Chinese actress and singer Zhao Wei in the middle of her Chateau Monlot vines in 2018.
Nicolas Tucat/AFP
Contrary to popular belief, only a minority of Bordeaux vineyards bought by Chinese investors have had a negative outcome.
UNSW Thomas Yang/Shutterstock
How much of anything do we need?
Izikhothane display their expensive Italian shoes - which they sometimes destroy in public.
Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images
It’s about more than wasteful destruction; it’s a way of restoring dignity to marginalised young lives.
An appearance in the 2023 Barbie movie has given the shoe brand an extra push.
Landmark Media/Alamy Stock Photo
It’s not just the Barbie effect, Birkenstock’s brand equity has been rising for years.
Are you looking for love in all the wrong places?
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Genuine love holds immeasurable value, yet discovering it can pose challenges — and come with a significant price tag.
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What is considered ‘luxury’ is different now to what it was in ancient times – but it’s always about conspicuous displays of wealth and consumption.
A Nigerian bride dances into her wedding venue for her big day.
Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images
Hiring top-end event centres boosts people’s social status and made them feel more esteemed.
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A religion of conspicuous consumption has replaced Christianity at the centre of Christmas – and it’s big business which will be most pleased of all.
Pumpkins are a popular choice for pets.
Reuters/Guadalupe Pardo
Halloween is yet another holiday that has become a mere ritual of America’s very conspicuous consumption.
Ghana player Asamoah Gyan celebrates a goal against Portugal during a 2014 FIFA World Cup match in Brazil.
EPA/Jose Sena Goulao
A complex set of factors influence how African footballers make financial decisions about the money they earn abroad.
Rosé has become one of the millenials’ favorite drinks in just a few years. Why?
Vincenzo Landino/Unsplash
The millennials have boosted rosé consumption: in the United States alone, 65% of them declare themselves “rosé drinkers”. How can this overall success be explained?
For individuals engaged in corruption, the luxury sector is an attractive vessel to launder illicit funds.
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Data from 32 high-income and emerging economies show a strong correlation between luxury item expenditure and societal corruption.
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With more and more brands claiming to be “luxury”, historical players have begun to rethink their use of the term.
Hannah Shaw (Kitten Lady), with Instagram influencer BriAnne Wills (@girlsandtheircats) at a marketing event in New York, Feb. 2018.
Loren Wohl for Fresh Step/AP
Although some social media users are able to monetize their social media “likes,” much of the pursuit of popularity amounts to nothing and instead turns us into pawns for political and commercial uses
Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi recently sold for US$450 million.
AAP
Research shows paintings aren’t always good investments. Sky-high prices paid for high-end art are likely due to other factors.
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Alternative facts owe more to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World than Orwell’s 1984.
Michele Paccione
The ever-popular festive song is a hymn to overconsumption. Here are a few seasonal lessons…