Author Essays
Luxury culture, brand evolution, and the psychology of consumption.
About the Author
Karina Vunnam
Karina brings a unique perspective to luxury analysis, combining lived experience with academic rigor and cultural insight.
Born in Mumbai and raised across continents, Karina’s journey from the streets to Stanford University informs her nuanced understanding of status, aspiration, and cultural capital. Her economics background provides the analytical framework for examining how luxury functions across different societies and economic strata.
Conspicuous represents years of observing luxury’s evolution from both insider and outsider vantage points—blending personal narrative with rigorous cultural and economic analysis.