LUXURY BRANDS ARE JUST WHITE SUPREMACY MONETISED

What if the logo on your luxury handbag is less about craftsmanship and more about colonial hangovers? The recent revelations by Chinese manufacturers and TikTokers about how little global luxury brands really pay to produce their products has triggered a variety of reactions - from people feeling conned, to others saying they knew it all along. But beyond the shock of exploitation lies a more cunning truth. In this clip, influencer @supremetingz breaks it down. She says luxury brands exemplify the capitalist commodification of White superiority: consumers don’t fork out more for correspondingly higher quality products, but for the illusion of being elevated in an artificially imposed hierarchy.

The psychological manipulation is especially pernicious in the case of Black and marginalised consumers, who are sold the idea that proximity to Whiteness (as represented by these brands) is tantamount to value, while for White shoppers, it reinforces their pre-existing sense of superiority. The price tag is just the beginning, the bigger scam is that your worth increases the closer you get to Whiteness. What do you think?

Video credit: @supremetingz (TikTok)