You might have noticed there's a recession on. And trying to find ways around customers' penny pinching, luxury labels are trying a method that, frankly, we didn't see coming. Yes, they're asking people what they want. How fresh!

Dolce & Gabbana tried this before their spring shows by posting YouTube videos that asked questions like "Do you prefer black or white?" or "High or low heels?" Simply wait for the comments, and you have a consumer wish list. (Except we have to wonder how many people who can afford Dolce & Gabbana clothes trawl YouTube aimlessly to find video surveys.) Prada, on the other hand, lets shoppers customise quilted jackets, jeans and accessories in its Italian made-to-measure shops.

Then there's Chanel, a brand that calls upon a previously secret club called "friends of Chanel" to help shape design. Who's in the club? Well, not 50 Cent. The list includes the likes of Leigh Lezark, Caroline Sieber and Poppy Delevigne. When she stopped by the last round of Paris shows, Lezark told WWD: "I test out product before it hits stores, and give my opinion and what I love about it." So basically, being a friend of Chanel is like gaining entrance to the best club ever. But somehow, we don't picture anyone doing secret handshakes with Karl Lagerfeld.