Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

Dana Thomas traces the evolution of luxury from artisanal craft and family ateliers to multinational conglomerates. Examining fashion, fragrance, and branding, she analyzes how exclusivity, heritage, and scarcity became industrial strategies within global capitalism.

Why It Matters:
It situates modern luxury within economic consolidation, clarifying how narratives of craftsmanship and rarity are constructed, scaled, and monetized—essential context for evaluating refinement in contemporary markets.