Francofile

What's in a logo?

Logos are an interesting phenomenon in the evolution of fashion brands.  Are you attracted by the little alligator on Lacoste polos or the repeated motif of the initials "LV" on Louis Vuitton bags?  I am ambivalent.  In my younger days I frankly disdained logos.  Why be a walking advertisement for a corporation?   And why be such a conformist?  Are logo lovers not secure enough in their own taste?  But then again, it's easy for a penniless student to sneer at luxury objects they can't afford.  To take the example of Vuitton, he started out as a high-end trunkmaker in the 1850's.  In 1882 he introduced trunks with an iconic red and beige striped color scheme.   In 1886 the ubiquitous monogram was introduced.  The LV motif was both a signifier of the status and quality that come with an established luxury brand identity and an attempt to ensure authenticity. For decades, the familiar pattern on a brown field appeared on luggage, handbags, and small accessories, carrying the message of quality while rather discretely displaying the wallpaper-like brand logo.   It is interesting to see how the Vuitton division of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH has innovated to keep the brand's image fresh and vibrant.  (See Murakami's design on the right.) Young celebs in the public eye do not disdain these colorful accessories.  A certain very visible rapper is said to be covering the interior of his new home in the Vuitton pattern.   I admire the company's success in adapting the brand over the decades.  But I must admit to never having had the remotest desire to own one of these bags, although many of them seem quite practical and pleasing to the eye.  If I were to splurge on a designer bag, a classic Hermes sans blatantly obvious logos would entice me more than a Dior logo bag or a Vuitton logo bag.  Designer logos--do you lust after them or find them a turn-off? 

                                      

Resolutions

As always, it does feel a bit different when the year changes, if only by one digit.  A few bloggers have posted New Year's resolutions, which prodded me to think about some of my own.  In 2006, I will:

-challenge my students to engage more deeply with difficult ideas and to apply them to their world

-do more advocating for improved international education in the US--not easy in the current climate, but more important than ever

-try to live day-to-day a little more "a la francaise," in other words, more in the moment  (this also means spending more time in the kitchen preparing "real" food)

-get outdoors year-round for some fresh air and exercise, even in bad weather

-get rid of some of my responsibilities and contacts that are not life-affirming and take on some new ones that are 

-rely more on real people in the blogosphere to get an accurate sense of what is going on in the world, and less on the paid journalists working for the mainstream media, who (with a few exceptions) have performed disappointingly lately 

-Upgrade my HTML skills--so many of you have visually appealing blogs and awesome Photoshop skills and I know I should take mine to the next level

-think about permitting myself the indulgence of a Hermes bag, since Geraldine has kindly convinced me of the soundness of such a long-term investment (on ne vit qu'une fois!)

Happy 2006, everyone!