This is 3Bits & Change, an email about building a service and retail business. This one was written to the groves overhead at a Starbucks.
Good day!
After having traveled to Japan and spent time with knife makers in their workshops I could have easily become a singularly focused Japanophile. Yet, after a handful of days at home, my wife and I packed, flew to Paris to meet up with good friends, and for a week we bounced around the City of Lights and Provence. It did not suck.
[Click through each insta post for more photos from Paris and Provence.]
I return to the states resolved to find great kitchen things wherever they come from. Here’s to expanding horizons and enthusiastic cooking!
Lux vs. Premium // bit 1
I downloaded two books on Luxury before the trip on recommendation from T.Ferris and K.Rose on their most recent Random Show. I’m listening to “Deluxe, How Luxury Lost Its Luster” by Dana Thomas who has a long record of writing about fashion. I’m simultaneously reading “Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands” by Kapferer (Researcher) and Bastien (former Managing Director of Louis Vuitton and CEO of YSL).
I discounted fashion for years. I’ve been struck by numerous contrasts in these books. While Thomas tracks the history of Lux brands and products, Kapferer and Bastien share theories and strategic differences among the businesses and product segments.
Memorable points so far:
When investing in fully custom (couture) and very expensive dresses, it makes sense that a Queen would seek out and value the trunk maker who would pack and help ensure the safe arrival of said dresses at a Summer home, et. al. Enter the likes of Louis Vuitton, a man of craft and practical luggage making and service at the foundation of his company. Other lux brands have similar “practical” (contrary to common beliefs about fashion) origin stories.
In the 20’s, as slimmer profiles for women’s clothing made pockets less and less desirable at a time where more things we’re being carried - the handbag became more and more practical.
Fragrances, scarves and handbags act as onramps to Lux brands while maximizing profit (supporting seasonal trends, universal sizing, lower relative cost per item - all for a piece of each brand’s “dream”).
Luxury stands separate from fashion and fashion separate from premium products and brands. While they have an interplay, each of these idea clusters are mixed differently by different brands and their product lines.
An estimated 41% of Japanese own a Louis Vuitton product while 81% of Japanese describe their culture as one without classes.
When a non-lux brand (e.g. Ford) buys a lux brand (e.g. Jaguar) it seldom goes well. Lux operates on a different and powerful set of assumptions than other markets.
I wish I would have read both of these sooner. They set a different context for my brand strategy and consulting practice. I also now have a clearer view and description for what we’re building at Vivront.
Cultural Emphasis // bit 2
Where the Japanese are about optimization and “the relentless pursuit of perfection” -Lexus, the French seek a different kind of perfect… far reaching excellence in food, art, fashion, wine and architecture.
As I’m reflecting on each culture, contrasts arise. Here are a few:
There is little trash in Japan. Everything is so clean. The French protest by leaving their trash on the curb and let their dogs do their business in the middle of the sidewalk - daily. Each have a sense of community but it’s built on different principles!
The Japanese seek a unity and conformity (going so far as to not drink coffee on the train as you might spill(!) and largely dressing in blacks and whites). The French seek beauty and distinction (going as far as to seemingly exhale their cigarettes while targeting your face and making sure to wear regular pops of color to highlight their uniqueness).
The high-speed train in France was unexpectedly smoother than the one I was on between Osaka and Tokyo a few weeks ago.
Luxury is not equal to perfection // bit 3
Luxury regularly emphasises the craftspersons in the creation of the goods, for knives, dresses, handbags, fragrances, automobiles, etc. A few dynamics hold true across categories:
The larger the number of hands that touch a thing the less luxurious that thing is. It’s more luxurious to buy directly from a maker - even more still to have said thing commissioned for you to your specs vs. a ready to use item from the same maker. Can the same go for sharpening?
Imperfections in one category are celebrated in others. A window with a hand crank is seen as luxury in a Ferrari because automatic windows add weight (and reduce performance). Complete uniformity and lack of imperfection in kitchen knives shows mass manufacturing (the opposite of a refined luxury).
The perception of luxury shifts from culture to culture. Where a Japanese person will see and demand a replacement on an item with just one string left uncut, a French person will see the string and ask for a scissors. As for the American? They’ll try an item on with an imperfection, pay more attention to the name on the label and likely purchase and walkout without noticing the imperfection is even present.
Sum
Thanks for all the French perspective, France!
Change
We’re negotiating with landlords regarding a space with more walkability, lots more. We’ll find out soon if we can make the numbers work or if we’ll need to hold tight. Wish us luck!
On Your Way
Happy Summer. Find your way to a picnic. Grab Vivront’s 2023 picnic kit to make your leisure time in the grass all the more lovely. Click through to see the flasks we have in stock. The big silver one fits a whole bottle of wine and has two magnetic cups to boot!
Cheers!
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