Consumer Products: Introduction

In a world where everything is mass-produced and readily available, luxury brands are the gatekeepers of sophistication, the arbiters of style, and the purveyors of impeccable craftsmanship. From watches to handbags, these items with expensive price points and high demand make them difficult products to obtain. These goods are typically reserved for the select few, but the luxury consumer of the new generation, who has come of age in the era of the internet, displays new concerns for the industry.

It has been over a year since Vladimir Putin authorized Russia's “special military operations” in Ukraine, eventually leading to what we now know as the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. The human cost of the conflict is undeniable. It is difficult to estimate the number of casualties related to this invasion; however, the most extreme estimates by U.S. general Mark Milley suggest that over 100,000 Ukrainian and over 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured. Milley’s estimates indicate that nearly 40,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the conflict, while UN estimates put that number at closer to 7,000. As a result of this horrific conflict, there has been an overwhelming international response by both governmental and corporate institutions.