Is “New Luxury” Just More Marketing? | Fleuron Leather Bags Review

Before I dive into my existential crisis over the meaning of luxury, let’s give credit where it’s due.

Fleuron, despite being only four years old, has managed to create a seriously impressive product.

• The packaging? Superb. Easily better than some mainstream designer brands.

• The design? Minimal, structured, and deceptively simple—which, ironically, takes a lot of skill to achieve.

• The leather? Spot on. Not gimmicky, not over-processed, just solid material choices and expert craftsmanship.

• And the price? Actually fair for what you’re getting. Not some artificially inflated number justified by a flashy logo, but a price tag that reflects the real value of the product.

I love seeing brands like this enter the space—cutting through the legacy luxury marketing games and delivering pure quality instead.

But then we come back to that phrase: New Luxury. And that’s where things get complicated.

Let’s rewind a little. What did luxury originally mean?

True luxury was about rarity. The kind of rarity that wasn’t manufactured—it just was.

• Maybe it was a material so scarce that only a handful of artisans had access to it.

• Maybe it was a product that took hundreds of hours to make, meaning only a few could exist.

• Maybe it was something that required a level of craftsmanship so rare that only a select group of people in the world could create it.
  

In short: Luxury was exclusive because it had to be.

And because humans love exclusivity, the wealthy naturally gravitated toward these rare objects. They weren’t just paying for the item itself—they were paying for the status of owning something that most people simply couldn’t get.

But then… business folks got smart. Instead of relying on actual rarity, they started manufacturing exclusivity. Enter: The Era of Engineered “Luxury.”

Now, instead of products being rare because they’re difficult to make, they’re rare because brands decide to make them rare.

• Want that bag? Oh no, there’s a waitlist.

• Want to shop at that boutique? Sorry, you’ll have to stand in line outside first.

• Want to feel “exclusive?” Great! Just buy this mass-produced designer bag for $5,000 and wear it somewhere visible.

They removed natural rarity and replaced it with a carefully crafted illusion of exclusivity. And here’s the crazy part: It worked.

Because the logos and price tags became status symbols, people stopped questioning the quality behind them. Imagine if someone printed a million copies of the Mona Lisa, sold them for $5,000 each, and then spent millions convincing people that buying one was a status symbol. That’s what happened to luxury.

And this brings us back to Fleuron.

Clearly, they’re not playing the same artificial exclusivity game. Their bags are beautifully made, fairly priced, and well-crafted—but they’re also not pretending to be something that only five people in the world can own. So why call it “New Luxury”?

I think it’s because the word luxury has become the easiest way to communicate quality to consumers. Let’s be real—if a brand launched and said, “Hey! We make solid, fairly-priced bags,” …it wouldn’t turn heads.

But if they say, “We’re redefining luxury,” people pay attention. And I get it! I really do. I even use the term myself sometimes, because in a world where luxury has been redefined into meaning “expensive and desirable,” sometimes you have to play the game to be understood.

But if I’m being honest? I think I need a break from the ‘L’ word.

I’ve decided: I’m putting myself on a luxury detox.

From now on, I’m only using the word “luxury” when it actually means what it originally stood for. Otherwise? I’m calling it what it is:

• Great craftsmanship.

• High-quality materials.

• A fair price for real value.
  

No manufactured exclusivity. No marketing gimmicks. Just good products.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I still think Fleuron is doing great work, and I’ll be keeping an eye on their journey. But as for me? I’m cutting the ‘L’ word from my vocabulary as much as possible.

What do you think? Does “New Luxury” actually mean something, or is it just another buzzword brands use to sell us the same old thing?

Let’s chat in the comments! Until next time, stay leathertained. 👜🔥