About Quiet Luxe, Loud Logos and The Cost of Being Admired

 

Recently there are luxury brands (we need not name the who’s or the which-- it’s influencer-style marketing these days and we don't wanna alienate), gearing a paradigm shift in the way luxury items are distinguished and patronized.  

The increase in the attention worthy-posts for “quiet luxury” is obviously positioned to appeal to logo-averse buyers of expensive items. 

So expectedly waiting for this, because in true high-end fashion, not all people with money for luxury would ALWAYS WANT TO make a big deal out of how much they spent for a bag, or who they are wearing, to other people. Thus, “quiet luxury” seems like a more peaceful route to loving luxury with a conscience, without the need to brag and tag.  

 

"Quiet luxury” may be more alluring to the right niche but not to the countless aspirational buyers of luxury goods who want to be out and loud with the brands they fancy.

 

Why this writer opines that logo-fest on bags and everything branded would still win the favor and hearts of local consumers because of the wide acceptance of luxury brands as status symbols and success-pitchers for the locals.  

In addition, consumers who wear and carry popular brands of bags, shoes, etc., are more favored and treated nicely in the city or rural side.

 

Try going out to an ordinary place wearing only simple clothing for whatever purpose, or donning only a simple bag; go looking like a plain Jane, or Joe for the men.  

One could easily spell a difference in the customer service efforts one can get from a shop attendant when one is logo-worthy versus that of the so ordinary. And this is a normal mindset among the locals.  

 

Filipinos love international brands so much that this culture of luxury wearing tends to out shadow our own acceptance of local products.  

It is not a matter of luxury versus practicality. Frankly, for many young and old,  it is a matter of having acceptance and being estimated well by others, that brings forth a reason to wear and patronize popular luxury brands. 

 

But the preference for luxury can pose a burden to ordinary consumers when brand bias trickles down to other lifestyle items that have become “essentials” for many Filipino consumers- like game consoles for kids, and insurance products that do not necessarily embed their brand names, but require expensive prices in order to be enjoyed by mainstream consumers.

 

When moms and dads have to keep up with trends,  to evade being an outcast in the middle of an amiable taste for brands that denote status, wealth, or high income, there goes the pressure to spend more. It is understandable that there are parents who would want to go super-upper on their lifestyle, just to avoid their kids from being branded as can’t afford, at a time when consumerism gives high value to everything luxurious. Like when going for a fancy gaming lifestyle that could allow a level-up treatment from those who are in the world of the can-affords, just to avoid their kids from being bullied. 

It is a fact of life in the country that those who live below the expectations of others, those who can't afford the high-priced goods in their everyday use have a high probability of being bullied whether directly or indirectly; whether in subtle gesture or as a direct insult verbally or even through social outcasting where popularity and favor of goodwill counts more than the indistinct and the generic-wearing individuals.

Reference is alluded, to a recent viral story of a dad being affected when his son gets home after being bullied because of wearing a replica brand. A story that illustrated the local penchant for brands,  to enjoy social acceptance, must not be undermined.

 

Suffice it to say, admiration is a spellbinding lure of many brands. Those who buy expensive items are often associated as successful; not “losers”, just like the young would like to drum roll many times over.

 

What is unacceptable is when our status-hearted philosophy permeates even in the way we look and shop for medical products and services, that are expectedly must-haves, like insurance products that are priced unaffordable and are marketed to give luster to a specific niche. When it comes to insurance products and medical services, there must not be a distinction to profile the low from the highs.

 

One buyer of prepaid insurance bragged about getting a product for her helper, alluding that a low-cost insurance product is only for those who are at the bottom ladder of economic status. If this persists, even the kind of service that is supposed to be professionalized and idealized such as that given by the medical industry, can be marginalized to favor the luxe-abiding ones. 

 

Insurance products bought without the need to shell out high and mighty amounts, give a buffer of security and a layer of protection among ordinary consumers, in times of uncertainty.  Thus, insurance products must not be branded to mean exclusively fashioned for the poor, or for the wealthy, even in a sublime way.    

 

We cannot let status and brands, delineate consumers of many lifestyle products to assert importance, more so demand a kind of service or product, we need as Filipinos especially when it comes to healthcare or medical services.

 

Edited July 18, 2023, 7:08 pm. News Review Philippines by Anna Liza VB.

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