Label Under Construction (Luca Laurini)

[Fuuma]

I can't really answer your question, because I don't know which T-shirt that you're talking about. What I do know is that Luca very rarely puts the same piece in a collection more than once. There are more often than not items which look the same but there is a difference in the dying process, fabric, yarn or construction. Luca is an innovator, so even if something looks almost exactly the same it usually isn't. A good example is his plain black cashmere T-shirt which I bought last winter and which I have bought again this winter. At first sight they look the same but on closer inspection, he has changed the neck construction, to make it stronger and the cashmere is thicker. In other words the T-shirt has evolved. It is better now. The constant evolution, as opposed to regurgitation of the same think, is an expensive way of doing things, because it takes time and it is the time of the top, most knowledgeable and therefore highly paid guys.

LUC is clearly evolving in the direction of expense and therefore elitism and in some ways that is a shame because it means that less people get the chance to fully appreciate his art, but LUC is not more expensive because they are just hiking the price up. They are more expensive because they are continually using more complicated construction, better yarns and rarer fabrics and dying processes. This is why I stand by the fact that it is not worse value because it is more expensive because you can be damn sure of all of the above. It is only bad value to you, if this evolution of technique is not so important to you, and that is where it gets subjective. I can completely understand why someone may not be interested in the changes in the cashmere T-shirt, after all it does look the same as the old one, and so is it worth another £100? Only you can answer that and you can only speak for yourself. Personally, for me it is worth it.

Incidentally, has anybody actually seen this elusive and ridiculously expensive cotton T. I would be interested to know, because I can’t remember seeing it in the showroom, although that was a year ago. I’m also very aware that my cashmere T was only £450, so there must be something pretty special about the cotton one. If so, it’s probably not the best example of Luca’s work to be debaiting.

Good post. However keep in mind traditional makers using higher end (more costly) fabric than anything LUC has used charge really high but still lower prices:

Example of an old man's luxury knit:

http://shoponline.drakes-london.com/zoomx-195-2-1004-10-Knitwear-100%20cashmere%20shawl%20collar%20cardigan.aspx

Now I am not one to disparage the price to be paid for innovation, design and limited quantity runs. There is value to be found in all of those things, let's not just pretend the materials alone justify the price. When I look at a CCP pair of boots I see something really interested and relatively well made but for around half the price you can get a hand-lasted pair of Vass boots that blow away anything CCP does quality wise. What these makers bring to the table is a constant dedication to an ideal of odd-ness and an exploration of form and materials.

[Faust]

St. Fuuma has spoken. He is infallible in the matters of sartoria. Needless to say, I constantly agree.

[hobo]

Well, I don't know if that's in fact the case. Actually, I think as someone who does not have as much money 'not to worry about prices' is taking a more detailed look if the amount is actually worth the garment. You are having second thoughts about every garment which costs more than just peanuts and as that comes, one does have a closer look. The quality, manufacturing, details. And when it finally comes to a purchase, you are 100% sure about it and really come to appreciate all the simple details which made you put the money in it.
I am not saying that sb who has enough money not to worry about a garments price does not see the simple details but as they have the freedom to be more of a impulsive buyer, they maybe are not closely examining at first (maybe they do later, when the piece is already hanging in their closet).

Then we agree entirely!

[Fuuma]

St. Fuuma has spoken. He is infallible in the matters of sartoria. Needless to say, I constantly agree.

I remember showing my pair of Vass to one of the makers discussed here and he was impressed by the quality and didn't believe me about the price at first (former soviet union satellite pricing is a joke at under $1K). However he didn't feel attacked or fearful that his shoes sold for much more because he knew what he brought to the table and respected the different ways people make shoes.

[hobo]

St. Fuuma has spoken. He is infallible in the matters of sartoria. Needless to say, I constantly agree.

All hail St Fuuma!

[Fuuma]

All hail St Fuuma!

This isn't going to end like San Sebastián, is it?


Let me reiterate, once again, that I am quite impressed with LUC. I was looking at the well stocked rack at A w. Faust a few months ago and what they release is at the same time wearable and well designed, comfortable and stylish.

[jcotteri]

Agree Fuuma..

@Hobo I am curious as well... I did see a knitted cotton tee at lift earlier this year which was approaching 90K.... But yeh nothing over that as of yet?

[cjbreed]

What these makers bring to the table is a constant dedication to an ideal of odd-ness and an exploration of form and materials.

thats a great statement. i'm gonna steal it.

[hobo]

This isn't going to end like San Sebastián, is it?


Let me reiterate, once again, that I am quite impressed with LUC. I was looking at the well stocked rack at A w. Faust a few months ago and what they release is at the same time wearable and well designed, comfortable and stylish.

Hey Mr Fuuma, there is nothing that you have said which I would disagree with, and you know, I'd tell you if I did!

xxx

thats a great statement. i'm gonna steal it.

[alice anise]

With respect to "dedication to an ideal of odd-ness and an exploration of form and materials" I think this has been pretty much a constant with Luca ever since he left the family. It would silly to say that his inventiveness and craftsmanship has increased significantly in 6 months. Maybe the results now have more value aesthetically or respect to wearability/functionality but this is different than paying for a vision. If Luca feels that the current collection exceeds those in the past by a significant amount due to the honing of his skills or everything just ticking at this moment then fine charge a premium but in the future when you lack inspiration or fail in your experimentation I would like to see a nice fat price drop.

One viable explanation for the insane prices we are seeing today is the need for consistent markups throughout the distribution process. For example, a simple cotton knit that may cost an artisan $150 to produce including labor and materials would be sold to stores at a price that will cover expenses which not only include the raw materials and labor but also studio overhead, material and labor lost during experimentation in the creative process, and other miscellaneous expenses (travel, packaging, etc. thankfully not advertising). If the artisan is lucky there might be some profit left over. What is an apparently simple knit worth maybe $50 in material and $100 in labor is probably sold for $300+. The stores then have to pay import taxes, duties plus add their obligatory 2.5 markup which puts the shirt on the shelf for $850.

Now if the artisan starts off the following season with a slightly more complex pattern and a better material so that the shirt now costs $200 to produce instead of $150, the price for the consumer after all the relative markups throughout the distribution process will be $1135. This a pretty crass and naive example but I think it does show that no matter how many accolades designers like Luca receive with respect to their authenticity they are still very much participants in the fashion merry-go-round even if just hanging off the edge.

[Johnny]

great post alice

[hobo]

With respect to "dedication to an ideal of odd-ness and an exploration of form and materials" I think this has been pretty much a constant with Luca ever since he left the family. It would silly to say that his inventiveness and craftsmanship has increased significantly in 6 months. Maybe the results now have more value aesthetically or respect to wearability/functionality but this is different than paying for a vision. If Luca feels that the current collection exceeds those in the past by a significant amount due to the honing of his skills or everything just ticking at this moment then fine charge a premium but in the future when you lack inspiration or fail in your experimentation I would like to see a nice fat price drop.

One viable explanation for the insane prices we are seeing today is the need for consistent markups throughout the distribution process. For example, a simple cotton knit that may cost an artisan $150 to produce including labor and materials would be sold to stores at a price that will cover expenses which not only include the raw materials and labor but also studio overhead, material and labor lost during experimentation in the creative process, and other miscellaneous expenses (travel, packaging, etc. thankfully not advertising). If the artisan is lucky there might be some profit left over. What is an apparently simple knit worth maybe $50 in material and $100 in labor is probably sold for $300+. The stores then have to pay import taxes, duties plus add their obligatory 2.5 markup which puts the shirt on the shelf for $850.

Now if the artisan starts off the following season with a slightly more complex pattern and a better material so that the shirt now costs $200 to produce instead of $150, the price for the consumer after all the relative markups throughout the distribution process will be $1135. This a pretty crass and naive example but I think it does show that no matter how many accolades designers like Luca receive with respect to their authenticity they are still very much participants in the fashion merry-go-round even if just hanging off the edge.

That is broadly correct; although I would point out that is exactly the same in most other industries from food to automotives. I'm really not sure why people think that fashion should be so different. If you want someone to go to the other side of the world to get you a pullover, you’re gonna have to pay them for going and you’re gonna have to pay all the people who are responsible for getting them their and back.
I would also just point out that no one said that Luca had suddenly got more creative or inspired. I said that the constructions of his garments were becoming more intricate and the fabrics, rarer and more luxurious. I may well be wrong, but knowing Luca, I really don’t think that he suddenly decided to ‘hike’ a huge premium on his clothes because he thought that he could. I think that my explanation is far more likely.
It’s worth noting that the Werkstatt Munchen skull bracelet which I wear has increased in price by around 25%, since I bought it 2 years. It still contains the same amount of silver and no extra work has gone into it, as the castings were created years ago. I also know Claus (the designer), and I can pretty much guarantee that this price increase will be as a direct result of the increase in his costs (raw materials, shipping etc). The point being that economics can be a tad more complicated than most of us know, and to simply assume that someone has ‘hiked’ their prices up, is not only a touch naive, it’s also slightly insulting to their integrity and potentially damaging to their brand. As I said before I know Luca. We are friends. We like ridding Ducati Monsters, sometimes together, and I know the work that goes into his product, from the concept to the design, to the production and I know that that is what you pay for when you buy one of his garments (not a price hike).

great post, but i'm still able to buy, with a great deal of weaselling and patience, many of those pieces at a fraction of the retail price. my consistent ability to do so suggests that someone, at some point of that glorious mark-up spiral, is losing money..

That is absolutely correct. Most stores will be losing money on a garment if it has more than 25% discount, and that's the well run ones!

[Faust]

A lot of this comes down to economics, really. If the market can bear what they charge, why not charge it? Anyway, no one is telling anyone how to spend their money. The only thing that saddens me (a little bit and rarely) is that I am priced out of this market.

[jcotteri]

If he rides a Ducati then I am even more inclined to buy his clothing

[hobo]

/\ Hey me too, but it does make the feeling even better, when you finally get your mitts on that special piece that you've been coveting!