Not long ago, about the same time Dolce & Gabbana made a hoo-ha by saying it was lowering prices by 10 to 20 per cent for next spring/summer, I got a distraught phone call from a young designer I know, a crafter of luxurious accessories and ready-to-wear. She said she had been contacted by a very powerful editor, who urged her in no uncertain terms to follow Dolce & Gabbana's lead by reducing her prices. The implication was that if she didn't, there would be trouble, both from the editor, who was looking to promote fashion's sensitivity in times of crisis, and consumers, who wouldn't spend.
不久前，大約就在杜嘉班納(Dolce & Gabbana)令人驚訝的宣佈將把明年春/夏款的服裝降價10%到20%的同一時間，一個相識的年輕設計師困惑不已地給我打來電話。從事奢侈品牌配飾及成衣設計的她說，一個極具影響力的編輯聯繫上她，敦促她馬上跟進杜嘉班納的行動，調低她的作品價格。言下之意是，如果她不跟進，她就會有麻煩，麻煩既會來自這位編輯，也會來自不願花錢的消費者。這名編輯正試圖在經濟危機時期推動時裝的價格敏感度。