McDonalds continues to surprise - and impress - us with its shameless and opportunistic ideas above its station…

Traditional luxury brand strategy depends on brands knowing their place, but increasingly the grammar of luxury brands is being used by brands far outside the luxury universe.

Nobody is working harder than McDonalds to investigate opportunities here…

Last year, they began a $1B to update the look of restaurants in Europe — (Via New York Times)

They recently took on a price war with Starbucks, whose hasty reaction with heavy discounting suggested that they had suffered a direct hit. Smelling blood, last week McDonalds launched their Unsnobby Coffee Intervention.

And now McDonalds appears to have upped the ante once again… British fashion designer, Bruce Oldfield, has just revamped the McDonalds uniforms, complete with Louis Vuitton-esque palate, and and an LV-ish logo…

It’s a particularly interesting ‘tribute’, since last year Dana Thomas described Louis Vuitton as the “McDonald’s of the luxury industry” in her book Deluxe.

Interestingly, at a time when logos are more visible than ever at Louis Vuitton, the designer for McDonald’s was asked not to use the iconic ‘golden arches’ for the new uniforms…

The pattern bears more than a passing resemblance to the Louis Vuitton logo, but Mr Oldfield insisted it was not deliberate. “I wanted to use the golden arches but I was told I couldn’t because of company policy, so I had to have a re-think. I think it looks chic and modern, and the girls look really good. — (Via The Telegraph, UK)

What’s next for McDonald’s? The Swarovski-inspired straw? The Goyard-esque burger box?

Perhaps the design collective JustAnotherRichKid were being prescient rather than ironic in 2005 with their golden McDonalds spoon

After the news of the leap in profits for LVMH Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, the luxury conglomerate appears to be ready to open its wallet. Most likely bets are that it will buy a tequila or whisky brand for Moet Hennessy, or a new acquisition for the LV side of the corporation.

In particular, Bulgari - whose sales have fallen dramatically - seems to be a potential target, though Bulgari remains indignant at the prospect…

The Rome-based jeweler isn’t for sale, Bulgari Chief Executive Officer Francesco Trapani said in a subsequent e-mail today. — (Via Bloomberg)

Luxury products are - by definition - not necessary. They begin where necessity ends. And many luxury brands have increasingly struggled to justify their more conspicuous excesses to a more challenging consumer marketplace of opinion.

However, something very interesting - and vital to the future of luxury - is beginning to emerge. Luxury brands are beginning to realize that there is a way to turn responsibility into a key part of luxury brand DNA.

After all, luxury is about turning the rare into the aspirational. In a culture where responsibility remains rare, luxury brands can play a key role in defining their positioning in a more responsible way

The ever-quotable Tom Ford has often been a surprisingly good futurist of the luxury industry, and his latest interview on the subject is no exception;

“Consumers, at least in the West, are now demanding ethical luxury. People want to demonstrate their environmental or social consciences – they are no longer fashion victims who covet items because they see a celebrity owning them. They still want and desire fine things. Luxury is not going out of style; it needs to change its style. The industry can no longer be propelled purely by logo-driven marketing. Luxury used to mean hard-to-find. Then it became hard-to-miss. We need to replace hollow with deep.” — (Via CNBC)

Sex And The City had a highly influential role in the relationship between pop culture and luxury brands. It helped boost sales of brands such as Dior and Balenciaga, and turned Manolo Blahnik into a household name.

The upcoming release of the new Sex And The City movie will again feature a rash of luxury brands, but reflecting a growing cultural shift, some of them will be for rent, not for sale.

The movie has signed a deal with luxury lease company, Bag Borrow or Steal.

The Seattle startup not only is mentioned in a scene in the movie, but the company plans to unveil a special “Sex and the City” online shop where customers can find accessories inspired by the popular cast of characters such as Samantha, Miranda, Carrie and Charlotte. Bag Borrow or Steal also is hosting a “Sex and the City Style Profile” contest on YouTube and a “Sex and the City Purse-onality” sweepstakes in which grand price winners can win a trip for two to New York for the premiere of the movie in late May. — (Via Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Portfolio sees this as part of a recession trend.

Luxury retailers may be on the ropes, their once-avid shoppers heading for the exits. But the economic malaise gripping the country could have a silver lining for a small but growing section of the luxury market, one that rents to women what they can’t afford to buy—or, possibly, keep. — (Via Portfolio)

Meanwhile, next month in London, the Fractional Life Expo will bring together all the elements of this growing shift in attitudes to non-permanent ownership…

From a strategic point of view, luxury brands need to understand the opportunities that are possible in an increasingly rental atmosphere.