Lanvin: Image Analysis
Of the many Parisian fashion houses, it could be argued that Lanvin is one of the most elite. The elegance of its products, selectivity of its markets, and exclusivity of its clientele create an environment that dissuades all but the wealthiest demographic from perusing it’s catalogue, let alone buying from it. This is evident even in the company’s advertising campaigns. The Spring/Summer 2010 run, featured in periodicals of a “Conde Nast Traveler” caliber, overflowed with both subtle and obvious hints that the true power of society lies in the smallest, most elitist social sphere, and that inclusion in said sphere is not a privilege, but a right. Inclusion, as relayed by this advertisement, is indicated by ownership of a Lanvin tote bag, a bag that exudes class, status, influence, power, and wealth- attributes attached only to those who can afford to buy them.
Although this particular image was located in an online print advertisement database, the all-white, simplistic Lanvin page was run in Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Elite Traveler: The Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine. Clearly, international travelers are targeted, but anyone can board a plane to a foreign land for a multitude of reasons. Reading the Spring 2010 editions of the aforementioned periodicals yielded interesting, though anticipated, results regarding the target audience for this campaign, for all three are blatantly upper-class oriented and money-driven. Lower and middle class- even upper middle class- individuals do not subscribe to a magazine that features destinations that are obscure and impossible to pronounce, cuisine that utilizes no recognizable ingredients, and recommendations that cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to pursue.
It can be assumed from this advertisement’s placement, then, that such delicacies are reserved for the upper crust of society, those whose first bed was a king-sized crib and whose diapers were pinned with bejeweled ornaments. These are the people who have clearance to the loftiest airport lounges, if not to their own hanger with a private jet inside. Wherever they walk, surrounding citizens notice an appearance and posture of importance, and fashion sense that leaves even Joan Rivers speechless. It would seem as if gold oozes from their veins, and diamonds encrust their teeth. A perpetual spotlight shines upon them, and yes, upon their Lanvin tote, as well. An audience worthy of being graced with a page of Lanvin collections is wealthy enough to travel the globe, and powerful enough to run it.
Lanvin is targeting the incredibly wealthy; those who can afford to take language courses specific to a dialect of a region and possess a culinary palate satisfied by only the most exotic foods. Underlying all of this is (naturally) that a Lanvin tote bag symbolizes this capability- the ad assumes this fact. But why a white tote bag? For that matter, why are all the elements of this advertisement white? In Charles Osgood’s article, “A Cross-cultural study of the affective meanings of color,” he points out that white is a color commonly associated with goodness and purity. Subsequent studies published in The Journal of Cross- Cultural Psychology further explain this phenomena by proving that humans process people dressed in all black as “bad” and in all white as “good”, and proceeded to expand that thesis, applying it to dark colors versus light colors.
Could it truly be that this Lanvin campaign was subtly associating wealth and power with goodness and purity? For the upper crust of society, this advertisement only enhances what they likely have already come to believe; that they were rightfully born into the top tier and therefore have the right to be holier than thou. They are always right in whatever they are involved with; because their concept of “right” is that it is a commodity that can be purchased. This color scheme here silently screams, “Wealth is good,”- if Lanvin is a symbol of wealth, and white stands for purity, then the tote bag is good, making wealth good, also. Expanding that bold statement, one can derive that wealthy people are good people, and therefore good people own Lanvin tote bags because they can afford them.
Processing that logical sequence is tricky, but in short, Lanvin is taking a rather large risk with this ad. If by simply using an all-white color scheme, a union between wealth and goodness is created, what becomes of an all-black color scheme? The unfortunate reality is that subliminal racism is evident in this campaign. White folks possess power and wealth, and have status and influence. They can afford to be classy and flaunt their class often. If this is true, the assumption is that people of other races are poorer and have a tendency to perform acts categorized as “bad.” A viewer of this ad, then, is likely not merely wealthy, but wealthy and white; again, there is reinforcement that the “purer” races are better than those that are not classified as such.
The message of this advertisement is actually manifested in the speaker of the ad himself. Notice that he is a young white male, clearly wealthy, adorned with simple yet elegant clothing and, of course, the Lanvin bag. His posture indicates he knows how classy he is, and his facial expressions appear to make him seem “good.” One would find it hard to believe that someone so young would accumulate massive wealth at such a young age, but somehow he managed to accomplish it. A more believable story, though, is that he had incredibly rich parents, and that he is the lucky benefactor. Perhaps Lanvin is sliding in another subtle message: wealth is not accumulated over time, but granted to you from birth. In other words, your present circumstances do determine how far you can go in life; so, all things associated with wealth (power, class, etc.) are predetermined, as well. Thus, the elitist class of society will always be in control of power and money. The lower and middle classes cannot change that, either, because birth circumstance limits one’s capabilities. It can be assumed, then, that the speaker of the ad is purer than anyone who creates his own wealth, because he (the speaker) is adorned in white (color of purity) and already has wealth grated to him, and therefore is above the rest.
Lanvin navigated some difficult terrain with this advertisement, cleverly disguising political undertones in a simplistic, elegant setup. Honestly, deep analysis of this ad is required to clearly see all the messages hidden within it. Issues of racism, wealth, power, and status are all challenged here- there is a focus on the influence of the elitist class, and an attempt to push an agenda to minimize the impact of change from the bottom to the top of the social ladder. But, no matter how much influence is concentrated at the top, people born in lower classes will still manage to rise above them and shake the foundations of class structure, perhaps even obtaining a Lanvin tote in the process.
1. The Lanvin ad was found through an open search on Google and verified by exploring the Lanvin advertisement archives
2. “A Cross- Cultural Study of the Affective Meanings of Color” (F. Adams, E. Osgood). Published in The Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, June 1973
