Digesting Quiet Luxury
By Brian Bendix
The über-premium, high-intensity and conspicuously ostentatious restaurants with choreographed champagne shows and sparklers galore, continue to thrive across the global gateway capitals. It’s the sensory overload environment with fervent waiters fuelling the atmosphere and waving their napkins to the beats of memorable tunes and encouraging you to do the same. Its riding waves of the aspirational bling and fuelled by social media influencers creating narratives of a lavish lifestyle for public consumption.
Whilst the MO of these restaurants is becoming a little repetitive, it’s fair to assume that it’s is now its own category, firmly cemented into the foundation of our dining industry.
On the far other side of the spectrum, there is a new category which is equally concerned with atmosphere and environment engineering, but the antagonist to the ostentatious. It’s the understated and seductively charming milieu of stealth wealth. It’s quiet luxury.
Whilst quiet luxury is far from new in the fashion world with catalyst leaders like Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli and roots dating back to the Renaissance era in Italy, its only recently actively, and consciously, being adopted into the hospitality and dining scene.
Today, quiet luxury to many is a mindset, and a way of life. This evolution reflects a shift amongst the truly affluent towards understated elegance and refined simplicity; away from the overt displays of wealth that has flirted with the definition of luxury.
Characterized by subtlety and sophistication, it’s about investing in timeless pieces, exquisite craftsmanship, and high-quality materials rather than flaunting logos and brand names.
Quiet luxury promotes a greater decorum and authenticity. It’s not about the price tag but the discerning eye that recognizes and values the artistry and effort behind a creation. This mindset fosters a culture of respect and appreciation for quality over quantity and substance over showmanship.
In the realm of hospitality, this way of life is beautifully reflected in brands like Aman, Rosewood, and Belmond who epitomize this philosophy, offering experiences marked by understated elegance, personalized service, and a deep respect for privacy and discretion.
In the dining sector, some great restaurants, inadvertently and without design fall into this category whilst other great restaurant companies have a focused agenda to populate the space. In either case, the demand is there and the appetite for discovery of brands with greater depth of character and strength of identity is growing.
If you have examples of restaurants, bars or beach clubs that you feel genuinely represent quiet luxury and this way of life, I invite, and encourage you, to comment on this article below.
Source: LinkedIn