Middle class consumers are a huge part of the profit for luxury goods companies. Most people, even most wealthy people, cannot afford a $75k gown. But most (or at least many) people can afford a $20 lipstick, a $75 bottle of eau de parfum, or a few hundred dollars on a purse. 40% of sales at lots of the luxury stores are made "in the first room" where the small leather goods are. These are also the easiest to sell, because there is nothing to fit--you like it, you buy it. End of story. Middle class consumers want their goods splashed with logos; the truly wealthy don't want any at all.

My mom has a Coach purse from the 80's that, other than being a somewhat dated silouhette, is still highly wearable. A few years ago, she wanted to buy a new one, and we actually had a bit of trouble finding one that was (a) made of leather and (b) didn't have a gigantor logo on the flap. At the lower-rent mall near her house, they almost exclusively sell the canvas C logo ones. At the fancy schmancy mall downtown, they have nicer, logoless ones. And $1200 cashmere lap blankets. Drool.

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Basically, you go into a Hermes store (preferably a smaller, more obscure one -- Tonello went all over Italy and France), drop a couple thou on scarves and belts and whatnot, then casually ask if they have any Birkins and what do you know, they inevitably do. He got hundreds of Birkins this way (he was an eBay reseller). Basically, if you are willing to pay the "entry fee," you can bypass the list, which is maintained not because the bags are indeed rare but because Hermes wants to retain its air of exclusivity.

I've always thought that the Birkin was a pretty boring-looking bag anyway. :p

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And another thing: last time I was in Ross, the lady behind me in the cashier line and I started to chat: She is a Frenchwoman, shares her time here in SF Bay area and in Paris. Ross is her store. She can shop in Paris, and chooses to shop at Ross. A friend of hers travels all the way from Paris to shop at Ross. That is all I needed to know!

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That movie also made me want to wear couture every day. I cannot fathom the skill it takes to make even one of those gowns. Valentino said that at one point, they bought a single sewing machine for the one hundred women working in his atelier. No one ever used it. That would be worth paying for (if I had the money). What's not worth paying for is another LV bag. Whenever I see someone carrying one, I tend to just assume it's a knock-off anyway.

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At least that's my take on the high-end fashion industry.

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