Janus Thinking

Last month a discussion at the Paris Fashion Group heralded the continuing success and integration of Fair Trade and sustainable goods into luxury products.  Comments from the panel suggested that luxury consumers are not necessarily interested in ethical considerations, but rather in finding a unique and “industrial” product.  And this new type of demand seems to be increasing; some are even calling it a “meta-trend” for this generation of luxury shoppers.

Sylvie Benard, a spokesperson from LVMH, also noted that the brands her company represents—such as Moet-Hennessy and Louis Vuitton—do not publicise the great strides they are making in their production process.  Nonetheless, they are reducing the amount of water being used to produce their champagnes, cutting the amount of electricity being used in their flagship  Louis Vuitton store in Paris, and working with producers in the developing world to build their local economies. Although they don’t talk about this, Benard noted, “To be extravagant out front you need to be impeccable out the back.”

[via AFP]