Christian Dior Denim Flow

It's always funny to hear what people classify as "hoodrat-ish" or ghetto. I'll admit that iGiggle at statements that begin with "You know you a hoodrat/ghetto if..." Typically, these observations include some type of brand:

"You know you a hoodrat if you drink Faygo pop and eat Hot Cheetos."

"You know you ghetto if you carry a fake Gucci or Louis Vuitton bag bought from the beauty supply sto’."

I sat back and thought about the brands themselves and what (if any) are their sentiments on being considered correlated with the underprivileged black community. There are companies that specifically market to that demographic, but I would venture a guess and say that Frito-Lay did not sit in a boardroom brainstorming ways to appeal to the 'American hoodrat' or what cities they should host a 'Hot Cheetos Fest.' Going from there, I thought about the upscale luxury brands that have fallen victim to generalization. Those melded into the image of a 'ghetto-fabulous lifestyle.’ These brands- which include LVMH (Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessy), Gucci, BMW, Christian Dior, and Ralph Lauren- are all foreign in origin (with the exception of Ralph Lauren) and powerhouses of luxury, class, wealth, and elegance in the world of fashion. All decades old and some approaching their centennial, the possession of these brands are now what defines the 'American Dream.' The house with the 2.5 kids, dog, and perfect white picket fence went out with the 50s (No, but seriously. It did.) With songs like "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley," "#1 Stunna," and "Super High," it's no surprise that materialism is suffused into black hip-hop culture, some incorporating the brand names into their stage personas (Gucci Mane, the Louis Vuitton Don, Cartier Kitten, etc.) Take a look at this Yahoo! question:



Though people are quick to analyze the infatuation blacks have with luxury goods and whether or not we impact the integrity of a brand, other ethnic groups have been accused of the same “wrongdoing.” Polo Ralph Lauren, for instance, has come under fire for Mexican drug dealers sporting their signature polo shirts, a phenomenon which sparked a trend of wearing Polo knock-offs amongst the Mexican children and young adults. In China, artists such as Chen Wenjing depict Chinese obsession with brands and materials through artwork such as the 'God of Materialism,' a piece that shows a mass of starry-eyed piglets staring at the god adorned in jewels and other material things:





Being a lover of all things fashion and high-end, I questioned whether we were allowing the glorification of the brands in the media and the, uh, tackiness of others to tarnish the image of our beloved luxury brands. Were they being cheapened and denigrated to the level of something that was "hood" as opposed to something classic?







I decided to research the background of each company and found some interesting facts. Louis Vuitton-Moet Hennessey continues to dominate as the top luxury good and is worth over $20 billion. With over 60 brands and 2,500 stores worldwide, the LVMH conglomerate was founded in 1987 after Moet Hennessy merged with Louis Vuitton. Included in the conglomerate are its subsidiaries such as Fendi, Christian Dior, Bvlgari, and Dom Perignon, as well as an assortment of fashion, wine, perfume, and cosmetic-based companies.

In the early 19th century, Louis Vuitton’s cemented itself in fashion history by introducing the Louis Vuitton flat trunk to the awe of vacationers and explorers alike. LV went on to develop an amazing history…though not so squeaky-clean. Evidence has surfaced linking the retailer to the Vichy regime of World War II, a regime responsible for the deportation of more than 75,000 Jews to German concentration camps. Much of the relationship between the regime and the Vuittons stemmed from business deals with the Germans as well as active support for a puppet government led by Marshal Philippe Pétain.

Ok, so it’s been years since WWII, and you might say, “Let the past be the past,” but there are recent incidences involving other companies. In late 2010, perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain (another subsidiary of LVMH) received much backlash from the French black community after saying the following statement in an interview on French television:

“For once, I worked like a nigger. I don’t know if niggers really worked that much.”

This year, the fashion house of Gucci faces a discrimination lawsuit with allegations of racial remarks made towards pop artist, Rihanna. Moreover, claims against BMV have surfaced regarding the issuance of NUDs or “non-urban dictates” which prevents advertisement in predominantly black communities. Other companies that have issued NUDs before? Lexus, Ethan Allen, and Starbucks.

But don’t be quick to point the finger yet. In 2005, Gucci partnered with UNICEF and pledged over $9 million to a campaign that would support UNICEF’s “Schools for Africa” initiative. The house of Christian Dior even took a stance against racism in the firing of top fashion designer, John Galliano, after an anti-Semitic rant caught on camera. Galliano made comments such as “I love Hitler” and “"Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be ... gassed and ... dead."

So what’s my conclusion? In all honesty- I don’t know. At this point, it’s difficult to say whether the people affect the integrity of the brand, or if the brand affects the integrity of the people. Or neither. I just need to dig deeper and research further into the history and marketing strategies of the luxury brands before I can make a fair assessment.

Fashion+ History+Research= Happy Christina.