Not too long ago, nearly all luxury brands prided themselves on their intimate knowledge of what their customers preferred. The phrase “the usual, Madam?” was as common in affluent circles forty years ago as Louis Vuitton handbags are in the hands of young fashionistas today. Once upon a time, every luxury brand understood that they were targeting la crème de la crème. They needed to provide the utmost level of service to satisfy the particular needs of these discerning buyers.
Now, the scenario is very much different. It seems that popular “luxury” brands think that by adding strawberries to a cup of cream makes for a luxurious experience. The arrival of mass consumption luxury items might satisfy the common “luxury shopper”, but truth be told, it simply does not satisfy the ‘exclusivity itch’ of those who deserve the finest.
To scratch that itch, we need to turn our attention to boutique luxury brands, brands that offer bespoke luxury in lieu of mass consumption products. These brands stay true to the real definition of luxury by catering to individuals rather than the mass. But what exactly is bespoke luxury? Let’s explore the concept further more.
Bespoke Luxury Unveiled
The true meaning of bespoke luxury isn’t found in the common dictionary. A good starting point to understand its true meaning would be to use this example: Think of a master drafter drafting patterns from scratch – without using a base or master pattern – to create products that match individual tastes and requirements. This is bespoke.
To further understand the concept of bespoke, we need to explain the fine line that distinguishes bespoke from made-to-measure products. When a client likes an existing product but needs to alter it to his individual needs, we call this custom-fit or tailor-made.
Bespoke stems from creating something truly unique for an individual, something that will not be duplicated in the future. In terms of garments, bespoke comes from being able to select everything from the fabric to the cut to the color to the finish. The price says the rest. This is not custom-fit; it is custom-built.
The How of Bespoke Luxury
Bespoke is not only about clothing. Select luxury brands cater to the discerning consumer in every industry. Think of Feadship, the Dutch superyacht builder which created the utmost yacht; or of Calzature Marini, a small boutique brand in Rome creating shoes one at a time.
The derived value of a bespoke luxury product increases manifold because it resonates with individual tastes, choices, ideas and needs rather than popular trends or accepted standards. Now, imagine a bespoke item, say a suit made to fit your exact measurements and to your painstakingly crafted specifications. Would this be your ultimate power suit? Or would you prefer to buy a mainstream Hugo Boss suit instead? Bespoke is a custom-built product, but it will only take on the aura of bespoke luxury if it gives you true value and perfectly complements your personality and style.
Luxury is out; bespoke luxury is in. To stay.
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