The negative aspects are visible in the rise of religious fundamentalism of various stripes, but could there be an aesthetically pleasing side to this? And could that be in the realm of luxury and fashion? Earlier this year, Francois-Henri Pinault, the CEO of PPR – parent of Gucci, made a prediction: “We are entering what I think is an age of irrationality and return to fantasy – and luxury is a part of that. We are at the beginning of a social trend, change in values that could go on for years – the age of rationalisation, after all, lasted for more than a century.”
He’s right, and the craving for fantasy is keen here in Asia. Hundreds of millions of high-rise dwellers suddenly enjoy knowledge of a wider, more glamorous, world. On the internet and TV, they see all the exciting choices, whether in career, love, or aesthetics. While spirituality lags, they live in a constricted universe of concrete and pollution. They can only dream of joining that more beautiful world and fashion is a key tool for this dreaming. Fashion, even luxury, is fantasy for the masses.
