Lindsay and Low Class Luxury?

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed)
Jan 19th 2007 at 6:00PM

Lindsay Lohan entered rehab this week and sources reported that the 20 year old actress was "carrying a dark Balenciaga bag and a Jamba Juice drink." The question here is does this affect that brand name? Since Lohan isn't connected to the fashion house except as a consumer (and occasional model), what she does or does not do shouldn't have an impact on the brand, nor should what any other celebrity does. But it is well known that getting celebs to carry or wear your products can result in a sales boost. When negative press is associated with a brand name, or matter how tangentially, does that cause their sales to drop off?

In other words, if you know that a handbag, or other luxury item, is also very popular with a less-than-respectable group, does it cause you to rethink your choices when shopping?

Tags: balenciaga, celebrities, celebrity shopping, low class

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tracey Jan 19th 2007 6:43PM

I would think anything associated with Lohan would be a bad idea, she is a train wreck and there are just so many better options for people to idolize.

K Jan 19th 2007 7:46PM

I don't think the brand should be blamed because a little trollop with money happens to carry it. I wouldn't buy, or not buy, a brand simply because Lindsay or Britney carried it, or didn't carry it.

On the other hand, there *are* brands which exist for no other reason than to prove one has money. Those brands are to be avoided.

And finally, there are certain *brand items* they wear which I won't get because it's just silly to wear them or have them in an environment which doesn't support them. UGG boots in warm downtown Los Angeles being a very good example of this type of nonsense.

Joshua Ballard Jan 19th 2007 8:36PM

Burberry had this problem in the UK whith their previous (now discontinued baseball cap) being adopted by the group known as "chavs"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

It seems that the company is now distancing itself from that image (especially after discontinuing the baseball cap in particular). So I don't think it will be problem
with Balenciaga, unless you find the social image the brand is attempting to maintain being abused by the social class of customers. Being in the news for turning up to rehab is a distinctive of the
media class, and if the media class are the focus/intended customer base of the brand...this can only help them.