Luxury Needs A Bit Of Impracticality.

This article is not a philosophical debate about what luxury means to each of us; it’s not a report on consumption, but an observation about design and brand positioning. Think of it as a fleeting thought that decided to stay.  

Photo by Filip Rankovic Grobgaard from Pexels

Luxury goods are characterized not only by their price but also by some whimsy. I have observed that when it comes to luxury goods, being a tad impractical seems to be a feature rather than a character flaw. A bit of inconvenience appears to be an aesthetic choice.

Hermès Birkin bag owners don’t clasp their bags shut, citing hardware preservation and ease of use. The Kelly is always partially open. Le Creuset cookware weighs as much as a small child. While the weight is necessary, it’s very heavy to carry, but it can last for generations. Chanel perfumes are iconic, delicious, and my favourite since my twenties. Lighter variations of luxury perfumes, such as Eau de Toilette, need frequent reapplication, but that doesn’t deter me or others because the application experience takes over. The Appleverse is exceptionally seamless but notoriously annoying when you have to transfer phones and upgrade them every two years. Do I still use it? Yes, I do. Will I continue to? Also, yes (there is debate about if Apple is premium or luxury, but that is a post for another day)

Premium linen that wrinkles, supercars with parts hard to replace, a lack of boot space, and the list goes on.

To reiterate, this is not an argument about whether these companies are right or wrong. But as a lifelong student of brand building, I'd make this observation about luxury goods. True luxury never explains itself. No justifications are necessary because utility is not a selling point. As Coco Chanel famously put it, “Luxury begins where necessity ends.”

Do more examples come to mind? Let me know by commenting below.

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