Arrival Lounge

“So-and-so’s mum gave her vintage Hermes cups but won’t let her use them because the servants might break them. I mean,what’s the point? We use everything —Wedgwood,Good Earth,silver — if it breaks,it breaks.” This,while my coffee arrived in beautiful powder-blue Tiffany mugs on a silver tray.

“Where are my Bvlgari earrings? Should I wear those of the new polki set?”

“We now travel twice a year,and one of these holidays has to be a luxury cruise.”

Nothing wrong with enjoying your wealth. And showing off is a crime we’re all happy to be guilty of. But when I find my sweet,puritanical,Boston-educated,book-mad girlfriend,who,in an old-fashioned way,catechized me about my three designer handbags not too long ago,swinging at the other end of the pendulum,I gulped down the coffee quicker than usual.

A surging economy and easy accessibility to new stores have made fashion victims of all of us. Nouveau riche does not necessarily mean uncultured and uncouth. It applies to the newcomers to economic freedom and the result of it too.

Post-Partition Delhi was rife with Punjabis from across the border who showed off their social rank through their shimmer (thick gold chains,‘Murooti’ cars and shouting into cellphones). Now the Capital is celebrated among the most culturally-rich and livable cities of the world,one that’s steeped in history and cosmopolitan modernity at once. Nouveau riche countries are good news for world economics too,the only western country that has a solid bank balance seems to be Germany,in only at number 4. Last year,54 million Chinese tourists who travelled abroad spent $54 billion (approx Rs 2,800 crore) on their shopping.

The fashionable parvenu also symbolise the democracy of fashion — everyone must enjoy luxury or at least the superficial symbols of it. Designer labels and their logos must be ubiquitous at first,and then distinguished and sieved down to suit your personal taste later. Of course there is the conspicuous consumer and there is the sophisticated shopper. There are some consumers who are largely erudite about their shopping choices,and are often second,or third-generation luxury shoppers. But most of India is in its “conspicuous consumer” stage,buying “luxury” equals buying “status”.

While this may sound like good news to fashion houses,a few big labels are recognising the dangers in this and reverting to timeworn glamour once again.

The profits may be compelling,but if the taste-makers give up on luxury,the entire machinery could collapse. A good example is Louis Vuitton seeking to cultivate a more low-key image with its new collections.

In a recent edition of the French Vogue,Tom Ford personally shot his own fashion feature with an elderly couple,presumably in their late 1960s and with little make-up,wearing glamorous outfits and expensive jewellery. Fashion commentators suggest an old-money elegance which has completely vanished from marketing for the last two decades.

Recreating desirability and aspiration is the toughest job for those who want to stay in the game. For the rest,the upstarts are welcome.

namratanow@gmail.com