Quiet Luxury: Subtlety in an Age of Noise

Quiet luxury has been on everyone’s lips in the industry for quite some time with subtle sophistication currently winning over loud logos.  History says this comes in swings and roundabouts, so why is quiet luxury here now and is it here to stay?

Source: Celine.

Why is quiet luxury here?

1. Economic slowdown: Every economic downturn or moment of uncertainty affects most but not all. Those who are unaffected tend to opt for more subtle pieces when purchasing luxury goods to not appear insensitive to the economic context.

2. IYKYK culture: Luxury brands have reached a level of awareness worldwide amongst people of all different socioeconomic backgrounds. When you have an item that is not overtly branded luxury of which only the brand fans or buyers would be able to identify it, you enter an “if you know, you know” club.  This is the essence of why luxury is appealing: exclusivity.

3. Marketing fatigue: The veil has been lifted on a lot of luxury brands charging for the brand name but not providing the quality and craftsmanship to back it up.  Consumers are responding by choosing brands that can showcase their craft through the quality and design of the product itself without needing the logo on top.

Source: The Row.

Is it here to stay?

Quiet and loud luxury go in and out, just like how low-rise jeans came back (which us millennials were not too happy about).  Long-term, there is room for both.  Quiet luxury has turned into this general term and trend that a lot of brands are trying to be a part of, but let’s all remember what true quiet luxury is: It’s craftsmanship, it’s quality and it’s understated.  And that’s it. As a generalisation, “Old money” has always leaned towards quiet luxury with “New money” typically choosing more obvious displays of wealth, but of course this is not the rule.  A tendency to lean towards quiet or loud could also be influenced by culture and personality. Both will continue to co-exist as long as there is continued expansion in markets with new clientele emerging.

Quiet luxury is likely here for the foreseeable future especially until the economic environment begins to thrive.  This is when you will start seeing loud luxury come back.  In the meantime, we are keeping our monogrammed items in the closet until it’s time to come out.