Luxury Brand and Art Collaborations: Postmodern Consumer Culture

Over the past decades, collaborative initiatives between luxury brands and the art world have been increasing in number and relevance. At first treated as a mere trend or as a marketing stunt, in time luxury-art collaborations have come to be acknowledged as one of the most effective ways luxury brands and artists can position themselves in today’s market, engaging with their clients and audiences. This book sheds light on the socio-cultural valence of luxury-art collaborations.

The book explores luxury-art collaborations in the context of postmodern consumption, i.e. as a phenomenon deeply rooted in and emerging from the ways postmodern individuals value and consume objects, contents and ideas. More specifically, the book covers: how collaborations reflect the postmodern condition and liquid consumption practices (hybrid, temporary, hyperreal); the impact of luxury-art collaborations on the evolution of luxury stores and museums, and the emergence of hybrid spaces (art fairs, nomadic exhibitions, pop-up stores) - the temporal features of luxury-art collaborations (shortlived duration and fast-paced tempo) - how luxury-art collaborations reshuffle traditional status dynamics while drawing new boundaries of social distinction based on experience and access - why luxury brands and creatives are redefining their conventional identities, morphing into cultural entities and bricoleurs.

The book appeals to a wide range of readers, from academics and students in art business, luxury studies, consumption behaviour, to professionals in the luxury industry and the art world. The book is also relevant to an international readership of non-specialists interested in current social and cultural matters.

Federica Carlotto is the Programme Director of the Masters in Luxury Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and a social anthropologist specialised in luxury, fashion and other cultural & creative industries. By applying the lens of human science to markets, trends and brands, Federica delves into the thick layers of meaning behind consumer behaviour, producing strategic business intelligence. Her cultural insights also look at connecting business with communities and the society at large, for responsible value creation.