Luxury and Ignorance: From “Savoir-Faire” to the Unknown

Abstract

Abstract The label “luxury” evokes vague and often unknown qualities that give a good or service the capacity to command a substantial price premium. Hence, in this article, I argue, firstly, that a core component of luxury is ignorance, or the unknown. To support this argument a systematic examination of the place of ignorance in the promotion and consumption of luxury goods and services is provided. In this way, a typology of ignorance of relevance to luxury is developed. Secondly, I argue that ignorance is deployed by both promoters and consumers in their separate and collaborative engagements with luxury. To illustrate this, ignorance in the promotion of luxury is analyzed through the case of Louis Vuitton’s “Savoir-Faire” print advertising campaign. Bringing to light the interactions between luxury and ignorance provides insights into the unknowns that constitute an inherent element in all that is classified as luxury.