What is luxury life?

Versace's renovated mansion, more than a dozen Hermè s handbags, and diamonds inlaid in teeth ... Lauren Greenfield, a photographer from the United States, spent 25 years tracking people's worship of money, reputation and consumption around the world. These photos were published into a book called "A Generation of Wealth" and a documentary of the same name.

She has seen the grandiose life of the richest man in the world and uncovered the dark side behind it. "Many people think that I am shooting a few rich people who account for 1% of the population. In fact, they are about people from all walks of life's desire for wealth. "

What is the luxury life of the super-rich who account for 1% of the population?

Minnesota, Milan, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Dubai, Moscow ... Greenfield photographed the lives of the richest people in the world and found that the necessary condition for the rich to buy a house is to equip them with commercial-grade professional kitchen stainless steel utensils and equipment. But most of them are just for decoration rather than practicality.

Susan Rogers' home

Suzanne Rogers, a famous Canadian, created a home exactly like the movie "Chitty Chitty BangBang" because of her fascination with it as a child. She thinks such furniture is "the epitome of elegance".

Llona, a young female model, was born in an ordinary family and later married an oil tycoon from Russia. Leona is with her 4-year-old daughter in a mansion in Moscow. She wore a designer's custom-made sweater, which read: I am a luxury.

Greenfield once met a Moscow real estate developer who owns the best library and art collection in Russia. But he doesn't understand these arts and cultures, and only covers up his money through these things.

Greenfield bluntly said: "As a rich man, you can buy culture and art, but education, art, self-cultivation and connotation ... these are all things that money can't buy."

Hugh hefner, the founder of Playboy, just died last year. He has thousands of girlfriends, most of whom are his bunnies.

He once bought a 29-room house in 1927 for his bunnies to play with. It has a projection room with built-in organ, a game room and a zoo and aviary.

Playboy building

The "Western Characteristics" of the Rich

"China has etiquette courses. People spend $65,438+$6,000 on two-week training to learn the pronunciation of luxury brands, how to eat caviar and eat like westerners. "

Sara Jane Ho, a Harvard graduate, opened a etiquette school in Beijing, teaching two courses: the course of wine accompaniment for married women (12 days) and the course of Shu Yuan for unmarried women (80,000 yuan).

In her view: "There are thousands of LV bags on the market, but if you have a horse that matches Hermes saddle, it will make you look different."

"The rich may have nothing in common with us, but they are very similar to each other."

Just like women's love for Hermes platinum bags-"I'm surprised that Los Angeles girls, China women, Russian celebrities and new york therapists all know about platinum bags." Greenfield said. In her photos, women shop endlessly for beauty, and men gamble desperately. In Hollywood's values, consumption and profligacy are the embodiment of status.

Jackie and her friends are at Versace's private opening party.

In 2007, Greenfield met JackieSiegel in Beverly Hills, Hollywood. She is the wife of billionaire david siegel and spends millions of dollars on shopping every year.

She bluntly said that when she was in college, she realized that taking part in a beauty contest could help her get closer to the "American dream" than studying engineering in college. This photo of her and two friends holding a Versace bag was selected by Time magazine as one of the annual photos representing the "new gilded age".

Greenfield followed many rich people to their private gathering places, such as St. Bart's Island in the Caribbean, Monaco or ski resorts in the Swiss Alps. Credit cards are often not accepted in these places, and customers have to carry a lot of cash.

Generally, rich people will go to these places by private jet or yacht, and these people spend money like water.

American director Brett Ratner is on vacation with friends.

The picture shows American director Brett Ratner and Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam Records, traveling on St Bartz Island in the French West Indies. They put a platinum card on their foreheads.

Parker is playing dice in Las Vegas.

Within one minute of taking pictures, Parker lost $65,438+$00,000.

Holding parties is also a favorite pastime for celebrities and the rich.

20 14 "ballet dance" theme activity is being held in the cylindrical hall of Moscow trade union. Everyone is dancing in fine clothes and well-designed clothes.

Monaco Grand Prix was held in Monte Carlo. In 20 13, johnnie walker, a whisky manufacturer, hosted a banquet on the yacht of this brand, which was 157 feet long. A waitress is cleaning up the stains on the ground.

"Money has ruined many children I know, including me."

The rich's greed for wealth and comparison psychology also take care of their children. Adam, a boy of 13 years old, once said to her, "money has ruined many children I know and ruined me." I wear a Rolex watch to school and two thousand dollars shoes. I know a man who owns a football field and an indoor basketball court, but his father will go to jail soon.

Several high school students in Culver City, California, took a limousine to attend the graduation dance.

Many of the children she came into contact with were children of Hollywood stars or film producers, and their parents were very rich and busy. These students are rich, drive famous cars to school and compare with each other. These children all want to grow up quickly and don't want to be treated as children by others.

Migano, 18, was named the best figure in Beverly Hills High School, and skipped class with friends to attend the annual senior beach day.

On 1997, this photo attracted attention as the cover photo of a photo exhibition entitled Fast Forward in Greenfield. However, 2 1 year later, this work appeared in her "Fortune Generation" retrospective exhibition. Because even after so many years, the pursuit of wealth and luxury is still a cycle. The children of the rich grow up under the values of their parents and will become replicas of another parent. Comparing with others and showing off their wealth have become the center of their lives.

Under the lens of Greenfield, there are not a few children dressed in exquisite clothes like adults.

Perhaps many people will envy those rich children who grew up with golden spoons, but in Greenfield's photos, they are not so comfortable.

A boy of 13 years old told Greenfield that the money made him lose friends, and his parents had been raising him independently, taking part in private tutoring and attending a summer camp for one person. These students are rich, drive famous cars to school and compare with each other. These children all want to grow up quickly and don't want to be treated as children by others.

In addition to advocating luxury goods, the pursuit of ultimate beauty also makes plastic surgery popular among rich children.

Lindsay, a Malibu girl photographed by Greenfield at a pool party, has just finished nose plastic surgery for three days. She said, "I have 10 close friends, six of whom have had plastic surgery."

18-year-old Lindsay just finished nose plastic surgery for three days.

People who have no money have to pretend to have money first.

In addition to the comparison between the rich, many people who don't have enough money borrow money to imitate the lifestyle of the rich. "Fake before manufacturing" has become the most popular slogan.

Just like Christina, who is 2 1 year old in the picture, she is a pharmacist. However, her wedding cost a lot of money. Hired six white horses and a special driver to create a fairy tale wedding like Cinderella.

In Greenfield's view, although both men and women are easily enslaved by endless material desires, women's social situation makes it easier for them to judge their value by whether they are popular or not and whether they conform to mainstream aesthetics.

Even many girls take pictures of dancers for thousands of dollars.

So they not only yearn for commodities, but also turn themselves into commodities. Her series of photos "Make ItRain" shows materialized women, such as dancers in nightclubs, whose bodies are drenched with dollars.