Luxury and the Senses

Luxury has long been seen as an expensive, elegant indulgence. However, the history of its relationship with the bodily senses has never been fully explored. Examining luxury from an experiential perspective, this book moves away from the traditional focus on luxury goods, marketing and promotion, and looks instead at the sensory evolution of luxury through time.

Bringing together a range of international experts in the field, Luxury and the Senses traces the history of luxury from the over-indulgent banquets of Roman antiquity to the modern swimming pools of Southern California. The book surveys the importance of sensory triggers like scent, taste and texture to our experience of luxury, while looking at questions of gender, branding and marketing through the lens of fashion and consumption.

With case studies which range from perfume making to digital technologies, the book delves into the influence of luxury brands, and the new possibilities opened by technology and virtual reality. Highlighting the emotional and sensuous aspects of creating and consuming luxury goods and services, this is essential reading for scholars of fashion, luxury studies, and brand management.