go to page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Beyond Badges (continued) This new kind of luxury is more akin to Hyundai’s V8-powered luxury car, the Genesis. The car's size and power put it in competition with cars from BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz. Unlike Toyota, Honda and Nissan, Hyundai says it will not create a separate brand for the Genesis car. Instead, the Genesis is for those who eschew paying money for a badge. Hyundai is leveraging its experience with the Azera, explains a CNN report. More than 85 percent of Azera buyers opt for the top-of-the line limited trim level, Thirty to 40 percent get the fully loaded ultimate package which brings a price tag of over $30,000. Even diamonds have lately lost their luster in some quarters, reports the Wall Street Journal.. Public awareness is growing about conflict diamonds -- stones used to finance wars and violence in Africa, highlighted in the recent Oscar-nominated movie "Blood Diamond" -- and other environmental and ethical issues involved in diamond mining. But for some women, the diamond engagement ring is simply the victim of its own success. "It was just too not-creative, not-individual," says Jenny Leigh Thompson, 35, design director at Marie Claire magazine in New York, whose fiancé designed an antique-style ring with a sapphire and two smaller diamonds for her when they got engaged two years ago. "Everybody has a diamond." Her colleague, deputy editor Julia Savacool, 31, echoes the desire to take oneself out of the diamond race. "People look at your diamond engagement ring and are making assumptions about you…"		What’s Hot Elegance paired with irreverence is hot. With life at its highest extremes, a devil-may-care attitude is required. Think Schiaparelli’s shoe hat. This era of luxury is bringing back the artistes. What’s Not Resting on laurels is not an option. For a luxury brand, looking outside of the luxury circle is key to seeing what consumers want. Even if it means looking down market to loyalty programs, and seeing how that can translate up.