Luxury is good

Life is tough. Celebrate the little pleasures that it sometimes brings to us. In an ugly, discordant world, a little luxury in life is good if you can afford it.

Our latest piece explores why beauty, elegance, timeless high quality, durability and a little self-indulgence can be good for you. It's the ninth in our series of ‘Brand Matters’ for Luxury Briefing: the renowned international magazine for the luxury industry.

You can read the full text below.

What’s so funny about beauty, style, elegance, timeless high quality, durability and a little materialist self-indulgence?

In an ugly, discordant, world a little luxe in life is good if you can afford it. Life is tough. Celebrate the little pleasures that it sometimes brings to us. Yes, it has its excesses, its critics, its disapproving moralists, finger-waggers and righteous do-gooders - and that is how some people think of it.

You know the headlines: rocks-off jewellery, super-size me homes, tank cars for the fleet, customised private jets with interiors in the wife’s favourite colour, a little island somewhere off the beaten (tax) track, a Monet tucked away for the investment never to be seen, the extremes to which personal power and whim can be indulged, the enlarged appetites for every pleasure mankind can devise. I know. We can go on.

But there is a strong case for good. We can sleep easy.

I recently came across David Hume's essay "Of Refinement in the Arts". He was a famous Scottish Enlightenment philosopher and historian in the 1700’s. Old school indeed. He thought about luxury.

In the essay he considers its role and impact on society. Like the Monkees, he’s a Believer. But only in moderation. Too much and it leads to "vicious luxury"(i.e. societal decay). Hume sees luxury as a driving force behind cultural progress and the development of the arts. So, he’s our man. He’d be an LB subscriber.

Executive summary in four quick SEO, dopamine friendly, SM points: (Incidentally, if Hume was alive today, he’d be an avid SM user. He’d probably be doing TED talks, the literary festivals, a guest DJ gig once in a while for Insta, a podcast teamed with his opposite number, say a cobbler, and a side hustle as a Guardian art critic.)

He says luxury plays a crucial role in cultivating refined taste in people. You get an appreciation for aesthetics. He says luxury contributes to the progress of society by promoting a more sophisticated, civilised way of life. As people become more refined in their tastes and manners, society experiences cultural and moral improvement. He says luxury stimulates industry and that the desire for it keeps people busy leading to economic prosperity. He says as people buy more aesthetically pleasing, products, artists and innovators want to create works to meet those demands.

I love his idealism: he thinks if you have skilful luxury artisans and craftsmen like weavers or ship carpenters (the star designers of his day) you also should get great philosophers and politicians. Excellence in one area should result in excellence in other areas - like politics. We wish.

I think we agree that any perfection we show in creating luxury brands in our own Age of Anxiety certainly doesn’t extend to government.

We don’t party like it’s 1799.

Admiration for the perfect good is of course a luxury brand mantra. Obsession with Excellence or Saving Civilisation – it may be a debate that never goes away, but I applaud the ones that do Good:

The Hermès Birkin Bag: hand-stitched leather that takes days to complete by a single artisan.

Patek Philippe's techniques pushing the boundaries of mechanical engineering. Not just telling time, owning a miniature work of art.

Lamborghini’s attention to detail and precision engineering, incorporating cutting-edge technology.

Chanel and Dior’s meticulous craftsmanship, hand-stitching, embroidering, and embellishing garments to perfection.

Akoya pearls: divers in Japan free dive for the finest specimens, braving strong currents and limited visibility.

Japanese Gyokuro: the most luxurious type of green tea whose plants are shaded before harvest.

Kobe Beef: Wagyu cattle are massaged daily to improve blood flow and marbling in the meat.

Peninsula Hotels: luxurious properties in some of the most remarkable destinations in the world, inimitable service, delivered by dedicated team members with a passion for their calling and an intimate knowledge of their cities.

Bombardier jets: engineering excellence, delivering unrivalled comfort, performance, technology and the smoothest ride. Venetian Murano glassware: hand-made blown using special methods, techniques, and tools from silica, soda, lime and potassium melted together in a special furnace. Invented in Venice over 1,000 years ago.

Truffle Hunting: Highly trained pigs or dogs sniff out these rare and valuable fungi. Saffron: The world's most expensive spice comes from the delicate crocus flower. Harvesting is done by hand, requiring immense patience. Sunseeker superyachts: luxurious interiors, onboard amenities and the exclusivity of floating palaces.

Finally, Lexus point out, with a psychologist’s help, in their inhouse magazine, what luxury does to us:

‘When you experience something luxurious, your brain responds by releasing ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters, like endorphins and dopamine, which give you that strong buzz of enjoyment as well as the increase in self-esteem associated with belonging to an exclusive group.

With your senses heightened, you may also become more aware of your surroundings, noticing small details such as the smoothness of a steering wheel, or perfume. This physiological reaction can be intense, but as the experience continues, this strong initial reaction evolves into something more soothing. Once we are settled into enjoying the experience, we will have physiological changes associated with relaxation and contentment’.

So, good all round then.

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