Louis Vuitton Flea Market

I've been visiting the Dubai Mall very frequently since the day they flung their doors open due to my apartment's close proximity to it, I find myself in the mall for the smallest of needs, like buying stamps to my bi-weekly visits to the supermarket, shopping fixes or funnily enough, even Scuba diving (I recommend the Shark encounter for the brave).

So in short, I've seen the mall transform into a bustling shopping venue which is a far cry from the early days when barely a quarter of the stores were open for Business. My favourite section of the mall is the Fashion Avenue where you will find an atrium with Armani Caffe as the centrepiece majestically surrounded by an impressive collection of the finest designers, namely Hermes, Dior, Chanel, Versace,Dolce & Gabanna to mention a few.

In my search for a comfortable pair of "every day shoes" I had visited Bloomingdales - a must do for any discerning lover of fashion! The search was fruitless but strangely fulfilling in a way, as every one of my visits to the store tends to be, mainly because I get a sense of how the local community and tourists respond to brand messaging and merchandising.

From Bloomie's I made a beeline to the Fashion Avenue only to find that the Chanel store was closed. Despite the windows being boarded up and a sign on the door notifying customers that the store was closed for renovation, 3 Emirati ladies, obviously determined to buy some Chanel that day, still pushed the door open to find that no, it wasn't an April fool's joke, the store was actually empty. It will be interesting to see why and how they have changed the store - strategy strategy strategy!

Next stop...Louis Vuitton!In earlier days, all you had to do was so much as glance in the direction of the store and the doorman will be welcoming you in...NOT SO on this day. Apparently there were too many customers in the store, so they were controlling the flow of traffic. Now this news didn't settle well with a couple who arrived at the door just before I did, because apparently this had happened to them the day before as well. Luckily I didn't have to wait long but once inside I really felt my heart sink!

Where is the exclusivity? Where is the ambiance? Where is that that sense of uniqueness that one seeks when they shell out thousands for a genuine designer product. The LV store, in all honesty had transformed into a flea market - I had to block my ears for fear of hearing people haggling for discounts. The hushed tones and elegance of the store gave way to raised voices and harrowed sales attendants unable to keep up with the demands of each customer....

Disappointing. The brand image is slightly tarnished in my head, although a saving grace came in the form of the new print ads that were produced by Ogilvy featuring Annie Liebowitz and Mikhail Baryshnikov, shying away from the overexposed flashy celebrity endorsements to a subtly styled ode to the heritage of the brand.
http://www.louisvuittonjourneys.com/annie

Perhaps its the thirst for Heritage that the Dubai shoppers are after in a place so full of newness! Perhaps!

The history of it all

I've often wondered where the real luxury fashion capital of the world is. Some say Milan, some say Paris. New York makes its assertions and London a significant contribution. In a globalized world it can be quite difficult to pinpoint the exact capital as through the ages, different civilizations have made an impact but in general, the European nations pass the baton back and forth.

My research takes the origins of luxury back to the times of the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The Egyptian civilizations enjoyed the opulence of accessories dripping in gold, particularly in the upper Pharoah classes. Greek civilization followed the lead of the Egyptian purveyors and made the distinction between men's and women's fashion. By 800BC the Etruscian empire which was conquered by the Roman empire had a taste for luxury which was flaunted by the aristocratic women of that time (this was the precursor to today's bling approach to fashion. The Byzantine era ushered in the fashonista empress Theodora who's style was imitated by her loyal subjects.

The renaissance in Italy during the 15th and 16th century changed the face of fashion and Italy's textile industry boomed, helping solidify Italy as the fashion and lifestyle authority. This era was followed by the Baroque period which saw the rise of France as a fashion capital, largely due to Louis the Great's fine tastes and support of luxury, fashion and refined lifestyle which was emulated throughout the continent.

The invention of Haute Couture in Paris by Englishman Charles Frederick worth ushered in New luxury which was championed by the likes of Chanel and Dior. The second world war served to stifle Paris due to the German occupancy which restricted trade and allowed for the emergence of the American designers and the American's appreciation of Italian accessories, so again Italy was revived as a fashion hub.

In my humble opinion, I lean towards Milan as being the fashion capital simply because of it's ability to revive itself through different ages, as well as the heritage and workmanship that has been guarded throughout the centuries as well as the well established manufacturing industry. LONGEVITY is key.