The Age Of ‘Quiet’ Opulence

THERE EXISTS A stringent dress etiquette for the British royal family. Members are advised against wearing dark nail paints (only natural shades). Women should not wear mini-skirts; carrying a clutch and wearing a hat during a public appearance is a must. The late Queen Elizabeth II preferred wearing bright-coloured outfits (so that she stood out), while the rest of the royal family wore neutrals. Even if any of the royals do wear a bright colour, the norm is to stick to a single colour tone.

The royal wardrobe has a few must-haves too — a Balmoral tweed trench coat (a particular variety of woolen fabric associated with the Balmoral Castle); a fair isle jumper (associated with a knitting style of Shetland Islands, which has been donning the royalty’s wardrobe since the 1920s) and pinstripe suit amongst others. So, what is unique about the British royal family’s dressing style? The emphasis is always on the fabric and the weave and not on brands and logos. Tailored to perfection, it is the garment which is the hero and not so much the designer or the brand.

This style of understated yet classy dressing, passed on from one generation to another (also known as old-money aesthetic), is what the uber rich across the globe are embracing. Referred to as ‘quiet luxury’ in common parlance, the uber rich no longer want to show-off big bold logos. Instead, they choose the best-quality material and prefer to buy from brands, which have a rich heritage and are not flashy or gaudy.

And they are happy to pay a premium for being understated. “The average ticket size of products has increased 30% a year in the last three years,” says Carlo Beretta, CEO, Tod’s, the Italian luxury shoemaker. “People are looking for something more discreet. They want to dress well, but don’t want to show off. They are particular about the quality of the product and the construction. They want to buy something that has real value, which is why they call it quiet luxury. Earlier, people would buy a T-shirt or a sneaker for $1,500, but were not bothered about the real value of the product,” explains Beretta.

Quiet luxury has found its resonance in Hollywood as well. In HBO’s popular series, Succession, characters have sported Saville’s cashmere trench coats (priced at $8,895), Loro Piana’s cashmere polo (priced at €1,195), Tod’s 1T sneakers and Tom Ford’s corduroy jacket (priced at $940). The baseball cap worn by the characters is from Loro Piana, a 124-year-old Italian fine luxury brand. None of these brands has flashy logos, or are different from what one could buy from a Zara or an H&M. It is the invisible fine quality and craftsmanship which sets them apart.

The post-pandemic revival of quiet luxury brands such as Loro Piana, Canali, The Row, and Hermès has been much faster. “Stalwarts of top-end, logo-free fashions such as Hermès, Zegna and Brunello Cucinelli have surged ahead in recent months, while brands dependent on fashion-driven, entry level luxuries, from Burberry to Kering’s Gucci and Balenciaga, have struggled,” explains a senior luxury industry professional. The preference is reflected in numbers as well. While Zegna’s Q1 sales climbed 11%, Brunello Cucinelli surged 18%, defying Street predictions of a slowdown.

A Post-Covid Trend

The trend of consumers seeking understated luxury is a post-pandemic phenomenon, according to industry experts. “Consumers want to dress up in a big way, they have become more discerning and demanding,” says Stefano Canali, CEO and president, Canali.

“Consumers have become selective post pandemic. They are looking for fewer but better products,” adds Richa Singh, MD, India and West Asia, Natural Diamond Council.

A year before the onset of Covid, Canali had decided to give his collection a lifestyle twist without meddling with the core DNA of the brand. He calls it ‘whispering luxury’, which he says is about high-quality materials and craftsmanship. “The fashion content is just the topping on the cake. It’s not anything bold or flashy.”

The Di bag of Tod’s, meanwhile, is among its bestsellers. Patronised by the likes of Princess Diana, luxury enthusiasts look forward to new launches of Tod’s bags every season. Its newest collection comes with a digital passport. “You can scan the handbag and you have its history — where the material is from, who worked on it, who tanned the leather, where the product was built etc. Our bags are handmade and that is the real value for the customer,” explains Beretta.

The newest brand, considered an epitome of quiet luxury, is The Row. Launched in 2006, The Row is known for making simple wardrobes, yet luxurious and unique. The brand’s Mavis coat in cashmere, for instance, is priced at $6,590. After the fourth season of Succession went on air (where one its characters wore The Row’s cashmere outfits), online searches for the brand went up 93% in Q1FY22.

Quietly Indian

The ‘quiet’ narrative fits into the way Indians have been consuming luxury for centuries. Be it exquisitely woven Banarasi saris, chikankari embroidery or meenakari jewellery, the wardrobe of a rich Indian invariably comprises high-quality, hand-crafted collections. None of them has logos, though. The person who would have crafted the exquisite sari or the piece of jewel would be carrying forward the family tradition for generations.

“The product supersedes the brand in India. An Indian who walks into a boutique to buy a gorgeous lehenga doesn’t necessarily ask for a Shantnu & Nikhil or Tarun Tahiliani,” says Singh of Natural Diamond Council.

Palak Shah, founder, Ekaya Benares, agrees. “Indians have been following quiet luxury much before the term became prevalent. Our craftsmanship is an example. Back in the day, it was simply about wearing a beautiful piece of art. There was no need to flaunt how expensive it was, you just wore it.”

“Ladies spend ₹2-3 lakh for a minimalistic border and a booty and you don’t even have to explain why the booties are so small,” adds Shah, who aspires to take forward her family’s 130-year-old Benarasi sari legacy global. “My goal is to take our craftsmanship global, by producing products more likeable to a larger audience.”

It is the perfect time for Indian luxury brands to reach the global stage, believes Bijou Kurien, chairman, Retailers Association of India. “Global brands find quiet luxury an alien culture so they have to find ways and means to adapt within their larger design portfolio. For Indian brands it comes naturally. For an Indian designer to be able to create a Jodhpuri suit, or a beautiful zardozi-embroidered lehenga is part of the design element. That’s not the way a western luxury brand is geared.”

“There is an appreciation for a product that celebrates the tradition of Indian craftsmanship while being extremely global in its appearance. While thoughtful quiet luxury may involve longer timelines and higher upfront costs due to the use of premium materials and ethical sourcing, it offers long-term value and a more elevated or exclusive luxury experience,” says Amanpreet Ahluwalia, business head, ZOYA, the luxury jewellery brand of Titan Company.

Understated luxury consumption in India also includes owning intricately woven carpets, brass ware and exquisite rosewood furniture passed on to families since generations. Yogesh Chaudhary, director, Jaipur Rugs, says his clientele in India and abroad is looking for products which have a story to tell, and are even willing to pay a premium for it. The brand’s Manchaha collection priced between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹20 lakh is among its most popular ones.

“In the Manchaha collection, weavers design a carpet as per their design sensibilities. We tell the story of the village where it has been woven, its cultural heritage and story of the weaver herself,” explains Chaudhary. “Our authentic story-telling has led to consumers wanting to source more carpets from that particular village or weaver. The Manchaha buyers are not discount-seekers. They want to have an impact on the life of the weaver, and actually refuse to buy if we offer a discount!”

According to Rudra Chatterjee, chairman, Obeetee Carpets (the over 120-year-old brand which has carpeted the Rashrapati Bhavan and the Parliament House), Indian consumers are long-term buyers of quality products. “When we are making a Chikankari rug designed by Tarun Tahiliani, it takes a year to make it and there is nothing on the rug which will show which brand it is. You have to know what Chikankari is to appreciate it.”

The logo mania has crept into the Indian consumer psyche, but Chatterjee believes it is restricted to bags and accessories. “For their homes Indians are interested in buying finely crafted, good-quality products.”

Similarly, personal care brands such as Kama Ayurveda and Forest Essentials are creating romance out of age-old ayurvedic formulations. “Quiet luxury is about mingling intangibles with tangibles. If you walk into our stores the narrative is about tradition and craftsmanship, we never hard sell a product. The five senses are touched in some way which makes a consumer happy. That’s quiet luxury,” explains Samarth Bedi, executive director, Forest Essentials.

According to Vivek Sahni, founder, Kama Ayurveda, it’s the high-quality products which make his brand luxurious. “We make the highest quality Kumkumadi. We use saffron from Kashmir and goat milk as opposed to cow milk… every ingredient is sourced close to its classical ayurvedic formulation. Because of the quality of the ingredients, the price is higher. We have never consciously positioned ourselves as luxury.”

Sustainable Luxury

Quiet luxury lends itself well to sustainability. Since most of these products are handcrafted, they are not mass-produced. Their uniqueness often leads to the owners of the products passing them on to their next generations. These facets go a long way in building sustainable brands. Quiet luxury also implies responsible sourcing of fabric and materials.

Tod’s, for instance, has come up with a cashmere-free collection. “The luxury industry deals with cashmere, but it is the most unsustainable material. We have decided to do a cashmere-free collection. There are fibres available which are better than cashmere. We have approached the men’s collection using this fibre which is made with super-fine wool,” explains Beretta.

Be it a handwoven Benarasi sari or a carpet, these products have been made since generations, and raw materials that go into them are naturally sourced. Shah of Ekaya boasts about impacting the livelihoods of 10,000 weavers, while Jaipur rugs, claims Chaudhury, is the only carpet brand, which boasts of 90% women weavers.

But the caveat here is that a completely sustainable business may not be practical. “It is very difficult for a business to be 100% sustainable,” says Beretta of Tod’s. “It is also difficult for a company working in the luxury business to be plastic-free. For instance, the sole in a sneaker is plastic. You can use recycled plastic but you will not be 100% sustainable. It will require a lot of investment in innovation to come up with 100% sustainable solutions.”

Agrees Shah of Ekaya. “Some of the colours we use can’t come in natural dyes, we have to use chemical dyes. You do your bit by using the right kind of fabric, and by treating the person who is making it well.”

It’s definitely not an easy task to be fully sustainable, however, ultra rich across the world are demanding understated and sustainable luxury, and brands are going all out to provide them.