I failed, but only by eleven words, and, like Mark Twain (and Winston Churchill who stole his line) didn’t have time to make it shorter without losing something I felt was important.
So why is it so important to ‘define luxury', you may ask? Well, working with luxury brands from drinks and fashion to real estate, restaurants and hotels I get the sense that a clear definition of luxury is often the elephant in the room. We all know Patek Philippe, Prada and Porsche are all luxury brands, but what connects them to a sunrise walk along the pink sand beach at The Potlatch Club (image) or an intimate dinner at The Waterside Inn? Is it simply price or exclusivity? Or is there something more that links these experiences? And in a polluted, noisy world, how do the simple luxuries of purity and silence fit into a definition?
That got me thinking. It’s second nature for those of us who design luxury brands that it’s as much about what we leave out as what we put in, allowing sufficient space for compositions to breathe, avoiding time compromising craftsmanship, balancing letter spacing, paying attention to every detail, but the same goes for a mass market brand that has to be shoutier if the budget allows. So, after some reflection on all of this, I focused turning my feelings into thoughts, the thoughts into words and then filtered them down to make every one count.
NUCLEUS' DEFINITION OF LUXURY IN 111 WORDS
Luxury is embodied in the elegance of restraint, the disciplined orchestration of rarity, meaning and time. It is born where utility ends and emotional resonance begins and can transform objects into experiences and experiences into memories. It is craftsmanship insulated from haste, attention preserved from distraction and beauty elevated through self-control. A luxurious life may contain little ownership, if it enjoys abundant freedom, privacy and choice. Markets often confuse luxury with price or exclusivity, but enduring luxury is intimacy blended with excellence: the perfectly tailored coat, the handwritten letter, the unhurried meal, the room designed to breathe. True luxury, ultimately, enhances human dignity, while also enriching the world beyond the consumer.
Does this rhyme with your vision of luxury? Let me know what you think…
Peter Matthews
Nucleus founder & CEO