00:02
[Woman] Ve-sa-chee.
00:03
[Instructor] Versace.
00:18
Wealth and class have always gone hand in hand.
00:21
The difference today versus in dynastic times is
00:24
that wealth is branded.
00:28
That's why many people are pretty fixated
00:31
on being able to properly pronounce
00:34
foreign luxury brands.
00:44
When you say LV, it's not nearly as sophisticated
00:47
as the ability to pronounce with the proper French accent.
00:52
[Woman] Loui, Louis Vuitton.
00:57
We're not just talking about luxury brands, we're talking
01:00
about the ability to navigate a luxury lifestyle,
01:03
and that needs to be mastered like anything else in life.
01:12
A lot of the wealth in China is self-made.
01:14
Several hundred billionaires are self-made.
01:18
Over a million millionaires are self-made.
01:21
All the rich in China are only nouveau riche.
01:33
The sophisticated woman is willing to spend
01:36
a lot of money on very expensive articles.
01:41
However, she should spend her money wisely.
01:48
Bargaining in China is a mark of clever resourcefulness.
01:57
We do have a culture
01:58
of conspicuous consumption.
02:08
In China, luxury is associated with upward mobility,
02:12
forward momentum, progression in life.
02:16
It is an investment that needs to yield dividends
02:19
on the journey towards greatness.
02:22
In restaurants, in shops,
02:31
Chinese like to sparkle,
02:33
but they don't like to shine.
02:35
You have to on one hand stand out, that's projective.
02:39
But you also need to fit in,
02:41
so bling needs to be very understated.
02:45
For example, the mobile phone.
02:48
Take a look at the back of that Apple gold phone,
02:49
it's perfect, it's matted gold.
02:52
Even I have been forced to use an Apple gold phone.
02:58
However, the design inside the home is
03:01
significantly flashier, more Rococo.
03:06
[Interviewer] And who are you wearing today?
03:14
Understatement has a different threshold here.
