Aesthetics and Sustainable Luxury Consumption

The present book proposes a novel perspective on sustainable luxury consumption emphasizing the key role of aesthetic dimensions in shaping responsible choices. Indeed, luxury goods and service environments are beautiful, refined, and aesthetically pleasing, which makes them intrinsically linked to the concept of “art” (Kapferer, 2014). However, both luxury and aesthetics are subjective constructs and different aesthetics choices made by luxury brands can either strengthen or decreaseconsumers’ perceptions of product sustainability, both consciously and unconsciously. Through the analysis of relevant literature, as well as drawing on recent unpublished empirical research, we present a consumer-based view of sustainable luxury consumption according to which aesthetics is a fundamental driver of the luxury customer experience, which in turn may affect product durability, above and beyond its functional quality. Indeed, when aesthetic attributes coincide with the tenets of environmental stewardship and social equality, they construct a compelling narrative: one in which enjoyment and responsibility are not merely compatible but also mutually reinforcing.