Lecturer / Theme

Lecturer: Kaori Nakano (Fashion Historian / Author)
Theme: ”What is Luxury in the New Age?”

Profile

Fashion History Creator / Author /President of Kaori Nakano Co.,,Ltd. (Independent Research Institute) /
Specializes in the Luxury Studies
(including Cultural Studies of Fashion, British Studies)
based on the Humanities. Works as a writer, public speaker, educator and business consultant.
Graduated from University of Tokyo (Bachelor of Arts, English Literature(1985) / Bachelor of Arts, British Studies(1987),
then finished the Graduate Division of the University of Tokyo (Master of Arts, British Studies(1990).
Advanced to the Ph. D course and completed the course work required for a doctoral candidate
at the Graduate Division of University of Tokyo(Withdrawal, 1994).
Worked as a visiting scholar at the Cambridge University, England (Hughes Hall 1989, Homerton College 1994).
Part-time Lecturer of Tokyo University (1996-2001). Professor of Meiji University (2008-2017). Guest Professor of Showa Women’s University (2018-2021).
Contributed to Branding of Prince Hotels Tokyo City Area as Lecture Consultant to win total 18 stars of Forbes (2017-2022)
Co-author of “”Decameron about New Luxury”” (Cross Media Publishing, 2022).
Author of “”Apparel Innovators” (Nihon Jitsugyo Shuppansha, 2020).
Author of “”Royal Style: History of British Royal Fashion” (Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 2019) etc.

* From https://www.kaori-nakano.com/profile/

Lecture Outline

The lecture explored the historical evolution and contemporary challenges of luxury.
She highlighted that at its core, luxury signifies “seduction,” “prosperity,” and “light,” and has continually generated new cultures through the interplay of cutting-edge technology and human desire.
The history of luxury was traced from the privileged consumption of royalty and aristocracy, through the culture of gift-giving in extramarital relationships, to the gentlemanly model of luxury that emerged after the Industrial Revolution.
The lecture emphasized revolutionary shifts such as Coco Chanel’s separation of wealth from elegance and Yves Saint Laurent’s role in advancing women’s social participation, culminating in today’s global strategies led by major conglomerates.
At the same time, issues such as mass production, mass waste, and exploitative labor in subcontracted factories were brought to light.
With consumer values shifting toward wellness and the secondhand market, the speaker concluded that the future of luxury lies not in scale and status consumption, but in the creation of new forms of value rooted in craftsmanship and personalized experiences.

Key Points Learned

Some of the key points that were learned by the semi-finalists and last year’s winners who attended the course are listed below.

“I found it eye-opening to learn that status consumption has reached its limits, and instead, intrinsic values such as human connection and care for the environment are becoming more important.”

“I was struck by the idea that “luxury fatigue” is causing the very system that creates scarcity to wear out, and that not only consumers but also people within the industry are beginning to feel its limits.”

“I felt that from now on, true appreciation will be given to “substantial values” such as craftsmanship, fairness, and care for people and the planet, rather than superficial prestige.”

“I felt that luxury contains elements of sustainability—such as repair and inheritance—and that within it lies a certain richness of time in nurturing and being nurtured.”

“As illustrated in the example of Coco Chanel, redefining value and luxury from a new perspective, and creating a field where one can excel, is an important strategy for brand management.”

Participants expressed surprise at the realization that the definition of luxury varies greatly across countries and eras, and that “luxury fatigue” is casting a shadow over the entire industry. The shift from traditional values of price and status toward more essential qualities such as craftsmanship, heritage, and environmental consideration offered many with a fresh perspective.

Learning about how luxury has historically driven social change, yet has also been reshaped by the acceleration of capitalism, encouraged participants to reflect on what new forms of scarcity and value creation might look like today.

Many came away with a strong sense that individual creators must build their own contexts and narratives in order to define and embody a new form of luxury.