68
M. De Angelis et al.
It might be certainly interesting to reflect on the reasons underlying the luxury
business’ growth. As highlighted by Kapferer [38], in the past luxury was a prerogative of the happy few, namely a small circle of powerful individuals who used
to leverage on luxury consumption in order to show their taste and impress crowds
[39]. In the nineteenth century, the rapid rise of a new middle class has led to the fast
expansion of luxury customer base and to the gradual “democratization” of luxury
desire. As illustrated by McNeil and Riello [40], this phenomenon, firstly emerged
in Europe, has later happened in several emerging countries, which entered into the
luxury market just at the time when saturation was being reached. In particular, in
the 2000s China has gone from being a “virgin land for luxury” [40, p. 245] to being
the motherland of those consumers “who have made the fortune of those European
luxury brands that today account for the lion’s share of the market” [40, p. 247].
Indeed, luxury brands started having a great appeal especially to young middle-class
Chinese consumers, “who have no personal recollection of China under the duress of
strict communism” [40, p. 247]. Strong growth in the middle class has also characterized BRIC countries [40]. In particular, luxury has recently become the symbol of
wealth for those Russian who have “accumulated enormous fortunes since the fall of
communism in the early 1990s” [40, p. 250], while the rise of Brazilian middle class
has made the country the second largest market for several luxury services [41].
6 The Challenges Posed by Luxury Growth
and the Resolutive Role of Art
While growth and product diffusion are not an issue for premium brands, which
indeed benefit from the increase of their market share, they conversely may represent
an obstacle for luxury brands’ well-being. In fact, besides the unquestionable shortterm economic benefit, sales growth can also cause the exposure of luxury firms to the
risk of losing their exclusive appeal and their narrative meaning [42]. In other words,
the extension of luxury customer base from the happy few (the powerful élite) to
the happy many (the wealthy middle class), thus the transformation of luxury “from
the ordinary of the extraordinary people to the extraordinary of the ordinary people”
is likely to distance the élite itself, which is populated by those individuals who
“ensure the long-term desirability of the brand” [38, p. 373]. Moreover, the expansion
of luxury has created a condition of overexposure of luxury brands, which have
invaded individuals’ everyday life by massively resorting to generic media channels
such as television, newspapers, magazines and Internet [40]. This phenomenon has
exacerbated the moral criticisms that always existed around luxury, blamed to foster
social inequality. Such arguments call into question the reputation of the luxury sector
and even its right to exist [38].
Aware of the above-mentioned issues, Kapferer [25, 38] claimed the centrality
of art in the resolution of the problems posed by the growth of luxury. Able to
M. De Angelis et al.
It might be certainly interesting to reflect on the reasons underlying the luxury
business’ growth. As highlighted by Kapferer [38], in the past luxury was a prerogative of the happy few, namely a small circle of powerful individuals who used
to leverage on luxury consumption in order to show their taste and impress crowds
[39]. In the nineteenth century, the rapid rise of a new middle class has led to the fast
expansion of luxury customer base and to the gradual “democratization” of luxury
desire. As illustrated by McNeil and Riello [40], this phenomenon, firstly emerged
in Europe, has later happened in several emerging countries, which entered into the
luxury market just at the time when saturation was being reached. In particular, in
the 2000s China has gone from being a “virgin land for luxury” [40, p. 245] to being
the motherland of those consumers “who have made the fortune of those European
luxury brands that today account for the lion’s share of the market” [40, p. 247].
Indeed, luxury brands started having a great appeal especially to young middle-class
Chinese consumers, “who have no personal recollection of China under the duress of
strict communism” [40, p. 247]. Strong growth in the middle class has also characterized BRIC countries [40]. In particular, luxury has recently become the symbol of
wealth for those Russian who have “accumulated enormous fortunes since the fall of
communism in the early 1990s” [40, p. 250], while the rise of Brazilian middle class
has made the country the second largest market for several luxury services [41].
6 The Challenges Posed by Luxury Growth
and the Resolutive Role of Art
While growth and product diffusion are not an issue for premium brands, which
indeed benefit from the increase of their market share, they conversely may represent
an obstacle for luxury brands’ well-being. In fact, besides the unquestionable shortterm economic benefit, sales growth can also cause the exposure of luxury firms to the
risk of losing their exclusive appeal and their narrative meaning [42]. In other words,
the extension of luxury customer base from the happy few (the powerful élite) to
the happy many (the wealthy middle class), thus the transformation of luxury “from
the ordinary of the extraordinary people to the extraordinary of the ordinary people”
is likely to distance the élite itself, which is populated by those individuals who
“ensure the long-term desirability of the brand” [38, p. 373]. Moreover, the expansion
of luxury has created a condition of overexposure of luxury brands, which have
invaded individuals’ everyday life by massively resorting to generic media channels
such as television, newspapers, magazines and Internet [40]. This phenomenon has
exacerbated the moral criticisms that always existed around luxury, blamed to foster
social inequality. Such arguments call into question the reputation of the luxury sector
and even its right to exist [38].
Aware of the above-mentioned issues, Kapferer [25, 38] claimed the centrality
of art in the resolution of the problems posed by the growth of luxury. Able to