Why connoisseurs are the true luxury consumers
As written in the previous article here connoisseurs have high levels of cultural capital which makes them able to truly value luxury goods. To illustrate their “skills” let’s see the following situation – imagine a glamorous party at Hotel du Cap Eden Rock in Antibes and three of the attendants are connoisseurs and a parvenu, for instance. So, they have drinks in the hotel’s restaurant and start talking to each other. The connoisseur knows that this hotel was portrayed in the novel “Tender is the night” by the famous American writer Scott Fitzgerald. Moreover, the people that rented the hotel (which was villa at that time) in the early 20th century established it as a famous place. This happened because they invited the jet-set of that time, people like Hemingway, Fitzgerald himself, Picasso etc. On the other hand, these things don’t ring a bell to parvenus.
So, imagine a parvenu enters a conversation between a two connoisseurs who are discussing the history of the place he will be in a really awkward situation – off topic, isolated from the conversation and even in a ridiculous situation. Then, if he asks for a Don Perignon champagne (a classic parvenu brand) and on the tables is served only Krug champagne (quiet luxury brand) he can even cause a laughter in the connoisseurs, though they will never show that emotion. The funnier thing is if the parvenu asks them who is Scot Fitzgerald, for instance. Of course, for the novel of the author, he will totally have no idea and desire to read it, even if connoisseurs by some chance mention It to him. In brief, parvenus can offer a lot of fun and “entertainment” for the true experts in luxury. This is especially valid for the eastern European newly rich who indulge in infinite kitsch, having no idea what style is. Parvenus will never understand the history of the mentioned place and why it is special and has achieved this kind of status. That's why, cultural capital has such a big importance, money is not enough...
I think everyone of you can share a similar story or one that can complement the above mentioned story, so please share it in the comments section, it will enrich the article.