How does cultural capital contribute to the economic success of luxury brands?

This paper investigates the pivotal role of cultural capital in driving the economic success, brand identity, and enduring prestige of global luxury brands. While traditional economic frameworks attribute luxury value strictly to price tags, market exclusivity, and material production costs, this study explores luxury as a dual entity: an economic reality and a potent form of cultural capital. Drawing on socio-economic theories, including Karl Marx’s conceptualization of capital and commodity relationships, the paper analyzes how physical labor and craftsmanship are subjectified to construct symbolic social distinction. It examines the geographical and cultural variances in luxury consumption, contrasting individualistic Western paradigms with collectivist, tradition-steeped practices such as India's "Shagun" and festival-driven acquisitions. Furthermore, the study addresses the "luxuryization" of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) through case analyses of heritage fashion houses like Hermès and Gucci specifically evaluating Alessandro Michele’s eclectic, transhistorical reinvention of Gucci. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that modern luxury brands must transcend mere material messaging to cultivate deep cultural, moral, and historical resonance, transforming intangible heritage into sustained commercial value.