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Ashween Kaur Anand

Miriam: Why dont we begin with telling me a bit about yourself post school, a bit about

your parents also.

Ashween: I did my graduation with B. Com Honours from Lady Shree Ram College. I am

currently doing my M.Com from Delhi School of Economics. Thats about my education

M: Have you been from Delhi all your life

A: Yeah I am born and brought up in Delhi and, as you know, I am married also into a family

in Delhi.

M: What does your husband do?

A: Hes into trading. Hes got a business of his own.

M: Trading, as in, in what?

A: Trading in automobile parts

M: Okay. Cool. So, what according to you is luxury?

A: Luxury.. Ahh luxury I think is different, you know, depending upon oerson to person.

Like for a person fom a poor background, everything is a luxury, and for someone with loads

of money, buying a Rolex watch maybe luxury. Depends from person to person. For a poor

man, sitting in an air conditioned room may also be a luxury. Depends from person to

person.M: But according to you what is your understanding of how luxury is?

A: Luxury, I think is a good thing in life, its good to enjoy some luxury, but dont make it

your aim in life, dont make it the sole thing.

M: Okay so you know luxury brands, that exist in the market today, so do you have any

comments or opinions about these brands, as they stand, I mean interms of the fact that

they are luxury?

A: As in?

M: The fact that they are luxury, and their whole purpose is to provide luxury.

A: I dont get the question.

M: Okay, Ill narrow it down a bit, do you use any luxury products?

A: Uhhh Yeah, I use some

M: Could you give me an example please?

A: Uhh yeah, for example, I have a handbag, from a luxurybrand, Burberry. Yeah. That for

me is luxury. Not many, though, just one or two.

M: So do hyou think thats part of what makes it luxury? The fact thatyou have only one or

two.

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A: For me, I think we all are living in a society, and then we have to, you are surrounded by

epeople who are holding luxry bags and wearing watches, they are lik.. you are surrounded

by them, then it becomes a need to me. When you go, and obviously, if you have the

money, so then I think why not?

M: So you think luxury brands are largely driven by society, societal needs?

A: Yeah: that is the main driving element for these luxury brands.

M: Okay.

A: And moreover, I have personally heard people saying, when I went to shop and came to

Emporio mall, DLF Emporio, someone was not liking the bag because it didnt have the

branding on it. So basically they want the brand to show, so when it doesnt have the logo,

and I cant make out what brand it is, why to spend so much money on it. Its in the mindset

of people, probably, but if I see abroad, people dont really care about branding much.

Abroad people are relatively less worried about branding, they arent bothered if it s Gucci

bag or a chanel bag. People dont tend to like the brand. In India, because its a relatively

new concept, people think branding is the most important.

M: So its the name thats more important than anything else.

A: Yeah. They want the name to be there, like bada bada. It should boldly be there that, you

know, its this brand.

M: Very expensive and branded. So when did you first start purchasing luxury products?

A: I think when I got married. When youre not married, you dont look into those things. I

think marriage makes you do all of those things. You know, when youre unmarried, and

youre with your parents, its okay, youre like kids and no one bothers looking at you, but

now when I am married, it matters.

M: Ok. It matters how you dress and what you are carrying, all of that makes a difference.

A: Yeah, now I am going out for dinners and going out for parties with my husband. So its

only because of that, it mattershow we dress, what we are holding, wearing.

M: When you were younger, you never felt this sort of thing at all?

A: No, no never. I never had the mind to spend this much money on such an expensive

thing.

M: Did you ever, your mother would have gone through a similar thing, did you ever find

that as a point of comparison, like after you go married, did you ever feel, like h!this is

maybe why she did something? Did that ever occur to you?

A: I didnt get the question.

M: When you were younger, you said you never really felt the urge to

A: When I was younger, brands werent there then. Brands started coming into India only 5-

6 years back, and 5-6 years has caught up to another level. Because in the beginning only

some people were carrying, then other people started carrying, then slowly slowly, I think

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M: Like when it is this expensive you want family to

A: Yeah

M: What about you said that you picked Burberry. Isnt the fact that it is such an exclusive

brand play any part when you picked it?

A: Not really. I just liked the bag and it was in my budget.

M: Has there ever been a time when you have expected something from a bag and it has

disappointed you?

A: Yeah. It has happened in the past. I purchased a Burberry bag. When you buy such an

expensive bag you are assured of quality. So the handle, the leather around it started to

come out. So I went to the showroom saying this has happened. So they checked their data

online and they noted my number and all that. Then they told me that they would have to

charge me for it. When I argued that why are you going to charge me for this, they were like

they would have to send it to the factory and it is a long procedure. I sent it but I did not liketheir after-sales service at all.

M: So when you are planning to buy a bag will you think twice before buying a Burberry?

A: It will not be only because of this but also because I would like to have a wardrobe with

multiple brands.