A new book out by author Dana Thomas, called Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre, explores how the manufacture of luxury goods, and in particular luxury clothing, has been outsourced almost in its entirety to a handful of developing countries such as China and Turkey.

Dana Thomas knew it was time to investigate ‘luxury’ when her clothes started falling off. ‘In 2002, I bought a pair of cotton-poplin cropped trousers at Prada for $500. I put them on, and the gentle passing of my foot ripped the hem out. I put my hand in the pocket and it tore away from its seam. I squatted down to pick up my two-year-old and the derrière split open. I hadn’t had those trousers on 10 minutes and they were literally falling apart at the seams. I mentioned this to a former Prada design assistant. “It’s the thread,” he told me. “It’s cheaper and breaks easily.” Of course, not all Prada goods are shoddy . ..’

Thomas explains that despite the protestations of certain luxury house owners, the competitive landscape for luxury goods companies is one which makes this phenomenon hard to resist.

For the last sixty years, the actual production of luxury goods themselves has become much like any other type of product. The big difference is the way in which these luxury goods have been marketed to make you feel a particular way.

How? By creating a desire so powerful that, as Tom Ford, the designer and marketing genius behind Gucci, puts it, “It’s like you’ve gotta have it or you’ll die.”

As Thomas notes in her book, the lion’s share of a product is made in China but then a small piece (a piece of stitching or pocket, for instance) is added in the West so that the ubiquitous ‘Made in China’ label can be avoided and the luxury illusion can be maintained…

The book isn’t especially well written or well edited but Dana has a wicked sense of humor and pulls no punches in describing the decadent denizens of the “Deluxe” world.
Even if you know nothing about fashion, this book will fascinate, educate and entertain. The section on Louis Vuitton is eye-opening. The chapter on the making of a Hermes bag is priceless. Also, in the last few pages of the book, Thomas describes what the truly rich now buy, which is basically what you can see everyday on Luxuo :)

DELUXE: How Luxury Lost Its Lustre by Dana Thomas
Allen Lane £20/$40 pp376

In 1908 Rolex, the world’s leading luxury watch brand, was established. It has been the leading name in luxury watches and the symbol of exemplary performance and prestige for more than a century and to celebrate it, John Goldberger has collected the most beautiful and renowned designs for his book “100 Superlative Rolex Watches”

He has spent many happy hours browsing through watch shops, flea markets, conventions and auctions around the world for the past 35 years, collecting and studying vintage watches.

In this well-appointed volume he presents comprehensive descriptions of 100 of the finest Rolex watches ever made and provides an extensive overview of Rolex’s production, demonstrating the company’s innovation in the technical and aesthetic evolution of watch design with over 600 images and 400 descriptions illustrating

Edited by John Goldberger. Text by Giampiero Negretti. Each copy of 100 Superlative Rolex Watches is bound in green leather, with embossed gold lettering and comes in a slip case.

“Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano” (“The Wise Hand”), is an over-the-top volume of photographs of this Renaissance master’s sculptures and. It is probably “the most beautiful book in the world” and also one of the most expensive, with its retail price of 100,000 euros, (around $155,000).

Using the high standards of the privately published books in the 19th as a starting point, the book’s publisher, Gruppo FMR, sought expert artisans from various fields to create something described as “a work of art in itself.”

Aurelio Amendola’s black-and-white photographs were printed on paper made exclusively for the project. There are detachable reproductions of Michelangelo drawings on handmade folios created according to centuries-old traditions.

And then there’s the cover: a scale reproduction in marble of the “Madonna della Scala”, a bas-relief of the Virgin and Child sculptured by Michelangelo when he was still in his teens.
Six marble sculptors are working on the first 33 limited edition copies. The marble cover was the trickiest aspect of production. “It was difficult to find the right depth, we broke a lot of slabs along the way” said Mr Tamar, the project’s production manager.

Delivered in a sleek black box, the book’s cover is a scale reproduction in marble of the “Madonna della Scala” (“Madonna of the Steps”). It also comes with it’s own stand and a 500-year guarantee.

This isn’t the most expensive book ever made. There are books incorporating precious metals or gemstones that increase the price, like “Dancing With the Bear,” which comes in a diamond-encrusted “special oligarch” edition that ranges in price from $1 million to $6 million.

Luxury publishing in general seems to be on the upswing. “From my experience, it’s growing. There are a certain amount of people who are testing how far the market can be pushed,” said Ovais Naqvi, chief executive of Gloria, a new luxury publisher.

Because production of the Michelangelo book is so labor-intensive, aspiring buyers can expect a six-month wait, the same as for a Ferrari, said FMR’s commercial director.

Rare collection of work by Charles Dickens will reach the Christie’s auction block in New York on 2 April and is expected to fetch $2 million.

This includes an alliance copy of “Oliver Twist,” which is emblazoned by Dickens to a fellow author and is anticipated to generate $200,000-$300,000.

Eyebrows are raised for high price tag attached to the books and manuscripts. And the very reason that it is not only the first edition of Oliver Twist, one of the great novels of English literature but also it was adorned by Dickens to William Harrison Ainsworth, a novelist colleague.

Made of resin and wood, the Corian rectangular bathtub features back rest, automatic drainage, combined bath spout and overflow.

This stylish luxury will set you off about $17,300. Designer: Antonio Lupi. Source : trendhunter