From Prada to Attractiveness

Prada

Luxury goods like Prada are not just products—they are status symbols. In Korea, such items are often referred to as myeongpum (名品), highlighting their reputation and exclusivity. In Japan, they’re called branded goods (ブランド品), while in China, they’re more directly described as luxury items (奢侈品). These labels reflect the same underlying truth: luxury goods maintain their value more steadily than mass-produced ones and depreciate less over time.

Most products lose value as they become more widely available. Luxury brands, however, walk a delicate line between exclusivity and mass appeal. One notable example is Miuccia Prada, who inherited the Prada label with a sharp business sense and, through her marriage to Patrizio Bertelli—a man once known for producing knockoffs—managed to scale the brand globally without losing its essence. Prada’s story is a case study in balancing prestige with accessibility.

Historically, even travel was once considered a luxury reserved for the privileged few. In the same way, access to information—before the rise of the internet—was limited and often out of reach. As higher education became more common, followed by the global spread of the internet and now the rapid development of artificial intelligence, barriers to knowledge have steadily disappeared. In turn, the value of individual pieces of knowledge has begun to diminish, approaching zero in an age of overwhelming accessibility.

Knowledge

This trend is already visible. While company earnings still matter, reading a balance sheet alone—whether in the past, now, or in the future—has never been enough to fully understand a company’s value. And today, most people aren’t even paying attention to the numbers.

In the post-COVID era, when liquidity flooded the market, we witnessed the rise of meme stocks. These stocks didn’t rise based on financial performance but on the stories people believed in and the attention they attracted. GameStop, for example, became a sensation not because of revenue, but because of where the public’s focus landed.

This shift isn't limited to the investment world. It affects people, too. We’re moving from a time when the quantity of knowledge and information one possessed defined their worth, to a time where value is defined by originality—something others can’t easily replicate—and how compellingly someone can attract attention.

Attractiveness

People display their luxury purchases, travels, and possessions as a way to express status. But as these displays become more common, the value of each individual showcase begins to fade. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have accelerated this saturation, making it harder for any one post or possession to stand out.

In a world where material abundance is increasingly visible, those who seek distinction begin looking elsewhere. They search for qualities that others cannot easily replicate—uniqueness, creativity, and positioning. This shift marks a move away from simply having more, toward being more.

Being attractive to others starts with understanding your personal brand. It means knowing where you stand now—what you already possess in terms of character, voice, and presence—and identifying what makes you distinct. From there, attractiveness becomes less about accumulation and more about authenticity and direction.