'Armitage and Roberts offer a careful philosophical examination of luxury, enhanced by an exemplary series of case studies. In assembling this broad range of insightful contributions and through their own nuanced analysis, the authors make a timely contribution to the study of luxury as a cultural phenomenon. An essential guide to the new field of critical luxury studies incorporating key case studies.' Peter Oakley, Research Leader and Senior Research Fellow, Royal College of Art 'Taking its lead from an innovative combination of social, philosophical, linguistic and aesthetic theories, this important book demolishes the myths of contemporary luxury-brand marketing. Goods from men's wrist-watches to highly priced designer T-shirts will never appear the same. The book encourages the reader to take their own critical look at the contemporary landscape of globalised consumption.' Peter McNeil, University of Technology Sydney and Aalto University Assembling the foremost scholars in this innovative, distinctive and expanding subject, internationally well-known critical theorists John Armitage and Joanne Roberts present a ground-breaking aesthetic, design-led and media-related examination of the relations between historical and, crucially, contemporary ideas of luxury. Critical Luxury Studies offers a technoculturally inspired survey of the mediated arts and design, as well as a means of comprehending the socio-economic order with novel philosophical tools and critical methods of interrogation that are re-defining the concept of luxury in the twenty-first century. John Armitage is Professor of Media Arts and Joanne Roberts is Professor of Arts and Cultural Management, both at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton. They are co-Directors of the Winchester Luxury Research Group. Cover image: Tom Sachs, Chanel Chainsaw, 1996, cardboard, thermal adhesive, 12 x 27 x 37 inches. Private collection, courtesy of the artist and Sperone Westwater, New York Cover design: first pulse design [EUP logo] www.euppublishing.com ISBN 978-1-4744-0261-3 Barcode