Call for Papers: In Pursuit of Luxury

6 January 2016

The debate surrounding luxury is far from new. Are traditional definitions of luxury relevant in today's global fashion marketplace? What do we understand by the term luxury and can it or should it be applied to all luxury branded goods? Does contemporary branding allow such goods to remain 'luxurious' even though they have been mass-produced?

We know a great deal about luxury management within the creative industries from the corporate standpoint but far less is known about those who work in sales, and even less is known about luxury crafts-persons and factory workers. What are the demands and constraints placed on these individuals who perform luxury labour? How do they experience their work? How do they view their roles and the products they sell and produce within this sector? How do they view the luxury enterprise?

By discussing the history of luxury against the backdrop of contemporary issues, a familiar debate is extended into unfamiliar contexts. In this new and dynamic juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated market cultures and the labour market, significant inter-relationships are proposed and explored to expand the parameters of the debate around the concepts of luxury.
Learn more about the themes and strands and strands of the conference and the process for abstract submission. 

Participants will be asked to submit completed papers by 1 November 2016 for consideration for a special issue of Luxury: Markets, Cities, and Labor, by Intellect Publishing.

Call for Papers for the Special Issue: Luxury Markets, Cities, and Labor
Editor: Veronica Manlow, Brooklyn College

How sustainable is a luxury model dictated to by fashion and business, which requires ever-larger segments of the global population to consume and produce luxury, in faster cycles? What are the costs of continuing along this trajectory, and indeed what are the forces that create and fulfill the desire for luxury, and that uphold its existence in a variety of incarnations along a continuum stretching from the bespoke and rarefied to "new" luxury?

The irony of the "democratization" of luxury is subject to analysis as is the mythology of labor, upheld by marketing, media and public relations where ground level operations in stores are aspirational and while production, which happens a layer below the surface, is obscured. It is at the level of production where artisans practice their craft and where others perform labor. It is here that costs may be cut and workers deskilled and labor subject to the logic of scientific management. It is also the point at which artisans and factory workers alike may be integrated into the culture and philosophy of the company in a way that enriches their lives. 

This issue of Fashion, Style & Popular Culture will take an in-depth look at work, cities, and consuming markets within the field of luxury encompasses new and established firms with a contemporary or long heritage, from conglomerates to small independent firms, to "new" luxury, and emerging models with innovative practices. How is the industry structured with respect to customers, location and labor? Articles addressing issues such as-What hierarchies are in place? Why did this luxury brand choose this site location? How does a retailer's site selection impact the labor market chosen for employment? Do luxury retailers employ individuals to reflect their customer base? How do people in a variety of positions from professional to service and labor classifications experience their day-to-day reality? What is it like to work behind the scenes in ateliers, factories, in facilities, and in support positions such as merchandising, visual display, technology support and strategy? How do those who work on the front lines with the public perform their roles and how do they relate to corporate directives?  Is working in the luxury retail industry more glamorous than working in the mass retail industry?

Authors are invited to submit papers that explore the following themes related to luxury and:

History
Craft and the handmade
Branding, marketing and communication
Consumption
The retail environment
Fashion
Labor & emerging markets
Site selection and demographic shifts
Information technology & support
The digital environment
Sourcing and production
Material
Sales distribution
Sustainability

Manuscripts should be approximately 5000 words and prepared using Intellect Journal House Style.

Deadline for Submissions: November 1, 2016

Manuscripts will not be considered unless they follow Intellect Guidelines

For questions regarding submissions or inquiries or to submit a manuscript please contact Veronica Manlow at: veronica.manlow@gmail.com

for more information and to book please visit the website here.