 customers mention "Value for money"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides outstanding insight into the luxury industry. They say it provides interesting anecdotes and good information on the economics of retailing. Readers also mention it delves into modern society and luxury goods.

"...Just the chapter alone on the Hermes handbags was worth the price of the book...." Read more

"This book is well informative and gives one great insight into the fashion industry." Read more

"...but no, this book was surprisingly educational and illuminating about the luxury business model." Read more

"An enjoyable, intelligent book for fashion lovers. If you are interested in the story of fashion, business to art, this book is a good read." Read more

10 customers mention "Visual appeal"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's visual appeal interesting, well-presented, and well-written. They also describe it as a brilliant, witty social history.

"...Written incredibly well: not to be missed" Read more

"...and fashion writer for Newsweek in Paris for 12 years -- has written a crisp, witty social history that's as entertaining as it is informative...." Read more

"I haven't gotten around to reading this yet, but it looks great on my night stand." Read more

"...on your thorough research, your intelligent well-written and well-edited masterpiece. I can't wait to read your next contributions......" Read more

4 customers mention "Humor"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous and witty. They say the author is smart and insightful.

"...It's utterly fascinating and engrossing. And it's funny!..." Read more

"...Witty, insightful and damning, you can't help but feel drawn into this book hoping that it never ends...." Read more

"...Her comments are not only insightful, they are funny...." Read more

"Dana Thomas is smart, funny and intrepid and this is a fine, fine study of how fashion found a mass audience and lost its rare and special mojo." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, good reporting
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
I liked how comprehensive it was, from the Japanese expansion to the brand history to the production processes. I also thought it did a great job with sources and reporting such as Miuccia Prada and Tom Ford and all the way down to regular employees.
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Elizabeth Snead
5.0 out of 5 stars Methodically researched/ Beautifully written
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2007
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Full Disclosure: I write about fashion, entertainment and celebrities for a living and have known Dana Thomas for a decade or more. I knew she was working on a book about luxury (yawn) and for the past three years, she was always exhausted, trotting off to China, Milan, Grasse or Lake Como, sometimes popping into my hood in Hollywood, constantly doing research for the book.

But frankly, I'm not a big designer brand buyer and would sooner plunk $400 on a Pottery Barn couch than a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. So I never imagined how engrossed i would be by this book. In fact, I was shocked.

Dana makes this elitist world come alive by putting luxury in a historical context (Caesar wore only silk togas and the Senate was POed at the expense!) and taking the reader with her on a personal journey behind the scenes and around the world, to find out the sad truth about the decline of the luxury goods industry.

It's utterly fascinating and engrossing. And it's funny! Dana has a wicked snse of humor and pulls no punches in describing the decadent denizens of the "Deluxe" world. Even if you know nothing about fashion, couldn't tell a Gucci bag from a Prada purse, and don't own a single designer knockoff product, this book will fascinate, educate and entertain. Plus any book that can make me put down the last Harry Potter - in the middle! - has to be some kind of good read.
140 people found this helpful
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Lostinbooks
4.0 out of 5 stars A Devastating Look at the McLuxury Trade
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2007
Verified Purchase
By exposing the deteriorating quality and mass marketing of many so-called luxury goods, Dana Thomas has driven home a truth--if EVERYBODY has it, no matter how much it costs it's no longer a luxury item. Today, the malls are jammed with women of every economic strata proudly brandishing (mostly fake and a few real) LV bags. They are logo soldiers in LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault's LV army. Though it's usually easy to spot the fakes (as of this writing on fake LV's, the LV' is not upside down on the reverse) the bags are so ubiquitous that it hardly matters anymore.

Hermes is one of the few large companies that still gets it right. Smaller leather goods makers and perfumers such as Valextra and Lorenzo Villoresi continue to carry the torch. One complaint is that many of these smaller companies were not mentioned in the book. Superb quality and true luxury will always be there if you know where to look.

For some, luxury still means exclusivity; as Thomas points out, wealthy cognescenti will continue to quietly raise the bar by seeking out rare items of exquisite quality, leaving the "mass affluents" behind in logo purgatory. Of course, the hoi polloi will be giddily buying "luxury" bags that the upper crusties wouldn't be caught dead with.

There is some justice in all this. With all her vast wealth and power, Delphine Arnault cannot carry an exquisite, handmade Hermes bag,(at least not in public.) Poor thing! She's stuck with her daddy's lackluster, "McLuxury" brands.

UPDATE: Although he has denied it, it is clear that Bernard Arnault is lining up his ducks for an eventual takeover of Hermes. So far, the family has been able to block him from taking a majority stake. I hope that this never happens. I bought my first Hermes bag in 1983. I still carry and love it. Thanks to M. Claude of Hermes in New York, It is as beautiful now as the day that I bought it. I can't bear to think of Hermes in Arnaut's grip. E company should remain in family hands.

I deduct one star for the numerous typos: this is UNFORGIVABLE in a book about the decline of quality.
45 people found this helpful
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AS
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2023
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I loved this book: very interesting and bringing you through the history or the birth of lots of the luxury houses. Written incredibly well: not to be missed
One person found this helpful
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Alex H
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Expose On The Decline Of Quality In Lux Goods & The Reason Why!
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
I found DELUXE: HOW LUXURY LOST ITS LUSTER by Dana Thomas from a suggestion that someone made on the purse forum. The thread had to do with brand name bags and the noticeable decline in quality, yet prices are on the rise.

This book is FASCINATING! Thomas has access to all the major players in fashion and provides details on how some of the most iconic brands got their start. Names like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Versace etc., and how they have evolved into today.

Many of these brands started out very small with lots of attention paid to detail and quality. Only the most richest people of society could afford some of these brands until there was a marketing explosion during the 80s and 90s in which most of these brands were bought out by corporations.

Anyway, that's when the decline started happening and some of these brand names actually have stuff produced and made in China, but assembled in Italy or France so that they can still carry the "made in Italy or France" label.

It's really interesting how Thomas traces these brand names from their respective family owned businesses to when they were bought out by corporations.

She also discusses the issues of buying fake bags and counterfeit goods. Many think that buying a knock-off version of an expensive bag is a victimless crime, but it is not. You'll find out why in this book.

Also, even though the "crossover" of luxury brands to the masses is a good thing -- meaning more people can afford to own one or two luxury items even if they aren't millionaires -- the downside is that now the quality has gone down, and since there must be a high turn over rate of selling more and more, nothing is made to last, unlike items that were made a decade or so ago.

I would definitely recommend this book if you buy brand names like Chanel, Vuitton or the like, or even if you don't because this book will have you rethinking the whole idea of what luxury is.
18 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Claudia
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Spain on January 18, 2024
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Great book although maybe it needs to be updated. I would recommend, it will change the vision on nowadays luxury brands
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Herzog
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
Well written and a fascinating insight into the fashion industry and marketing practices.
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Sophie
5.0 out of 5 stars Unglaubliche Einblicke in eine Milliardenindustrie
Reviewed in Germany on July 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Nichts für Fashionistas, die schonungslosen Recherchen machen wütend, traurig und führen hoffentlich zum Umdenken. Überteuerte Luxusartikel, ausgebeutete Models und Mitarbeiter in der Modeindustrie sind leider die Regel. Gewinner sind die großen Konzerne, die sich die Dummheit - leider meist die der Frauen - skrupellos zu Nutze machen. Ein Buch das schockiert, aufklärt und wichtig ist, da soziale Medien das Markenbewusstsein aggressiv propagieren und feiern, für billig produzierte "Luxusprodukte" die vor allem Jugendliche wie ferngesteuert im Gruppendruck kaufen.
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roberto frizzoni
1.0 out of 5 stars deluxe
Reviewed in Italy on July 24, 2019
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purtroppo e' arrivato stampato in lingua inglese
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shebear
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Reviewed in Canada on November 12, 2017
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What I got from this book is ....there is no luxury. Luxury brands are a waste of money. Best to save that money and live debt free. Glad I was never duped by the luxury brand lie!
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