10 June

Another aspect of the word we've been living in for the last couple of decades - the world of sentimentality, of extreme emotions, and of debt-fueled social comparison - is brands. Brands are the way people differentiate themselves in this world. In a pattern that repeats all through history, the rich are differentiating themselves by avoiding big brand names that they originally supported, while everybody else is using them as markers of social status (the poorer person's status substitute - whom the rich see as vulgar). Fascinating and also disturbing, I love and am scared by this quote from a brand obsessive, at the same time. "I suffer from a recurring compulsion towards the labels on consumer goods. If you and I met in the street, I would automatically scan the logos on you and, based on their status, judge the type of person that you were. I once fell in love at first sight on a crowded bus travelling into work. She had huge dark eyes, the most delicate lips and rich, thick hair - pretty much the girl of my dreams. I couldn't help but stare at her during the half-hour journey, wondering if I should get up and ask her for a date. I had plucked up just enough courage to ask her when the bus pulled over and the deck cleared, leaving the woman in full view. She was wearing Pumas - to me, the all-time most rubbish sneaker money can buy. In my view, it's a brand that says you'd like to be cool, you'd like to be adventurous, but you've neither the confidence nor the flair to see it through. The woman's spell-binding beauty evaporated. I couldn't even look at her any more."