THE REAL REASON FOR THE HIGH PRICE OF LUXURY BRANDS

It's a well-known fact: Whenever we go shopping, we are often taken aback by the high prices of luxury brands. Even in our everyday lives we are constantly confronted with luxury brands. The logos of the major fashion houses are more present than ever before across social media, internet shopping platforms and in our high streets. Many young people just buy clothing because of the logo and the of their preferred luxury brands. They want to have the status and feeling of being part of the luxury world. But shouldn't luxury really stand for quality, craftmanship and fair production? At DARIO’s our priority is to showcase and promote exquisite fabrics and traditional craftsmanship and show how you can create an exclusivity that is timeless, sustainable and at the same time wonderfully modern.

What are the hallmarks of luxury brands?

Luxury is something special and above all very personal for everyone. Luxury is as diverse as the multitude of different personalities in this world. As a result, there are countless luxury brands that all offer very different products and services. Nevertheless, luxury brands also have many things in common. And that's not just their high price tag. Excellent quality, uniqueness, aesthetics and a special lifestyle are all aspects associated with luxury brands. Moreover, luxury is the very essence of enjoyment and joy that you need to trigger your endorphins when you would like to treat yourself from time to time. Therefore, luxury brands are closely linked to our emotions and elaborate marketing strategies are used to reach to these feelings. This is done so that the consumer associates the product with a special feeling of recognition, prestige and status, which makes him or her want to stand out from the crowd.

That's why luxury brands don't just pay for production costs. Much more than that, they project a special status and distinctive attitude to life that is associated with the luxury product.

Why the brand name becomes a luxury

Over the years, every luxury brand has created an image and value that is often more desirable than the products themselves. This is precisely why it is important for luxury brands to have recognizable logos and colors, because we as a society always associates them with the brand name and then often uses these identifying features as a status symbol. This is exactly why luxury brands are so popular with millennials. Many of them are looking to find their identity and place in their media-oriented world of Instagram and Facebook posts. That is why, they resort to buying a select number of branded T-shirts, trainers, cell phone covers and other accessories. But young people are not alone. Most people aspire to associating themselves with this visible lifestyle. As a result, we buy cars, phones, clothes and products where the brand name can be instantly recognized.

However, luxury brands are frequently criticized precisely because their name and exclusive feeling alone cannot justify the high price. Many consumers also expect high quality from selected fabrics as well as fair production.

Back to old values

In the "good old days" luxury was synonymous with superb quality and craftsmanship, which you could also see in the product. This was also the main motivation for buying an expensive product, because the products lasted, and they looked good, giving you joy and pleasure for a very long time. This exclusive feeling crept inconspicuously into the subconscious because of the the way a high quality product makes you feel – just think of the way you feel when the delicacy of the silk touches your skin. Or you buy a garment that is cut and tailored to fit you perfectly. These are precisely the values that inspire our products and indeed us as merchandisers.

The reading of our raw materials is particularly important to us, because it determines the elegant appearance and longevity of the product. That's why you can find shirts made from 330 full-length cotton, ties made from the finest twill silk and jackets made from Italian cashmere.

However, quality alone is not enough. We always focus our attention on the well-being of our employees and partners, too. This is why we pay attention to fair, sustainable production to ensure that everyone receives their fair share. For us, the focus is clearly on the preservation of European craft businesses in the textile industry so that we can promote and sustain international craftsmanship. At the same time, this prerogative enables us to guarantee the necessary transparency we insist upon to have a full insight into every single step of the production process. Because we adopt this approach, we can guarantee not only constant sustainability throughout the entire production chain, but also the love involved in what we do, that connects us in every detail with our partners and customers.

That is why we value international luxury in the raw materials and traditional manufacturing methods we always choose. It is this enduring and discerning quality and elegance that makes all the difference.

Written by Ingrid Wirth