AGE OF HYPOCRISY

The perennial debate around exclusivity & prestige warrants a refresh, reports Ipsita Kaul

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Has exclusivity lost its bite? Yes, and well, no. The word is overused-no doubt about it. From personal hygiene kit subscriptions to a midweek drop on an Instagram store that was suggested to you a week ago, everything seems to fall into the exclusive agenda. Hate to break it to you: it's not, even in the slightest. Exclusivity in the realm of luxury, truth be told, has little to do with price tags and velvet ropes. The golden egg here is meaning. Transparency. Intention. Long live rarity. Oh, and that still bites.

In stark contrast with the incessant thrum of fashion, like it or not, exclusivity in today's age is an earnest attempt at fostering connection. There'll be an invitation, no email bombardment in sight. And brands verifying their production practices and supply chain systems does, in fact, help in distinguishing themselves from those who traffic in artifice, although the rampant churning out from their counterparts is always a dead giveaway.

Look, fashion has a long history of basking in the myth of the unattainable. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci-everyone is borderline guilty of selling aspiration with a humble seasoning of scarcity. Feigned, mostly. The waitlists and whisper-don't-yell price points? *Chuckles.* However, modern-day marketing has had to undergo a makeover, as today's consumer is slightly harder to seduce. They're informed, and soon they'll know whether it was made in small batches by artisans or intentionally rationed to spike the hype. Receipts, baby.

THE DIGITAL WAVE