In a world where niches are going mainstream with so many eyes on everything and instantly slapped onto our FYPs, staying exclusive has never been harder. Nothing’s a secret anymore, gatekeeping something’s become almost impossible but, somehow, Enfants Riches Déprimés’ made it happen.
For some context, Enfants Riches Déprimés (which translates to ‘Depressed Rich Kids’) was founded by Henri Alexander Levy who comes from a pretty wealthy background, even going to the most expensive school in the world growing up. He fell onto the wrong path and was in and out of rehab during his uni days that got him cut off by his parents, leading him to start the brand in 2012.
The result is an elitist punk luxury brand that doesn’t want you to buy their clothes. ERD have done this through artificial scarcity, charging crazy prices like $800 for a t-shirt or $1,500 for a hoodie with such low quantities that items easily resale for over $10,000 which is exactly what he wants: to scare away the masses and stir sh*t up.
Combining all of that with his refined aesthetic that mixes his provocative and controversial tastes in art, literature and punk music with silhouettes that lean towards a Hedi Slimane-esque, heroin chic look limits his audience even more. That’s the whole point, though, Levy wants his audience to be people like him - after all, he’s really just making clothes for himself.
But, commercially speaking, making the brand super expensive and problematic worked. Niches and exclusivity don’t just build subcultures, it also builds allure and a desire to be refined enough in taste and aesthetic to be accepted into this elitist punk club. With Levy as the gatekeeper and curator, though, as long as you’re not a depressed, rich kid, he might not let you in.
Featured image via ENFANTS RICHES DEPRIMES©
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