Spity that Christmas is still a while away: the Parisian perfume house Diptyque has treated itself to a line of household products. Yes, right: household products. Dishwashing liquid, all-purpose cleaner, brushes or odor-neutralizing candles are included. “Today diptyque invites you Drugstore invites you to clean, polish, rinse and groom at home with renewed pleasure,” the site reads.
The fact that a whopping 35 euros are charged for 500 ml of washing-up liquid or cleaning agent raises questions: Who is “La Droguerie” supposed to be for? Must rich kids give something to your parents? Or even the maid?
The fact that work tools and equipment are becoming lifestyle products is not only evident in the new Diptyque line. Japanese tool cases go for more than 100 euros over the counter at Manufactum. (You can find similar models in hardware stores for around a third of the price.) Speaking of suitcases, one of the best examples of this development comes from Cologne-based luggage manufacturer Rimowa. Rimowa suitcases were a piece of luggage for frequent flyers who couldn’t afford to constantly buy a new plastic suitcase.
So it is that the chic, shiny, corrugated aluminum suitcases, even in times of flight shame and Fridays for Future conjure up a little more aviation magic. The luxury mega-corporation LVHM also recognized this, bought the company without further ado and turned the German manufacturer of robust suitcases into a luxury brand.
The brand has disappeared from the Galeria department stores and now presents itself as Louis Vuitton for aluminum suitcases. For the “relaunch” there was a cooperation with the designer Virgil Abloh, who designed a transparent suitcase. And of course the pricing policy has also been adjusted, i.e. the cases now cost twice as much.
From work tool to accessory
How to get out of commodities Fashion does, Apple has done for years. Through clever marketing, the computer manufacturer has created its own, very successful niche, somewhere between a valuable work tool and a luxury brand. The fact that the first Apple Watch was offered in a gold edition with a Hermes bracelet showed Apple as a trendy brand.
At the same time, the fact that laptops and computers are still advertised with (allegedly) unrivaled performance continues to position them as work tools. The fact that the MacBook, which has since been discontinued, was also available with a case in tasteless trashy colors such as rose or gold made the computers themselves fashionable:
The small, slim laptop in rosé as a chic accessory for working in the café or the law library. The sleek, minimalist design of the computers made them iconic. Apple also seems to have become aware that the work device character has been lost somewhat as a result. New MacBookPros have become bulkier again and look more like work equipment.
A look at the history of jeans also shows how long brands have been turning work equipment into fashion trends. They were originally designed by the Jewish emigrant Levi Strauss as stable and durable work trousers. Today, the Levis brand is a global fashion empire. For a long time, the corresponding jeans were a fashion statement of rebellion against the suit pants lifestyle of one’s own middle-class parents (in the west) or a symbol of the American-style western lifestyle that the state rejected (in the east). Jeans for work, in the dirt and filth, are rarely found these days.