The Rants' Diaries: The Brand or The Value?

For years, we are inundated by a debate that comes with a very subjective answer: When we make our fashion purchase, did we buy it for its brand or for its aesthetical value? 

More often than not, brand is the answer that I would hear, whenever I pop out this question. Especially among today’s younger generation.

In this contemporary age, brands seem to stand for everything. It could be a tool of validation among peers and of perception and association by the society. Take luxury brands for instance. Whenever a hip-hop artist drops a single on the radio or a music video on MTV, how often do we hear Gucci or Jimmy Choo being mentioned in the lines or see monogrammed Louis Vuitton trunks or Hermès Birkins being dragged and toted around to complement those plus Dennis Basso or Fendi fur jackets? Countless.

Thanks to the widespread pop culture association with luxury brands, some people began to see it as a license to validate their standing within the societal hierarchy – one will be looked upon if he or she was dressed up to the nines in Supreme or Chanel and will be looked down in brands that are not even on par with the mass-reachable likes of Levi’s or H&M. And perhaps, driven by this notion too, brands would leverage on it and whatever product the brand releases, be it artisanally made or sloppily conceived, the masses will fall for it because it will be “cool” to own the item.

“Back in school, the brands that you wear to school often determine the level of your coolness. And this was back in the late 90s,” says Jeevan (not his real name), a construction contractor. “If you carried a Quiksilver or Billabong backpacks to school and wear Fubu caps, you were considered cool. And mind you that these items, although it costs like RM50 for a cap or RM80 for a bag, which may be nothing for today’s school kids, to a school boy like me back then, it was a fortune.”

Albeit the well-heeled can always strut into the stores and swipe their AmEx Centurion card sans fuss, the pressure is oftentimes felt by those who desire but financially disadvantaged. The notion of “have it or be seen as a loser” starts to conquer their minds and desperate ones would certainly resort to one of these outcomes – beg, borrow, steal or worse of the worse, buy counterfeits. 

To the counterfeiters, this means a huge windfall for them. All they have to do is, buy the original coveted item, dissect it and trace the pattern, mass-manufacture them using lower quality materials and sell it at lower price to “those in need”. To the bargain hunters, it is a “steal”, but to the brand’s legal team, it’s akin to daylight robbery.

Jeevan continued, “I wanted them so dearly because almost every kid in school was wearing it but to get the original ones was beyond my means because my parents weren’t well to do. So, my friend took me to ‘PS Boutique’ – a corny moniker for KL’s Petaling Street – and I managed to get an exact copy of a Billabong backpack at less than what my friends’ parents would have paid.”

“But in the end, I found out some of them too bought theirs at PS Boutique, so the guilt was not so deep,” he giggled.

These days, Jeevan no longer go for over-hyped brands and rather settle for affordably priced clothing and shoes from fast fashion labels such as Uniqlo and H&M. He opined that not only they are within his middle-range budget but the pieces are long-lasting too, even after several washes.

Now, what happened to aesthetical values? In today’s society where the stamped on labels matters most than the hard toil and labour of the artisans and the designers combined, has that essential factor been all but forgotten?

“I used to be one of those I-got-to-have-it-because-it’s-from-this-and-that-brand or this-celeb-is-wearing-it-so-I-must-wear-it-too kind of person but after watching the know-how videos on the brands’ YouTube channels, I’m a changed person,” said Nina (not her real name.

This is Nina, a 30-something corporate communications executive whom I met at a fashion preview in Pavilion recently. Born to a Malay mother and an English father – Tan Sri’s daughter, nonetheless – Nina is a PR school graduate from an American university, somewhere in Maryland. Yet she was just an average student back then. While some may consider her lucky enough to secure a stable career with a multinational corporation at times when her peers are struggling to get a single interview, she admitted that it was her parents’ connection that landed her the job.

But forget about how she make her ends meet. The reason why I spoke to Nina was because she certainly has that classic élan that you could only see in women who are in their late 40s or 50s. 

Furthermore, she knows how to balance the high end with the high streets, judging from the immaculate pairing of Altuzarra dress with a run-off-the-mill H&M handbag; a pair of Balenciaga high heeled sandals on her feet. From the way she inspecting the new pieces on the rack, without a doubt, she has a pair of arcane eyes, unlike most of the girls of her age who would take, try and pay without paying attention to even the smallest details.

“My mom is a true blue shopaholic and I lived everywhere – Paris, London, São Paulo, just name it,” Nina said. “So I’m literally inherited not just her enormous walk-in closet but also her eyes for details when it comes to buying. Even to this day, she can tell whether a handbag is hand- or machine-stitched and that can be scary at times.”

Nina enchanted me and I couldn’t help it but to stick with her throughout the soiree. Together we browsed every single rack in the store, flipping the pieces and purveyed our comments as if we were the most revered fashion editors in town (Anna Wintour, eat your heart out!) 

I bet other guests would think we were lovers but no, Nina is currently engaged to a well-known album producer. A self-made millionaire, no less.

Curious, I wondered what made her turned to savoir-faire when women of her age seemed not to care about it. So I asked her why and she replied that it all goes back to the generalisation of luxury.

“As more people are becoming affluent and luxury items are becoming accessible to the masses, I don’t see the lucid reason why I should be in the crowd, wearing or toting that heavily monogrammed Neverfull GM or walk in that plain black Christian Louboutin pumps,” she continued. “Yes, I still love my LVs and Louboutins, but as someone with discerning style and add in the fact that our currency is going downward spiral, every purchase that I made must be strongly justified with a concrete reason. Hence, that is why choose to look at aesthetical values before I part ways with my cash at the cashier counter.”

Fair enough but that was just from a millennial’s point of view – a millennial girl with distinct taste in fashion. I also need an answer from the outlook of someone who is more matured and more experience with fashion buying. At last, a mutual friend helped me to arrange a meeting with Datin Simome (not her real name). A 40-something socialite whose presence is inevitable at every high society shindig in Kuala Lumpur, she is known within the society circuit for her massive collection of Hermès Birkins, some haute jewellery pieces (she paired her Cartier La Doña bracelet with Bulgari’s Diva Dreams necklace, complete with dripping gemstones, on the day we met) and one of a handful haute couture buyers in Malaysia.

We met in person at Dôme Café at the Bintang Circle on a fine afternoon. Following a friendly handshake, she dragged another chair and placed her Bottega Veneta Cabat bag in dark gold and crafted out of supple calfskin with crocodile handle. As she perused the menu, I googled for Bottega Veneta website to check its price ― a whopping US$14, 285 or RM60, 000! 

To her, it may be a drop in her bucket but to many, we can even buy a small car with that sum of money.  

While she took her time deciding what to have, I took the opportunity to study this lady. Her hair was coiffed in chignon and apart from her outstanding baubles and watch (also by Cartier), she seemed to have a preppy taste for daywear – a classic Chanel bouclé suit. On her heels were a pair of Tod’s pumps. She called the waiter and we conveyed our orders to the waiter.

“I just popped in Club 21 to see what’s new,” she told me as I studied her features – half authentic, half-plastic (the eyelids and the nose say it all). Every word that chime from her mouth was clear and in cut glass English. “Got a few that caught my attention but I think I’ll fly to Singapore this Friday and see if they have more favourable looks. After all, Singapore is always ahead of us, when it comes to style, right?”  

I smiled and agreed. Inside, I was mumbling gratefully that she did not judge me by the way I look on that day – a white knitted COS sweater with wide piped neckline and a pair of grey COS straight jeans. Yes, I was COS spokesperson for a day, no less.

I threw my first question: “As someone who lives and breathes by designer clothing and accessories, what determines you to buy? Is it the brand or the craftsmanship?”

Datin Simone smiled. The waiter came with our orders and she immediately took a sip of her warm latte. She put the cup on the saucer with a grace of a refined doyenne.  

“Before I met my husband, I don’t really care about having branded items,” she said. “I was just a simple woman. I worked as a marketing executive for a property developer and this was back in the 70s. You see, in the 70s, Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia in a whole was not as chic as Singapore. We only had stores like Louis Vuitton and Lanvin during the 80s. Before, it was either Singapore or Hong Kong. If you have extra cash to splurge, it would be London or Paris or New York ― but I dreaded New York because of the long flying hours.

“In the early 80s I met my husband while I was in Hong Kong. I was shopping at Lane Crawford because my friends told me that Lane Crawford was the in place to shop, so I did. While I was looking for a shirt for my dad since, you know, I was in Hong Kong – the ‘fashion capital of Asia’ at the time – I thought why not buy something for him.

“I perused through the racks but I still could not find what I want. If only smartphones and 4G were invented back then I would have made a video call and show those shirts to him. Suddenly, a man approached me. He was young and well-dressed. Even soft-spoken, I must say. He asked me if I needed any help. I, thinking that I was talking to one of the Lane Crawford’s salesperson, asked him if he could suggest which shirt is the best for my father.

“Call it magic or instinct, he seemed to know what my father likes. He picked a few and then narrow it down, subsequently explaining to me why my father would like it. Honestly, he did impress me so well and since fashion is not my field, I just take whatever he suggested and pay them at the counter. And he was right – my father love them all!” she recalled.

She took another sip of her latte and asked me to dig in my lunch. As I fed myself spoon by spoon, Datin Simone continued her story.

“We met again by accident in KL,” she said. “He came to my office one day because he planned to buy a house. Since it was lunch hour and my salespeople were out for lunch, I decided to step in and serve the potential customer. Now, even though I was in the marketing department, my company back then allowed all staff to do the sales and if we managed to seal the deal, we’ll get a pretty commission out of it.”

“I was surprised when I saw him at the lobby, waiting to be served,” she enthused. “Though I was a bit shy, I braved myself and approached him. I asked him if he were the salesman that I met at Lane Crawford a year ago and he immediately recognised my face. He said, ‘the girl who was looking for her father’s shirt, right?’ I just said yes. So, I showed him our project model display and since I am in the marketing division, I was able to purvey him with the necessary information about the projects that he were interested to buy. Perhaps it was my lucky day, he decided to buy a unit from me. He passed me his call card and we’ve been in contact since then.”

“Wow, a love story of the century, I have to say, Datin,” I said, sipping my orange juice using a black bendy straw.

“Call me Simone, please,” she said, blushing. “No protocols with me. Unless if we were to meet in my office. That’s business.”

She clasped her hands together and placed it in front of her plate of untouched food. “We were dating for two years and engaged for a year. By the time he gotten the keys, we had our wedding ceremony there. And from that on, his business began to prosper and with good business, comes all the jewels, the bags and the dresses,” she said.

“What was your first major designer purchase?” I asked Simone.

“A Louis Vuitton handbag. I bought it at their first store at the (now demolished) Hilton KL Shopping Arcade,” she replied. Her face was beaming with smile. “In the 80s and 90s, there were no Starhill or KLCC. In fact, where we are now (Pavilion) used to be my school – the Bukit Bintang Girls’ School.  That time, Louis Vuitton sounded newish to me. I heard of Chanel, Dior and Courrègges – I had one Courrèges sunglasses when I was in my 20s – but not Louis Vuitton. But my husband was familiar with the brand, so he took me there and told me to pick which bag I’d like to have. And that marked the start to my love for designer goods.”

With Malaysia’s booming economy in the early 90s, Simone’s taste for fashion grew more sophisticated. She began to fly around the world and shop at major shopping hotspots such as the Champs-Èlysèe in Paris, Calle Serrano in Madrid (“their Loewe is always well-stocked since that is their Spanish flagship”), Daslu in São Paulo, Knightsbridge in London, Orchard Road in Singapore and Honolulu in Hawai’i. 

Due to her immense love and “generosity” for the brands, she has been accorded with the privilege of front row seating at Paris, London, Milan and sometimes, New York Fashion Weeks. She also disclosed to me that she had dined with Karl Lagerfeld and the late Gianni Versace – a privilege that even billionaires cannot buy!

“Then the economy crashed for a while,” she said. “I still buy from time to time but instead of going Imelda Marcos all the way, I’ve limited my buys to maybe 20 pieces per season – more on spring/summer collection and less on fall/winter. After all, who needs all that furs and velvets in this humid country?”

Simone really made sense. Despite the insignificant need for furry jackets or thick, chunky knit sweaters and thigh-high boots, it’s ironic to see local fashion magazines featuring fur-trimmed pieces, floor-length fur coats and leather gloves in their editorials, clamouring as the season’s must haves.

“Magazines are just doing their job because they need the brands to support them by buying all the ad spaces they have to offer,” Simone expressed her opinion. “But at the same time, a fashionista has to be sensible and sound-minded by taking into account the climate of where she lives.  In Hong Kong and Taiwan, wearing floor length fur coats is considered sensible because they do have winter, even in Uruguay, too, despite the reverse cycle.”

She took another sip of latte. I asked her if she was not hungry since her food has since remained untouched. She said she had a light meal prior to our meeting and she’s getting her body ready for another couture fitting.

“The [Malaysia] Tatler Ball is coming and I don’t one anyone else to outshine me, hence I need to be in the best shape so my couture gown will outshine everyone else,” she giggled.

 “Who is that lucky couturier will be?” I asked, drying out my juice since it was pretty hot that day.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she revealed. “I had a couple of Chanel in my keeping, one – no, two – Yves Saint Laurent before they closed the atelier down. How sad. A couple of Dior with one by John Galliano and an Elie Saab. I was thinking of Zuhair Murad or maybe Dior by Maria Grazia Churi. What do you think?”

Wow, someone of immense authority in fashion is asking my opinion on who to commission for her haute couture gown. I suggested Armani Privé because Armani’s aesthetic is not too classic and not overly modern. There’s a good balance between both and I don’t think I had seen anyone in KL wearing Armani Privé at events. Simone smiled and she said that she will consider my suggestion.

Noticing I had emptied my glass, Simone called the waiter and asked me if I want to have another glass of juice. I instantly said yes and continued our conversation. This time, I reiterated my question earlier with hope that her answer this time does not sway from the question’s context.

“I am a seasoned buyer. To answer your question, I would choose the latter – the aesthetic value,” she responded. “You see, these days, many people have put behind the aesthetical value of a product and put their focus on the brand. They no longer care how the product is made. All they care is the product has the brand label slapped on its packaging or monogrammed all over its body.”

Simone even made China as her prime example and the reason why savoir-faire is no longer the pull factor for buying luxury goods. “Just look at China,” she said.  “20 years ago I bet they barely know what is Versace or Dior or Cartier. Now, they have the money to own all these. And thanks to them, luxury has been so accessible now compared to then. If they couldn’t get it for less in Beijing, they can always flock in front of Rue Saint Honoré or the Champs-Èlysèe. Or even Hong Kong, to say the least.”

Puzzled, I asked her what does China’s greedy demand for luxury goods has to do with the lack of emphasis on savoir-faire, she coolly continued: “As they begin to build a certain association with these brands, for sure the brands are seeing a humungous gold mine laid in front of them. These people, I tell you, they don’t care if the product was made in a shantytown by underpaid, underage workers in Africa.

“If the brands were dishonest, they could blind-stamp ‘Made in France’ or ‘Made in Italy’ at the bottom of their products as these two countries are often being associated with class and luxury – and that is what these people want.

“And if I were in the brands’ executives’ position, I would forsake the know-how part altogether and have these greedy consumers buy my product. To me, the know-how is more or less a PR stunt to keep the brand’s well-built legacy and tradition afloat in the eyes of well-heeled consumers.”

Simone’s answer to me was definitely astonishing. Though it may sound vocal but there is truth in it. Perhaps her experience in the marketing field has shaped her views. I told her that these days, most luxury brands have taken greater steps in selling their wares through the approach of educating consumers on the house’s established know-hows. Again, Simone gave me her frank answer.

“If the know-how stories were helping them to achieve their goals, then they are doing it right,” she responded. “But if they were doing it for the sake of persuading consumers, especially those who live within or beyond the poverty line, to stop buying counterfeit products, they can forget about it.”

I was stunned for a while. Then she asked, “Have you ever heard of ‘You can’t teach an old cat new tricks?”

“Yes,” I replied and took a sip from my second glass of juice. “But what does it have to do with the consumers?”

“To make people change requires a long time,” she explained. “People don’t get rich in an overnight. The fastest they could may be a year. If they do then they should share with me who is their fortune teller. And just like how some people have lack of sympathy for the rich people, the same can be applied to brands. I know a couple of people who are millionaires or billionaires who can afford to buy bona fide luxury goods but still, they chose counterfeits.

“I asked them why and they told me, ‘Why should I give my money to an established brand that earns billions of dollars in profit in sales annually? I’d rather give my money to the charity!”

So cliché, I murmured.

“Exactly,” she said. “And I can tell you that these people, they are either lesser or not educated. They are self-made and sometimes they don’t go too far away from their own circle.  Even if they buy, it’s because everybody in the group owns it, so they need one so they don’t feel displaced.”

I looked at the time on my phone and I told her that we’ve been spending two and a half hours of our day talking about luxury buying. She laughed and told me that she was glad that we had this conversation. 

Like a gracious host, she footed the bill and we exchanged air kisses like old friends before we parted ways. On my way home, I contemplated that it is hard to come to a solid conclusion on this issue as everyone is to his own. Nevertheless, if the world is full of smart luxury buyers like Nina and Simone, rest assured luxury will regain its lost lustre again. 

*Photos courtesy of various online sources.