The New Luxury Shopping Experience

purechris · 28-07-2005

A very interesting article about the "new" Luxury consumers from Newsweek:

July 25-Aug. 1 issue - The old lexicon of luxe hardly serves to describe the Celux Club, located inside Louis Vuitton's Omotesando building in Tokyo. The few hundred fashionistas, artists, celebrities, and other trendsetters deemed cool enough to pass the rigorous admission process and pay their $2,000 membership fee need a swipe card to enter the store. Once they’re inside, the shopping is epic—not only can members purchase the latest LV products, but they also get first dibs on limited-edition fare from other top brands. But Celux is more than just shopping—in recent months, members have enjoyed a lunch party with a sake master and watched the debut of the latest “Star Wars” in Japan (a week before 20th Century Fox’s own premiere). Next year the club will dip its toes into the ultra-high-end real-estate market, opening up a custom-designed apartment nearby.

This kind of luxury experience is the future. We're not saying that every big boutique will have 87 restrooms and a helipad like the newly remodeled Daslu store in São Paulo. But because goods at all levels are increasingly being commoditized, luxury shopping will have to move beyond simply offering expensive goods in a reasonably pleasant environment. To be successful, luxury brands must transform themselves from manufacturers and purveyors of fine goods into topnotch services that can make even the wealthiest elites feel more pampered and unique. In this Special Issue, NEWSWEEK explores this emerging redefinition of one of the world's most high-profile industries.......................................

It's no wonder, then, that the freshest concept to hit the luxury scene in recent memory are the "guerrilla" shops of Rei Kawakubo's Comme des Garcons. They open and close within a year in offbeat places including Warsaw, Helsinki and Ljubljana, Slovenia, as well as unfashionable areas of Hong Kong and Berlin. Opening costs are less than $2,000 per store, and no fashion people are involved—the company hands out clothes to eager entrepreneurs, who have included a Finnish linguist, a Chinese musician and a Polish statistician. The spaces have been used not only to sell clothes, but to show art, produce music and put out magazines. They are, of course, a huge hit with the fashion crowd. Comme president Adrian Joffe says he "wanted to give people an adventure." The lines outside these shops prove that a thrill is exactly what people are looking for.

The rest of the article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8597705/site/newsweek/

Hipkitten · 28-07-2005

I think this is fantastic. Shopping should be an experience not a hassle. I often shop at places and buy from companies I know offer customer perks. $2000 is a small price to pay for a relaxing shopping experience

**Meg** · 28-07-2005

very very interesting things. Thanks for posting, must read the rest of the article and ponder

nqth · 28-07-2005

Thanks for posting. I think I have heard about the Tokyo private shopping a while ago, here in tFS perhaps?

TheSoCalledPrep · 28-07-2005

I also posted this in the Has fashion become too mainstream? thread about an hour ago... I think it's weird...

purechris · 28-07-2005

prep

I think it's strange too.........but very interesting from a retail point of view......the insane amount of wealth that is out there is shocking!!!

seni · 07-08-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by purechris

prep

I think it's strange too.........but very interesting from a retail point of view......the insane amount of wealth that is out there is shocking!!!

Very interesting post! Not necessarily be a retail viewpoint! Just like this 'guerrilla' idea, very fresh, very innovative... Just wondering whoelse (except for CDG) get Guerrilla shops? I must go and see... as a gallary visiting...

breathe0xygen · 07-08-2005

Its a new form of shopping... interesting concept.. hmmm

seni · 07-08-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by breathe0xygen

Its a new form of shopping... interesting concept.. hmmm

Any guerrila shops in Tokyo, Osaca? Which brands?

Fade to Black · 07-08-2005

Thanks for sharing, purechris!

I'd love to take a look inside that Celux Club...

I went to the Guerrilla Store here in HK last weekend, not much stuff...it was actually mostly Junya/CdG shirt/H+ stuff from Summer 04. They occasionally have some limited releases in collaboration with the company who helped open it, Silly Thing, but the items are quite basic and don't really appeal to me much.

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28-07-2005	1
purechris no photos, no photos Join Date: Jan 2004 Gender: homme Posts: 2,887	The New Luxury Shopping Experience A very interesting article about the "new" Luxury consumers from Newsweek: July 25-Aug. 1 issue - The old lexicon of luxe hardly serves to describe the Celux Club, located inside Louis Vuitton's Omotesando building in Tokyo. The few hundred fashionistas, artists, celebrities, and other trendsetters deemed cool enough to pass the rigorous admission process and pay their $2,000 membership fee need a swipe card to enter the store. Once they’re inside, the shopping is epic—not only can members purchase the latest LV products, but they also get first dibs on limited-edition fare from other top brands. But Celux is more than just shopping—in recent months, members have enjoyed a lunch party with a sake master and watched the debut of the latest “Star Wars” in Japan (a week before 20th Century Fox’s own premiere). Next year the club will dip its toes into the ultra-high-end real-estate market, opening up a custom-designed apartment nearby. This kind of luxury experience is the future. We're not saying that every big boutique will have 87 restrooms and a helipad like the newly remodeled Daslu store in São Paulo. But because goods at all levels are increasingly being commoditized, luxury shopping will have to move beyond simply offering expensive goods in a reasonably pleasant environment. To be successful, luxury brands must transform themselves from manufacturers and purveyors of fine goods into topnotch services that can make even the wealthiest elites feel more pampered and unique. In this Special Issue, NEWSWEEK explores this emerging redefinition of one of the world's most high-profile industries....................................... It's no wonder, then, that the freshest concept to hit the luxury scene in recent memory are the "guerrilla" shops of Rei Kawakubo's Comme des Garcons. They open and close within a year in offbeat places including Warsaw, Helsinki and Ljubljana, Slovenia, as well as unfashionable areas of Hong Kong and Berlin. Opening costs are less than $2,000 per store, and no fashion people are involved—the company hands out clothes to eager entrepreneurs, who have included a Finnish linguist, a Chinese musician and a Polish statistician. The spaces have been used not only to sell clothes, but to show art, produce music and put out magazines. They are, of course, a huge hit with the fashion crowd. Comme president Adrian Joffe says he "wanted to give people an adventure." The lines outside these shops prove that a thrill is exactly what people are looking for. The rest of the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8597705/site/newsweek/

28-07-2005	2
Hipkitten Diamond Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: An inspired mind Gender: femme Posts: 4,297	I think this is fantastic. Shopping should be an experience not a hassle. I often shop at places and buy from companies I know offer customer perks. $2000 is a small price to pay for a relaxing shopping experience __________________ There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women. ~Madeleine Albright

28-07-2005	3
Meg inspired contemplation Mod Squad Leader Join Date: May 2003 Location: London by way of North America Gender: femme Posts: 17,056	very very interesting things. Thanks for posting, must read the rest of the article and ponder

28-07-2005	4
nqth arndom Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Hanoi, Vietnam Gender: homme Posts: 2,581	Thanks for posting. I think I have heard about the Tokyo private shopping a while ago, here in tFS perhaps?

28-07-2005	5
TheSoCalledPrep V.I.P. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Gender: femme Posts: 5,308	I also posted this in the Has fashion become too mainstream? thread about an hour ago... I think it's weird...

07-08-2005	8
breathe0xygen I loved you Design Team Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Downtown New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo Gender: femme Posts: 5,126	Its a new form of shopping... interesting concept.. hmmm __________________

07-08-2005	10
Fade to Black fashion icon Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Hong Kong Gender: homme Posts: 3,340	Thanks for sharing, purechris! I'd love to take a look inside that Celux Club... I went to the Guerrilla Store here in HK last weekend, not much stuff...it was actually mostly Junya/CdG shirt/H+ stuff from Summer 04. They occasionally have some limited releases in collaboration with the company who helped open it, Silly Thing, but the items are quite basic and don't really appeal to me much.