Why craftsmanship is an essential ingredient in luxury menswear

Abstract

The luxury menswear industry is one of the growing areas of the fashion business in an albeit saturated marketplace. Luxury menswear brands are evolving as they endeavour to remain relevant and at the top of the fashion pyramid. To continue growth, many luxury brand groups have expanded across product areas. These include automobiles, jewellery, luxury hotels, fragrances and yachts, as well as clothing. To get even greater attention, the luxury menswear brands have recently reviewed their marketing campaigns with bolder approaches including experiences on global cultural sites and dabbled with the metaverse. However, with this foray into virtual technologies maintaining a high level of craft quality within all products is essential for continuity. This is a theoretical positional article that discusses what are the challenges facing the luxury sector such as global developments, local policies and social issues that affect the luxury menswear industry. The article emphasizes that craft skills are still very much at the forefront to create the type of products needed to meet the luxury market demand and business needs of the future. This qualitative study highlights that a large percentage of luxury menswear is now being purchased by a Generation Z brand consumer who puts pressure on luxury brands to incorporate their values. It considers the problems in maintaining craft skills, bespoke and why they are key to enhance luxury menswear provenance and stop it becoming bland, monotonous and mass-produced.