Yes. Until wages are globally normalised that's good news for Myanmar, bad news for Italy. Italy better make something that is more than a product of sheer labo

Yes. Until wages are globally normalised that's good news for Myanmar, bad news for Italy. Italy better make something that is more than a product of sheer labour and raw materials - and that's the definition of design. I think perhaps what you're getting at is that it requires education and buy-in from the consumer and perhaps that we don't live in a world of urban sophisticates who care that much about the stitching of their trousers. I'd offer some counterexamples there - 1. iPhone. Not the cheapest smartphone by any means but has design writ large and running through the user experience - and hugely popular in emerging economies where you may expect everybody to be on cheaper android phones. 2. Adidas, Nike - kids will pay premium all over the world and don't want fakes. 3. Japanese denim enthusiasts. Got to have the old looms for making high quality denim and people are ready to pay huge amounts for that. That has even extended to reviving old ring spun looms to make sweatshirts so they have the right weight and feel. 4. Coca-Cola, Red Bull. 5. Premium alcohol brands. 6. Super expensive premium Spanish ham - huge in Asia now.