Are You or a Loved One Suffering from Luxury Fatigue? Remedies Await
Without wanting to get into the specific numbers, recent earnings reports have gone to show that many of the industry's most revered players have struggled to meet – let alone surpass – their revenue goals. With interest in go-to labels seemingly dwindling, could we have entered a mode of luxury fatigue?
In fashion – as a Project Runway-era Heidi Klum would've put it – "one day you're in, and the next day you're out". 'Tis simply the nature of the medium, and not even the veteran powerhouses of the game are immune to it. But what happened, and why now?
For one, trends come and trends go, and some companies simply fell better in line with what consumers were hyping themselves up over than others. A slow exhaustion of the Quiet Luxury trope, for instance, might've mislead some designers – or their superiors – into thinking it was time to dial up the volume on logos and the like again.
And sure, when some wonder whether we've reached the basics peak, one might conclude busier looks to be back en vogue. But if stats are to be believed, then no, not exactly.
Asking if luxury fashion's in its flop era proves that a long history, hefty price tag, and big marketing budgets mustn't a hit make: As more considerate and second-hand consumption habits gain traction opposite booming mall brands, stealth wealth's continuous reign, and pushes for an increased customizability of goods, customers shift focus and appear to be resetting priorities.
In the meantime, the big dogs continue their game of musical chairs with creative directors, and are boring their audience with the same old tricks, driving them thereby into the arms of creatives on the margins of mainstream luxury:
Designers to Cure One's Luxury Fatigue
AURALEE
A Japanese brand dedicated to material integrity and trend-agnostic designs that are intriguing, though not at the expense of losing sight of their purpose, which is to be wearable. (PS: Their New Balance collabs? Chef's kiss)
Kartik Research
Running under the "Future Indian Vintage" tagline, New Delhi-based artisan Kartik Kumra's creations doevtail modern menswear with ancient cultural handicrafts.
LEMAIRE
Christophe Lemaire has held positions at Hermès and Lacoste, and designs for Uniqlo's U line. His namesake label seems a natural extension of such career milestones, a go-to for luxurious, understated elegance. Influential, too, perhaps, to younger brands, like MFPen.
Our Legacy
Hailing from Stockholm, Our Legacy views beloved, thrifty aesthetics through a contemporary lens, utilizing only ethically sourced fabrics in the process.
The Row
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen named their minimalist brand after Saville Row in London, which is where some of the finest tailoring in the world happens. Their top-tier products do this inspiration justice.
sacai
Chitose Abe's sacai is a demonstration of constant contradiction. The Japanese designer's signature is to juxtapose opposing textiles, textures, silhouettes, to form something truly new.
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