A new book, ‘Torn’, has set out to challenge the growth model that has come to define luxury fashion, questioning whether the industry’s relentless expansion has hollowed out the very qualities that made it desirable.
Whether developers of private-equity-style valuations read it is another question, but the timing gives its argument a relevance it might once have lacked.
The book joins a growing shelf of industry critiques, but distinguishes itself by targeting the incentive structure rather than a single offender.
If the argument gains traction, it could nudge a conversation that has mostly lived in trade columns into the boardroom, where the pressure to compound growth meets the reality of diminishing returns.
The thesis lands at a propitious moment, as slowing demand in key Asian markets has prompted several houses to reassess how much newness the market can actually absorb.
The author trains criticism on the flywheel of cruise shows, drop calendars, and multiplying product lines, arguing that the machinery built to satisfy investors may be eroding the scarcity luxury was founded on.
