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What does a premium spirits company do when they want to enable their customers, VIPs and media partners to experience their brand first hand? They build their own guest house for them to stay in. Patrón's La Casona Guest House aims to provide the ultimate luxury travel experience for visitors and guests

Why? So that visitors can live and learn the history behind the craft of their tequilas. For Patrón, this includes art, architecture, local design and Hispanic Heritage that serves as part of their creation process. That's how the La Casona Guest House came to be.

A collaboration between Patrón's architectural department and three local firms, Patrón's architectural department developed the initial concepts, and then hired Mexico-based interior design firm Joaquin Homs Studio to draw the actual composition. The Homs Studio was also in charge of all the interior aspects, the landscaping of the interior patios, terraces and fire pits. The general landscape was developed by GVA architects and the construction was managed by Grupo CASGO, lead by Hector Castellanos.

The guest house, located at the Hacienda Patrón Distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, is a private accommodation facility not open to the public, aiming to provide a comfortable stay on the property for friends and family close to Patrón, their bartenders, media partners and VIP customers. It features 20 rooms, dining and entertaining areas, a full service bar, conference facility and world-class guest hospitality.

Just like Patrón's overall Hacienda/Distillery, the house is built in a traditional Spanish Colonial style. The designers and architect then incorporated what they felt to be the best architectural details from 1800s Spanish, French and Italian design to show the impact that each of these countries had on Mexico during that time period. The architectural and design teams then used modern design elements to unify the styles and achieve a cohesive, updated look and feel.

"I wasn't aware of what Patrón did here, I've always been amazed by the company as it was a Mexican product," said Joaquin Homs. "When they approached me with the project I had to participate." According to Joaquin, he immediately saw the correlation between old Hacienda economic systems and the process of distilling Tequila. Both these 400+ year old practices were labor intensive and their development processes were based in communal tasks performed by large groups of people. Because of this, Joaquin asked to work with the 2000 local townspeople in order to create almost all the interior and exterior design elements.

In addition to using local people to construct the house, Homs and the design team used bioclimatic architectural processes throughout the entire process to compensate for the current local yearly climate, as well as pay homage to how hacienda design were historically addressed in the past.

"We had to make sure that the house was naturally lit and felt open as haciendas throughout Mexico are designed to do," said Joaquin. "That became about balancing multiple points; we used the ceilings, the windows, the lighting, and the floors throughout in order to properly achieve the symmetry."

In order to do this, 16' 6" ceilings are found throughout in order to provide better lighting and achieve the necessary ventilation. Next, the orientation of all the windows were specifically angled to allow for maximum circulation, as well as bring in as much natural daylight as possible. Custom lighting in the space also helps compensate for the sun's position throughout the day and the lack of natural light at night.

The chandelier in the main building is the statement piece of the house, it's made from recycled glass and reclaimed wood and features working bees on agave plants. It was crafted by local artisan Ernesto Cruz in the Tlaquepaque neighborhood of Guadalajara. The rest of the lamps and sconces, handmade from forged iron, metal, copper, hand blown glass and ceramic tile, were crafted by local Mexican artisans.

From custom made mattresses fitted with locally made linens, to recycled glass and reclaimed wood chandeliers inlaid with bumble bees expertly crafted by local artisans, the intense attention to detail continues into the fabrics and furnishings found in the house. "Patrón is a legacy brand; the house had to convey that our heritage was our foundation, but we were, in fact, a modern company in all aspects," said Peter Leder, the head of Patrón's hospitality operations. "To do that, we incorporated the modern and contemporary elements to serve as visual representations of this."

Because of this they didn't want anything plain or standard in the space, it all had to be custom made. All of the furniture is custom designed to follow the character found in Mexico in the early 1900s, then enhanced by leveraging textiles and fabrics to modernize the style.

Wallpapers from Italy and France, Textiles from Mexico and the U.S, French Linens, and sustainably made silk and grass fiber wallpapers have also been used. "No detail was spared," shared Peter, "Even the headboards, made from solid wood, have intricate details built into their lattice work. If you stand back and look around you find interesting things everywhere!" Can you see how many pieces have bees in them?

La Casona is yet another great example of trends we're seeing where modern design is being used to harmonize many old world styles. Combining modern and traditional design elements is resulting in a warm and inviting atmosphere that people want to experience. Just like a home, commercial hospitality places such as these should feel as if they are meant to be lived in, not just looked at.

Additional Source List

1. Marble Gris Coral /Puebla, Mexico

2. Marble Veracruz / Puebla, Mexico

3. Elitis Wallpaper / France

4. Innovations Wallpaper / USA

5. Phillip Jeffries Wallpaper / USA

6. Grey Cantera GREY / Degollado, Jalisco, Mexico

7. Spanish Cotto Cross/ Ceramic Antique, San Miguel De Allende, Guanajuato

8. Silk and Grass Wallpaper / USA

9. Textiles: Dues, Perennials, Alex Foster, Foster, Artell, Aretelinea, Sunbrella / Mexico/USA

Sustainability Highlights

1. Water Recycling / Rain Absorption & Wells Replenishment

2. Red Clay Walls / Climate and Acoustic Protection

3. LED Lighting / Lower Electrical Consumption

4. Cactus and Semi-Desert Vegetation / Lower Water Consumption

5. Local Cantera (Limestone), Marble and Onyx / Natural Reusable Resources

6. Local Clay Tiles and Red Bricks / Durable, Long Lasting and Biodegradable

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Patrón Designed a Spanish Colonial Guest House with Modern Flair

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What does a premium spirits company do when they want to enable their customers, VIPs and media partners to experience their brand first hand? They build their own guest house for them to stay in. Patrón's La Casona Guest House aims to provide the ultimate luxury travel experience for visitors and guests Why?

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When we say something is luxurious, what does that mean? How can we best adapt to what "new luxury" might mean to people today?

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If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have a million dollars you probably only thought about the cars, the yachts and the bling, and overlooked the details like what kind of toilet seat or fancy tennis ball cans you'd use. We tracked down 24 of the most ridiculously expensive everyday items you could blow your wad on.

Concrete Aalto Doorstop - $3500

While the rest of us are using cinderblocks we found outside for doorstops, somewhere in some mansion there's a chunk of cement holding a door open worth $3500. You may (but probably don't) notice that this doorstop is shaped like an Alvar Aalto Savoy vase and that's because it was cast in an original vase which was then shattered to let out the mold. While the Aalto doorstop looks pretty cool, it may just be a waste of a perfectly good vase (and $3500). mattermatters.com

Another Notion of Possibility Box Cutter - $95

What better men's gift than a $95 box cutter?? Someone who's spending $95 on a box cutter probably doesn't do a lot of box cutting, so this solid nickel chrome plated box cutter is probably more of a display piece. Engraved with "Another notion of possibility," this ordinary object intends to blur the lines between "art" and "stuff". Perhaps the the answer lies in how you use it. citizen-citizen.com

Posh Instant Noodles - $43

Yep, even instant noodles come in luxury form. For $43 a cup, you can have one of 100 exclusive Pot Noodle cups. Each posh noodle comes in a hand-flocked gold leaf pot and because you like to be civilized while you eat your instant noodles, it also comes with a fork and table linen. One good thing about the exorbitant price tag: the proceeds go to charity so you can help the less fortunate while you indulge. Source

Renova Colored Toilet Paper - $20

If you're tired of wiping your ass with dollar bills you can spend that cash on some colored toilet paper. While it's probably just as much of a waste of money, at least Renova colored toilet paper is much softer than cash. A 3 pack sets you back $20 but if you're obsessive enough to color coordinate EVERYTHING in your bathroom than you won't mind the expense. satinbox.com

Glace Balls of Ice - $40

Ice cubes are for squares. VIPs know that the really good ice comes in hand carved spheres of ice made from Canadian purified water. Now instead of paying too much for a bottle of water you can drop 8 bones on just the ice instead. On the bright side ice balls supposedly don't dilute your equally expensive drink and cool it evenly. glace-ice.com Source

Gold Backpack - $1650

Where's the fun in being incredibly rich unless you're also incredibly flashy? The gold rucksack by the Billionaire Boys Club features their trademark diamond dollar pattern, making an excessively expensive item even more over the top. With only 4 of these available at $1650 it's anyone's guess at how long before they sell out. bbcicecream.com Source

Diamond Encrusted Bluetooth Headset - $50000

If your wife is concerned that her big ugly plastic bluetooth is overpowering her gold and diamond earrings, why not compromise? Oh this diamond encrusted bluetooth headset is for you? Well it's good to know that if you have enough money you can wear any crazy accessory and still be confident in your masculinity. Source

Goldplated Staples - $175

If you're really rich, you know that displaying your wealth goes beyond flashy clothes and a luxury car... a true measure of wealth is all in the details. You can't possibly expect anyone to fully understand just how filthy rich you really are unless even your staples are gold plated. It may not get any more excessive than gold staples packaged in a velvet jewelry box sitting on top of your desk. oooms.nl

Gold Light Switch - $250

Any respectable modern home owner wouldn't be caught dead with a clapper, but that doesn't mean rich people have to get out of bed to turn off a light themselves. How absurd! No, they have a gold wireless light switch encased in Lucite at their bedside. What's $250 to never be bothered with something so tedious again? areaware.com

Luxury Frisbees - $305

Your old plastic frisbee may hold a special place in your heart, but it doesn't reflect your penchant for frivolous luxury items quite the same way the Leather Flying Disc Geoffrey Parker does. These fancy frisbees fly surprisingly far, although you'll probably never toss one in the yard for fear of tossing away $305. That's an expensive game of Ultimate Frisbee! zontikgames.com

Tiffany Tennis Ball Can - $1500

Be honest, the only reason you even play tennis is to network with the other rich guys at your country club. Since you're playing to impress, why not get a fancy can to keep your balls in? Of course because it's Tiffany, this particular tennis ball can is made of sterling silver and will set you back $1500. tiffany.com

Louis Vuitton Skateboard - $8,250

If you're a skater you probably have no interest in a Louis Vuitton skateboard. But to be fair, anyone interested in a Louis Vuitton skateboard for over $8000 probably isn't too interested in skateboarding either. This is a great example of how being rich is all about being one of 3 possible owners of a weird designer collectible that isn't intended for use. The board premiered at the launch of their new location in SoHo where you could also snag one of 70 $250 T-shirts.
Source

Nesmuk Diamond Studded Knife - $39600

As it turns out the world's sharpest knife is also the world's most expensive. And for reasons we can't understand comes with a matching ring, although for $39600 you'd expect a little something extra. This pricey piece of cutlery consists of a carbon steel blade and a sterling silver handle adorned with 8 diamonds. Source

Carbon Fiber Toilet Seat - $249

You have to admit that of all the crazy expensive toilets made of costly materials the carbon fiber toilet seat actually looks pretty cool. Not to mention it beats the 24K gold toilet seat by leaps and bounds in terms of practicality. Gold is flimsy, but this freaking toilet seat will be around longer than you will. Source

Little Something Gold Vibrator - $325

Why does this vibrator cost $325? Is it because this Little Gold toy is silent, or because it's waterproof and long lasting? Or does it simply come down to the fact that it's made of 24k gold? Either way, being rich is about indulging yourself and is there really a better way to do that than with a 24K Gold vibrator you can use in in your giant indoor swimming pool? jimmyjane.com

Leather Gold & Silver Monopoly Set - $7570

This leather, gold and silver Monopoly set with your choice of pewter or silver pieces will set you back anywhere from $4-$7k. But it's totally worth the experience of buying as much property as you can and charging you friends in the game right before you buy the deeds to their actual homes because that's just how freaking rich you are. zontikgames.com

Crystal Ergoripado Vaccum - $18993

If a inconspicuous vacuum like the Kone isn't your style, then maybe you'd enjoy something a bit more noticeable. One average vacuum and 3730 Swarovski crystals later and you have the Crystal Ergoripado, most expensive home cleaning appliance ever clocking in at $18993. Personally, if I had this cash to burn I'd be rolling on a Ducati Streetfighter, and still have $3k in my pocket. Source

Gokukawa Leather Keyboard - $603

Plastic? Pu-lease. When you have the perfect manly study, complete with rich leather chairs, a full liquor cabinet, a fireplace and let's throw in a 50 inch plasma TV for good measure... would you have a cheap plastic keyboard on top of your solid mahogany desk? Absolutely not. You would have a soft leather keyboard with monogrammed keys to compliment your lavish surroundings. Considering your tastes, $603 for Gokukawa Leather Keyboard will barely make a dent in your budget. Source

Diamond Studded Hoodie - $10000

Nothing says "Look at me, I'm a rich douche bag" like this diamond studded hoodie from Konquest. Worth $10000, this piece of urban couture features over 4000 Swarovski crystals and a 3 carat diamond zipper pull and hand-painted designs. For something so glitzy, the artwork takes an interesting masculine tone featuring skulls and horns which may make this the only Swarovski covered garment intended for (straight) guys. konquestcollection.com

Gold and Diamond Earbuds - $5175

We've all seen blinged out iPods, but what about earbuds that cost more than your computer? These 18 carat gold and diamond earphones feature 118 high quality diamonds and despite all the extra weight are said to be just as comfortable as your cheap plastic pair. Source

Ergo Swarovski Magnifying Glass

We'd love to be so rich that even the magnifying glass we use to examine our jewels is covered in jewels. This Swarovski Crystal covered magnifying glass by Ergo lets you see the world at 4 times magnification, but may enhance the flaws of anything not as sleek and shiny as itself. Unfortunately we don't know the price, but you can be sure that it costs more than a magnifying glass should. Source

Radioactive Denim Metallic Jeans - $600

Anyone knows that a good pair of $600 jeans should look really really shiny. They look just like your other $600 pairs of jeans, with a button fly and tapered leg, except they're also metallic and make you feel like a rock star from the future. Who wouldn't want that kind of attention to their pants? eluxury.com

Crocodile Skin Umbrella - $50000

Maybe crocodile skin would make sense as an efficient water repellent if it wasn't so damn expensive. At $50000 this umbrella should come with someone to follow you around holding it over your head... seriously that beats a blogger's salary. Hey rich guys, if you're reading this, skip the crocodile skin and hire me to hold a regular umbrella over your head. That'll definitely get your more attention at eccentric rich guy parties. Seriously, if you're interested... Source

Million Dollar Fishing Lure

Not everything is enhanced by encrusting it with diamonds and rubies, but that didn't stop MacDaddy Fishing Lures from creating the Million Dollar Fishing Lure. Three pounds of platinum means it's sure to sink fast, be we doubt it would help you catch a million dollar fish. macdaddysfishinglures.com Source

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24 Ridiculously Expensive Everyday Items

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If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have a million dollars you probably only thought about the cars, the yachts and the bling, and overlooked the details like what kind of toilet seat or fancy tennis ball cans you'd use. We tracked down 24 of the most

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What makes up your shopping list? Most of the time they are items that need to be purchased- groceries, toiletries, medication.... Now, if you were a billionaire or multi-millionaire how would you spend your money? Buy fancy clothes? Dowse yourself with millions of dollars worth of diamonds? How about a half million dollar board game, or 22-carat gold toilet paper? To the average person, these items would only be a fragment of imagination. However, to the super-rich it's a reality. Billionaires can easily reach into their deep pockets, spend an astronomical amount of cash, and not bat an eyelash, leaving the rest of us in a state of wonderment. So what makes up a billionaire's shopping list? Rest assured that the items are definitely the ultimate hallmark of success. Below are some of the most shockingly expensive items in the world that are sure to make your jaw drop.

Coming from one of the oldest German family-owned companies, the world's most expensive pencil was created in Germany in 2008. This limited edition pencil was crafted with 240-year-old olive wood and 18-carat white gold. Called the Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil, it even includes a handy built-in eraser and a pencil sharpener. It also features three diamonds and comes with a certificate. Billionaires can feel comfortable using this as a writing instrument or to display in their collection. According to most-expensive.com, only 99 limited edition Perfect Pencils were created.

Behold... the world's most expensive umbrella- The Billionaire Couture Umbrella, which sells for $50,000. Made of black top-quality crocodile skin, this umbrella will certainly help any billionaire show off their money. According to luxurylaunches.com, the crocodile skin is water resistant and available by special order at Billionaire Couture in London. Each umbrella is also given its own intricate detail, guaranteeing it to be completely unique. Sorry ladies... The Billionaire Couture Umbrella is exclusively for men.

8- Truffle- $160,406

Enjoying delicious and luxurious foods are one of the many perks of being rich. Found usually on the table of a very elegant restaurant, truffles have become a status symbol for the rich. Truffles are held in high esteem by many, and are considered an expensive indulgence and delicacy. Cbsnews.com named European white truffles the 'most expensive food in the world,' as they are one of the rarest fungi found. According to CNN just 1.51 kg of Italian White Alba Truffle sold for $160,406. Per Ealuxe.com, one reason this truffle is the world's most expensive is because it's really difficult to cultivate.

Ever wonder what the most expensive shirt in the world is made out of? Well, it's made entirely out of gold. In India and most places, gold is a symbol of prestige and power, and people purchase gold to be looked upon as flashy and luxuriant. An Indian man, Datta Phuge, nicknamed the 'gold man,' has purchased one of the most expensive shirts in the world, for a whopping $235,000. Per msn.com, the shirt has 14,000 "gold flowerings" that have been combined with 100,000 spangles and 6 Swarovski crystal buttons. It took 15 days and 16 people to create the shirt, with the biggest challenge being comfort. Designers came up with a gold cloth sewn in Italian weave, and a velvet lining was put inside to prevent any type of scratching. According to time.com the shirt weighs seven pounds, and to ensure his safety, Phuge has security detail when he's wearing the shirt.

6- iPod Speaker Dock- $560,000- $565,000

Referred to by Cbsnews.com as "the mother of all iPod, iPhone, and iPad docks," the AeroDream One stands over 11 feet tall and weighs 870 pounds. According to American Luxury magazine, it's most likely the world's tallest and most expensive docking station. In order to plug in your device, you must climb a ladder, but it's worth it... The AeroDream One produces 10,000 watts and features an 18 inch subwoofer and 5 channel amplifier. Cnet.com advises that each one is custom made and takes six months for delivery. Prices vary from $560,000-$565,000 and the dock is available in white, black or chrome.

5- Board Game- $600,000

Priced at half a million dollars, the Royal Diamond chess set is often referred to as the world's most luxurious and expensive chest set. Jeweler Charles Hollander has made seven luxury chest sets with help from designer Bernard Maquin. According to businessweek.com, the chess set is studded with 320 carats of black and white diamonds as well as two kilograms of 14 carat white gold. Thirty craftspeople and over 4,500 hours went into making this chess set. The chess board is formed with using white gold checkered with alternating black and white diamond studded squares.

What may be the most shocking and weird on the list, this 3-ply 22-carat gold toilet paper was created by an Australian company called Toilet Paper Man. The company produced a 3-ply roll of toilet paper made from 22-carat gold flakes, and said its 100% usable and safe. If getting gold toilet paper isn't enough, the company also throws in a bottle of champagne. But think twice if you want to purchase more than one roll- Toilet Paper Man, which produces household items, only has one golden roll of toilet paper in stock. According to nydailynews.com, this blinged-out toilet paper is still up for grabs.

3- Dog- $1.5 Million

They say that dogs are a man's best friend, but in this case this dog better be a super-best friend! This red Tibetan mastiff, called "Big Splash", sold at an astounding $1.5 million according to cbsnews.com. The rare and ancient golden-haired dog was sold at a premium pet fair in China, and the breeder reportedly told a paper that the mastiff had "lion's blood." The pup is 31 inches tall and weighs close to 180 pounds. So why the high price? Well the breeder said the dog can be compared to "nationally treasured pandas."According to today.com, this dog breed has become a status symbol in China among its wealthiest people.

One of the most expensive books by Leonardo Da Vinci was purchased by billionaire Bill Gates in 1994 for $31 million. According to cnn.com, Gates can brag about the purchase of the 72-page Leicester Codex, as it was handwritten entirely in Italian by Da Vinci himself. It contains insights into his inventions, sculptures, paintings, and philosophies. Soon after Gates purchased the book, he had all the pages scanned and saved in a digital format. In fact, Usatoday.com says that Gates released an electronic version of the book, which lets people browse through virtual versions of two of Da Vinci's works.

1- Viola- $45 Million

This 300-year-old Stradivarius 'MacDonald' Viola is valued at an astonishing $45 million. According to Businessweek.com, this rare viola is one of just 10 Stradivarius violas known to have survived. The "MacDonald" was nicknamed after one of its previous owners, and was made by Antonio Stradivari, the greatest instrument maker of all time. Said to be the most expensive and in impeccable condition, this viola may just be perfect. Why perfect? According to violist David Aaron Carpenter, it's in almost perfect condition and the "experience of playing it takes your breath away." Coined as the Holy Grail for collectors, this viola is sure to make any classical music loving billionaire happy.

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10 Ridiculously Expensive Items For The Filthy Rich

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What makes up your shopping list? Most of the time they are items that need to be purchased- groceries, toiletries, medication.... Now, if you were a billionaire or multi-millionaire how would you spend your money? Buy fancy clothes? Dowse yourself with millions of dollars worth of diamonds?

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Is Offline the New Luxury?

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We now live in a world where everything is constantly being filmed, monitored, photographed, mapped, tracked, collected and analyzed in a colossal pool of information. Sure, this new SMAC (social, mobile, analytics, cloud) world can be useful if you're trying to ground your decisions in data, book a hotel, watch what your friends are doing, find something or simply "reduce friction" - but if you are like me, you may be starting to notice something eerie going on with the way we interact with each other in this increasingly digital "connected" world.

Are we moving towards a brighter future in which our personal relationships have been measured and engineered into a state of perfect efficiency? Or are we becoming dependent on social "connectivity"? Is social "connectivity" becoming an end in itself instead of just a means to an end?

Let me explain. Think of all the things you use in the connected digital world. Lets start with something basic like email. Email has always been about making communication easier. Think back to when people sent letters or called each other each time they wanted to communicate an important message. Fast-forward to email, text messaging and messaging apps and we have some pretty useful stuff.

But things have changed. Now every time we visit a website our emails get wrestled away from us - we are put on Mailchimp lists and other automated platforms in the name of "growth hacking". Logging into our email accounts has become an endless pile of mail outs, calls to action, updates, ads and other digital pollution. Enter other popular habit forming mediums like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Remember when they first came out? We were all told that these were great places to share photos with close friends and keep in touch. But now what do these digital platforms really do? Offer us a simple way to keep in touch with the people we care about or grow "our audiences" and "validate / measure" the "reach / engagement" of our digital selves? How many likes have you gotten lately? How many re-tweets, how many shares and how many followers? Constant visibility, constant self-important "faux" connectivity.

This isn't to say that all these digital "connectivity" platforms are a waste of time. They do in fact improve efficiency and ease of communication, but what I'm suggesting is that they may not improve the quality of communication. Instead, social "connectivity" as practiced today, as an end rather than just a means, seems to have a problematic anxiety and stress factor built in. It also seems to be reducing the amount of time we spend actually listening to each other. These "connectivity" platforms are great for communicating facts, but not for communicating intentions or building emotional connections. Perhaps ironically, the more hyper-digitally connected we get, the more we become aware of our own digital breaking point. The point at which we realize that the connectivity "end" or "juice" just isn't worth the squeeze.

In fact, we are already starting to see people react by "disconnecting" or "de-teching". When was the last time you left your phone at home, or turned off the internet? The last time you didn't look at Facebook for a week, your email for a few days or Instagram for a few hours? It's hard. Recently I visited a cottage with the goal of staying disconnected. I left my laptop at home, I tried to keep my phone off and for a day I felt more connected to the present moment than ever. I was able to slow down, think clearly and appreciate the intricacies of the world around me. Yet on the second day I checked my email, scrolled through LinkedIn and even posted a photo on Instagram. It's no surprise that research indicates the way modern technology blurs the lines between entertainment and productivity, in some ways works to undermine the productivity of the modern person. After all, one in ten young people take a selfie everyday.

So when I came back I did some research and it turns out that I'm not alone in my concern for such social "connectivity" dependence. It turns out that there is a whole industry developing around "disconnecting" and "de-teching". High-end American restaurants and hotels are capturing the mood by offering rewards for checking your phone at the front desk or for going offline upon check-in. Other hotels are guaranteeing that you won't be able to receive any calls and are in fact charging a premium for such disconnection.

Taking things even further, a growing number of wealthy individuals are controlling digital pollution by no longer carrying mobile phones. They are refusing to be perpetually "on-call", anxiously awaiting when they may be contacted, messaged, liked, tweeted or followed. Instead, they are offloading online duties to assistants or managers so that they can focus on things like achieving their personal goals or building meaningful interpersonal relationships.

I think these trends will only continue as the effects of digital pollution become more acute ( recent studies confirm that in the developed world mental illness is skyrocketing as instances of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit disorder reach record highs). Instead, as time goes on, expect the "offline" as a luxury to continue to influence demand in the health, wellness, tourism, and travel industries.

The question is what will happen to the children of the future? Will they also experience technology and connectivity in the way we do? Will they also begin to consider the "offline" as a luxury? I think the answer is yes, as "connectivity" cries out for robust criticism. The digital connectivity tools of today aren't inherently good nor are they inherently bad. What matters is how they are understood, used and managed. This is a question of values - in the face of dependence and psychological upheaval, it remains to be seen whether future generations will confirm that there is something fundamentally human about valuing the offline and the true interpersonal connectivity it can offer.

But what about today? Although for most of us achieving total disconnection is neither feasible nor desirable, the key principle is balance. Remember that the most valuable thing you can give someone or something is your attention. So instead of the "offline" being a luxury only to be enjoyed by an increasingly select few, each day we can consciously make time to disconnect and truly experience the beauty in the people, places and emotions that surround us.

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Is Going "Offline" Becoming The New Luxury?

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We now live in a world where everything is constantly being filmed, monitored, photographed, mapped, tracked, collected and analyzed in a colossal pool of information.

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2 Chainz sets out to find the most outrageous luxury goods on the planet

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Most Expensivest Shit - Forget about "mo' money mo' problems." When you enjoy the finer things like rapper 2 Chainz, the more cash you have, the better.

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Deloitte: "Bling it On": What makes a Millennial Spend More?

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consumer-business/deloitte-uk-young-luxury-shopper-2017.pdf

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Why Burberry and Louis Vuitton are prime competitors in the millennial luxury space

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Millennials are the future of brands.

Every smart brand is targeting Millennials, so why should it be any different in the luxury space? Millennials include anyone born between the early Eighties, an era predating cell phones, and the early 2000s, the Internet age. Although there was an epic jump in technology during those 20 years, most Millennials have one thing in common - a disruptive mind-set. They are a free-thinking, individualistic generation that's over 80 million strong.

By 2035, Millennials will have the potential to become the largest spending generation in history, according to the white paper, "Five Luxe Trends for 2015" by marketing expert Pam Danziger. Millennials' influence will be felt by 2020 as the oldest Millennials (let's call them "Millennial+") are beginning to enter their peak earning years and will have disposable income for luxury experiences. We can expect this shift to continue as more Millennials become Millennial+.

Millennials have redefined the term luxury. Luxury no longer refers exclusively to expensive bags, shoes and watches. It now includes experiences like farm-to-table dining and "über-luxe" travel. Millennials prefer experiences to things. Fashion brands are blurring the lines between luxury items and experiences. Luxury shopping is an experience, that's the whole point. Digital platforms are creating new, interactive experiences every minute.

This year, Instagram is taking the fashion world by storm. According to digital marketing research there has been a 400 percent increase from last year in the Instagram posts of fashion brands. Designers are focused on giving Instagram influencers special treatment and access to their shows and collections. They are trying to make them fall in love.
Luxury: It's a Love Story
It's all about falling in love; you just need enough people to fall in love with enough things. As new fans fall in love with a brand we need them to covet the brand's products and believe in the brand promise. In luxury they need to have a dream, a desire - something to aspire to.

As a young brand fan's loyalty deepens and his or her taste develops, that customer can grow into a brand and start to make larger purchases. For example, a Millennial may purchase a Burberry fragrance as her first signature scent, a scarf in college, and a trenchcoat when she gets her first big bonus at work. The relationship with the brand only strengthens with each purchase and branded experience. The goal is to get ordinary people to crave extraordinary things so that when they grow up and make it big, that extraordinary purchase will be their everyday.

Power Millennials like Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid are on top of the pop culture world and making a huge splash in fashion. They are style icons featured in all the hottest runway shows and campaigns. These women have influence over Millennials, and they are drawing them into luxury brands. So what brands are poised to win them over?
#LOVELUX
Both Louis Vuitton and Burberry are top contenders for Millennial fans. These brands are huge, global powerhouses. They have celebrity ties and incorporate hot names into their marketing regularly; they know how to speak to Millennials. For example, Louis Vuitton is featuring a pink-haired video game character from "Final Fantasy" in its spring campaign. Nicolas Ghesquière posted a teaser of the series in December on Instagram.

Lightning, the powerful female character chosen, is one of Final Fantasy's main protagonists and has millions of devoted gaming fans worldwide. Ghesquière says: "She is the symbol of new pictorial processes. How can you create an image that goes beyond the classic principles of photography and design? Lightning heralds a new era of expression." Lightning has commented since the launch of the campaign, saying she "feels nothing but pride" in an exclusive Q&A released to The Telegraph by Louis Vuitton.

Both Burberry and Louis Vuitton have a wide variety of products in the hundred-dollar price range all the way up to the thousands of dollars range. A fan can engage the brand on multiple levels with multiple experiences throughout their lifetime. These brands are not afraid of innovation. They will collaborate and adapt to draw excitement from customers and create the unexpected.

In 2015, Burberry collaborated with Apple to create an exclusive curated channel on Apple Music to engage fans in the digital space. Christopher Bailey, Burberry's chief creative officer, described the collaboration with Apple on the project as a "celebration" of their relationship as well as a "shared foundation" between the two brands in regard to design. Burberry's Apple Music channel features music from the Burberry Acoustic initiative, a program that gives a voice to up and coming artists, according to reports.

The channel incorporates exclusive video footage, content, playlists, and individual tracks. Some of their current playlists include Burberry Celebrates Elton John and Live From The Burberry Runway. Elton John starred in the Burberry festive campaign and now the Apple Music platform allows fans of the campaign and brand to take the experience a step further. The Burberry Runway playlist is all of the songs from the latest fashion show. How cool is that?

The luxury brands that will capture the minds of Millennials will have authentic, original content. They will not be afraid to play in the digital space and appeal to independent thinkers in new and interesting ways. They will be the arbiters of cool and make unexpected connections. If Millennials are the future, luxury brands need to rise to the challenge, and embrace them.
Gabrielle Rein is cofounder and creative director of Viceroy Creative, a boutique creative, design and marketing agency based in New York.

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Think Tank: Why Millennials Are the Future of Luxury

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Millennials are the future of brands. Every smart brand is targeting Millennials, so why should it be any different in the luxury space? Millennials include anyone born between the early Eighties, an era predating cell phones, and the early 2000s, the Internet age.

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Millennial Spending Habits

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Most brands are chasing the coveted millennial buyer - especially luxury brands which hope to endear loyalty early and gain life-long customers in the process. Millennials, however, do not have a simple set of behaviors and habits change based on gender, age and location.

Deloitte dove into millennials' luxury purchasing behavior in its new unfortunately named report Bling It On, which surveyed more than 1,000 consumers between 20 and 30 years old in the U.S., UK, Italy, and China. These markets represent the world's largest consumer markets and producers of luxury goods. We highlight the five findings most relevant to travel brands:

1. Following a trend of experiential preference, millennials were slightly more likely, 53 percent, to choose a luxury experience over a product when buying a present on a generous budget.

Millennials in more mature markets such as the U.S. and UK were as much as 66 percent more likely to do so while only 34 percent of consumers in China make the same decision. Women in all markets were more likely to select the experience over product.

2. Although brands often think of millennials as conscious consumers, the report found that cost is not as influential when it comes to luxury purchases. A half or three-quarters of respondents from all markets said they rarely or only sometimes consider the sustainability and ethics of a brand before making a purchase decisions.

It is possible that consumers do not perceive their luxury purchasing decisions having the same impact on the environment or communities as everyday purchases since they occur more sporadically. Consumers from the U.S. and China were more likely to consider the sustainability of a brand than European consumers.

3. It is not surprising to find that more respondents discover new luxury products and trends through social media (20.5 percent) than a brand's website (15.1 percent) or magazines (14.4 percent). And although social media is important, respondents say they make buying decisions based on information from multiple sources.

This might seem like a disaster for luxury brands: Millennial communicate through several mediums, have loose brand loyalties, and buy more for themselves than based on public opinion. Digital is the one constant.

As the report reads: "Reliance on 'above-the-line' advertising on the high street and in traditional print media, and the persuasive power of in-store beauty consultants, is giving way to a much more amorphous marketing environment which embraces online opinion sharing, and rating and influencing from a diverse group of product authorities who create a conversation between brands and potential customers through social multimedia, with Instagram now seen to be the most influential social channel for luxury brands."

4. It might be surprising to some retailers that impressing friends or family and influencers were the among the least popular reasons for making a luxury purchase. Millennials were more likely to make a purchase because it made them feel good but also look good. Therefore, the perceived quality of a brand has a stronger impact than outsiders' opinion.

5. Millennials are not consistent or regular buyers of luxury items or experiences. They are most likely to make a purchase when they receive extra income or have a special event. Brands must learn to trigger their customers into a buy rather than rely on a steady set of behavior.

This sporadic behavior is due in part to a lack of wealth. The U.S. Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances found that the average net worth of U.S. millennials 20 to 30 years old was between $2,093 and negative $38,915.

Most luxury brands, however, are not going after the average millennial. There is a segment of millennials, generally located in more urban areas who spend more on luxury products.

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5 Factors That Influence Millennials' Luxury Spending Habits

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Most brands are chasing the coveted millennial buyer - especially luxury brands which hope to endear loyalty early and gain life-long customers in the process. Millennials, however, do not have a simple set of behaviors and habits change based on gender, age and location.

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Rise of the aspirational class: "“earnestly buy organic, carry NPR tote bags, and breast-feed their babies.”

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What are you buying when you pay $5 for a cup of organic, single-origin, fair-trade coffee? Or a locally produced, sustainably sourced linen tunic? Or a Tesla Model X electric SUV?

A delicious, attractive, or well-engineered product, of course. But luxury goods are rarely just about the product. People do want good design and craftsmanship, and high quality ingredients and materials. But they pay a premium for something more than that. Often it's the subtle conveyance of good taste, access, and wealth. And increasingly, that high status is suggested in the language of conscious consumerism: "organic," "sustainable," "ethical."

The luxury industry is waking up fast to this reality, and responding with a slew of products and services geared to what the sociologist Elizabeth Currid-Halkett has called the "aspirational class"- those who "earnestly buy organic, carry NPR tote bags, and breast-feed their babies."

"They care about discreet, inconspicuous consumption," she writes in her new book, The Sum of Small Things: A Theory of the Aspirational Class. "Like eating free-range chicken and heirloom tomatoes, wearing organic cotton shirts and TOMS shoes, and listening to the Serial podcast. They use their purchasing power to hire nannies and housekeepers, to cultivate their children's growth, and to practice yoga and Pilates."

Sustainability is a growing priority for these customers, and therefore an urgent imperative for upscale labels-and one that will only become more critical as they increasingly look to younger customers who grew up steeped in "aspirational" culture. Millennials and Gen Z-the generation immediately following-already account for about 30% of luxury shoppers, according to Claudia D'Arpizio, a luxury analyst and partner at Bain & Company. They're on pace to hit 45% by 2025.

For these shoppers, sustainability matters in where they spend their money, and they look for markers of social and environmental awareness from the companies they support. "Voting with your wallet" may not be as effective in creating real change as they hope-indeed, one study compared the environmental footprint of those trying to make eco-friendly choices with those that didn't, and found no meaningful difference. Still, for many of these "green" customers, showing off their awareness may be an end in itself.

Many luxury brands are already catering to customers who shop based on their values. Kering, which owns Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Saint Laurent, among other labels, has been a leader on sustainability in the luxury sector, increasing the share of its raw materials that are renewable and funding conservation programs. "Our ambition is to redefine luxury to help influence and drive these positive changes," says Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering's chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs. Kering emphasizes that its environmental policies are good business, and they're part of its own core values.

But it acknowledges the role the next generation of customers is playing in driving these efforts. "Millennials, be it as consumers or as prospective employees, set the bar high and demand more transparency and responsibility from corporations," CEO François-Henri Pinault recently told the Huffington Post. "This increasing demand coupled with the recognition of their buying power will undoubtedly influence not only the luxury sector, but also many industries for the better in the future."

It's not an exaggeration to say that terms such as "organic" and "sustainable" are now used to convey a sense of high-value luxury. Currid-Halkett's theory is that "social, environmental, and cultural awareness" have become the new social capital. Because most consumer products are now widely available, all but the most exclusive items have lost their value as class signifiers. In their place, goods that broadcast a consumer's high education levels and cultural awareness have gained importance, such as organic produce and yoga classes. Sustainably made luxury goods work as status symbols in both paradigms.

That's why the lifestyle and philosophy surrounding a product are often as important as the product itself for a new generation of wealthy elites. "There's clearly a generational shift happening, and also happening very quickly in terms of this millennial mindset," D'Arpizio says. "They are interested in brands that are more similar to not only their values but also their passions."

The growing wellness industry-the wellness industrial complex, you might call it-provides an apt case study for this effect.

Wellness centers on supposed health products-though many are not scientifically sound-often from personality-driven companies such as Goop, the lifestyle brand of actress Gwyneth Paltrow, or Moon Juice, by shamanic lifestyle guru Amanda Chantal Bacon. They peddle expensive creams and dietary supplements that advertise their organic pedigrees and obscure ingredients, and while they're filling a void for women who may feel modern medicine hasn't provided them the care they need, they've also become status symbols for a wealthy clientele.

What a company such as Kering and one such as Goop do are entirely different, but their customer bases apparently overlap enough that the luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter sells Goop's $140 organic night cream and Moon Juice's Action Dust, made of "organic and wildcrafted ingredients," on its site alongside Gucci bags and Saint Laurent leather jackets.

High-end department store Neiman Marcus, meanwhile, is opening "wellness shops" (paywall) in select locations around the US that it says offer "natural, organic, and clean beauty brands to compliment our customers' healthy and active lifestyles." Saks Fifth Avenue has similarly launched The Wellery at its New York flagship, offering beauty treatments and fitness classes.

This may just be the future of luxury: Sipping a pricey organic smoothie in your yoga pants while wearing a beautiful, sustainably produced jacket.

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Millennials are making it luxe to be more ethical and environmentally aware

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What are you buying when you pay $5 for a cup of organic, single-origin, fair-trade coffee? Or a locally produced, sustainably sourced linen tunic? Or a Tesla Model X electric SUV? A delicious, attractive, or well-engineered product, of course. But luxury goods are rarely just about the product.

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A deep dive into types of luxury brands

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I.4.1. The Definition of Luxury Brands

The modern understanding of a brand is consumer and identity oriented. Accordingly, brands are regarded as images in the minds of consumers and other target groups (Esch 2010, p. 22), which are designed by companies to identify their products (Kotler et al. 2009, p. 425). Luxury brands are highly associated with their core products (Kapferer 2008, p. 193). This is reflected by the larger part of the existing definitions of luxury brands, which refer to specific associations about product characteristics (e.g. Meffert and Lasslop 2003, p. 6; Büttner et al. 2006, p. 12; Valtin 2004, p. 30).. The constitutive characteristics of luxury products therefore correspond largely with those of luxury brands, which leads to the following definition:

Luxury brands are regarded as images in the minds of consumers that comprise associations about a high level of price, quality, aesthetics, rarity, extraordinariness and a high degree of non-functional associations.

Any potential luxury brand should be evaluated by the constitutive characteristics of luxury, which are described in detail in one of the following chapters. These explanations are summarized by the following principles:

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I.4.1. The Definition of Luxury Brands | Upmarkit

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The modern understanding of a brand is consumer and identity oriented. Accordingly, brands are regarded as images in the minds of consumers and other target groups (Esch 2010, p. 22), which are designed by companies to identify their products (Kotler et al. 2009, p. 425).

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Luxury Brands for the Millennial Generation

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When it comes to luxury goods, the same psychology and value system has been in play for centuries and remains the key driver of high-end (old) luxury brands. We all know the storyline, it begins with a "high-quality" piece of merchandise, adorn it with an extravagant price tag and even more pricey "aspirational" marketing ambassador like Kate Moss or Cristiano Ronaldo. All to seduce wealthy consumers and gain astronomical margins. Whether financially comfortable or not, the allure to purchase luxury items can be driven by numerous factors -- perhaps to show off or to gain prestige and acceptance from desired peers, perhaps to self-reward for an accomplishment, or simply because there is a burning desire to possess something truly exquisite. But now -- with the Millennial consumer rising more and more in power -- the values and psychology behind the definition of luxury are heavily changing.

The new definition of luxury

For the millennial generation, luxury is not defined by how much money is spent, but rather how priceless the experience is. Their new status symbols are moments and emotions you share, not cars and bling you own. That´s why you will see very few young adults plunk down thousands of dollars for a Rolex or Gucci bandanas. Instead, they will spend that amount on a one-of-a-kind vacation to Bali and yes, you better believe they will document the entire trip on Instagram.

So it's no surprise when Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of luxury watchmaker Tagheuer said in an interview for CNBC : "Every generation brings its own trend, its own taste, its own way of living. The younger generation is more disruptive." However, while the definition of luxury is certainly changing, there is still some validity to the fact that nice things make a person feel more confident.

So how can brands connect with the modern consumer?

Probably some of the most typical luxury accessories are watches and glasses. Two young companies have become industry leading examples for re-defining these categories with focus on the Millennial customer. One of Europe´s fastest growing watch brands Kapten & Son (@kaptenandson) and the American billion-dollar glasses/sunglasses brand Warby Parker (@warbyparker).

Known for their slogan, "Affordable luxury, designed in Germany," Kapten & Son combines iconic designs, high quality, and affordable prices for all their watches and sunglasses.

Their collections are inspired by and named after the world's most exciting travel locations and more important -- they've built their whole brand identity around the journey of their customers and their thirst for adventure. Scrolling through their Instagram (@kaptenandson) feels like an adventure itself; showing and reposting pictures of their customers collecting moments all over the world.

This all aligns very well with their vision to become the #1 companion on the journey of the global citizen: "In the beginning we were designing for us, today we design for our generation", says CEO Artjem "Addy" Weissbeck. Originally founded in 2014 from a little university town in Germany; they've fast-tracked their US expansion and can now be found in major retailers like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Nordstrom and more.

Warby Parker on the other side focused on two other key innovations to get from startup to megastar and ultimately billion dollar evaluation. The first came when the founders devised a pioneering home try-on program, which allowed their customers to be comfortable buying eyeglasses online. This obviously was a clear reach-out to the younger demographic and the first of its kind; while still accommodating more traditional consumers.

A few years later their second major move was expanding their brand identity into brick and mortar. They started opening physical stores, with high variety and fashionable stuff members, turning buying glasses into a fun and friendly fashion experience. In both cases, Warby reinvented a classical shopping process and reinvigorated with something more comfortable, approachable and fun. For example, especially in the age of Instagram, customers want to see how glasses could potentially complete their look, so the stores have full-length mirrors and encourage social sharing. Many retailers since have tried to copy this concept and attract young customers the same way.

So what´s the conclusion?

For the younger consumer, luxury is a state of mind, not as much a price point or a brand logo. The definition of luxury is undoubtedly changing a bit and evolving beyond stated status, privilege, and exclusivity to something more authentic, personalized and adventurous. According to the CEO of Chrome extension Advata, "The brands that are succeeding are understanding that this new definition of luxury is affordable, inclusive, and ultimately more human. Intended to deliver unique and meaningful experiences, intended to be consumed both in person and online, and most importantly - shared."

As much as the word "Millennials" became stigmatized with the idea of spoiled and entitled kids, they have established a new set of humble and likeable luxury values -- which brands will follow.

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Brands Like Warby Parker Know That For Millennials, Luxury Has Nothing to Do With Price

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When it comes to luxury goods, the same psychology and value system has been in play for centuries and remains the key driver of high-end (old) luxury brands. We all know the storyline, it begins with a "high-quality" piece of merchandise, adorn it with an extravagant price tag and even more pricey "aspirational" marketing ambassador like Kate Moss or Cristiano Ronaldo.

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"Millennial Mindset"

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The luxury market is expected to grow again in 2017, according to a recent study by Bain & Co. Luxury goods sales dropped modestly in 2016-from €251 billion (about $280 billion) in 2015 to €249 billion last year-but the first quarter of 2017 is already promising. Bain reports a 4% growth for the first quarter of this year, with a projected 2-4% growth for the year-or €254 billion to €259 billion ($284 billion to $289 billion).

Bain cites several factors for the stronger 2017 forecast, including more robust Chinese consumer spending (both at home and abroad) as well as increased tourism and consumer confidence in Europe. Another key growth factor for 2017 will help redefine the luxury market the next decade and beyond: The Millennial State of Mind.

By 2025, Bain projects that Millennials and Generation Z will account for 45% of the global personal luxury goods market. While that presents great opportunities for many brands, the challenges are also considerable because Millennials think and shop differently from previous generations.

"Since the 1950s, there was a clear and predominant definition what an 'aspirational life' looks like," explains Claudia D'Arpizio, a Milan-based partner at Bain & Co. and one of the study's lead authors. "Getting a degree from a leading institution, getting a highly regarded and rewarded career, getting married and having kids by a certain age, and eventually becoming wealthier than your family of origin. This was also reflected on consumption models, to the extent to which products were a way to testify the passage across life stages and achievements.

" For Millennials, this paradigm is substantially different, at least in most developed countries. They are the first generation to approach adult life in less favorable economic conditions than their parents. They have inherited a secular vision of the world: for example 'family' and 'religion' are no longer indispensable elements of one's life, but they are possible choices among many. They are also part of the digital revolution, which leads to a different perception of 'time,' 'space' and 'possibilities.' Everything is possible, here and now."

What this signals for luxury brands is that consumption has a different meaning for Millennials. "Consuming products and brands is not just a way to say who you are but a way to define who you are," D'Arpizio notes. "This is why Millennials are more engaged than previous generations with self-expression."

Beyond that, Millennials typically value experiences over things, which translates to the shopping experience, whether it is online or in stores. For brands, this means that the shopping experience needs to become immersive so that customers can feel they are living the brand in the store. Otherwise, why leave home to shop?

The Millennial state of Mmind is also truly global, D'Arpizio reports. "Being highly digital and having disposable income to invest in education, travels and connectivity, Millennial luxury consumers are exposed to very similar stimuli and can participate in the same global conversations and experiences," she says. "Even in those countries that were historically less open to other cultures, Millennials have the opportunity to share experiences with people from all over the world. No culture is impermeable to the Millennial wave."

Nor are the generations below and above them. While Generation X emulated the way Baby Boomers consumed, the Millennial mindset has become cross-generational, which D'Arpizio says is "influencing the evolution of the whole luxury customer base."

But she is quick to point out that "all luxury brands have work do. Some are doing better than others, but those who are truly leading the Millennial way come from other industries or price segments." The brands that are well positioned to capture the Millennial market are " moving away from the old luxury habits: from celebrating their own heritage to celebrating consumers' passions; from looking obsessively into their past to providing futuristic aesthetic visions; from 'shouting their name' to enabling consumers' self-expression; from being fanatical of brand-purity to be open to collaborations and contamination."

And there is one other key factor to this Millennial mindset-the generation is more entrepreneurial than their parents. If existing brands don't fit their values or self-image, they create their own. "Fashion/luxury has always been a very fertile soil for creativity and entrepreneurship. And here 1 + 1 definitively makes 3," D'Arpizio says. "I believe we are potentially going through a transformation phase of the luxury industry as strong as the one seen over the '70s and the '80s when big luxury players established the rules of the game as we knew them up to now."

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How Millennials Will Reshape the Luxury Market

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The luxury market is expected to grow again in 2017, according to a recent study by Bain & Co. Luxury goods sales dropped modestly in 2016-from €251 billion (about $280 billion) in 2015 to €249 billion last year-but the first quarter of 2017 is already promising.

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Travel Industry – Luxury as Personalization

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For many travelers, luxury means a limousine transfer from an airport, 1,000-thread count bed sheets and three-star Michelin restaurants. But many industry insiders say a change is afoot, with more travelers putting their own personal imprint on the meaning of the phrase "luxury travel."

It's all about the context and mindset of the individual traveler, said Ana Brant, director of global guest experience at Dorchester Hotels. She tells of a conversation she recently overheard In the Dorchester's Beverly Hills Hotel, where a prominent Fortune 100 executive asked the hotel's staff for the closest McDonald's restaurant. "Here you are, at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and we have The Polo Lounge, Bar Nineteen 12, and for him, in that moment, he was hungry for McDonald's," she said.

Fernando Gonzalez, CEO of First in Service Travel in New York, agrees. "It used to be that our luxury travelers would call and say, 'Book me the Four Seasons Nevis for two weeks,' and you had a satisfied client. That's not the case anymore," he said. "Now, they are expressing a very specific experience they are looking for. They may want to be at a beach, but there are things they want to do, memories they want to create. Serving the luxury market means being able to understand that client's needs and delivering on whatever it is they are looking for."

"If you're going to serve the luxury market, you're going to find yourself hand-holding the clients from the moment they express an inspiration, throughout the trip, to the point where they get home and unlock their front door," said Sekita Ekrek, First in Service marketing and travel adviser.

In order to deliver on how consumers are redefining luxury, Dorchester is looking at its hiring and training practices. Brant said it is critically important for those who seek to serve luxury travel clients to be innately curious, to ask the right questions that will elicit the needs of these travelers.

You also need to know what the experience will be like for the luxury traveler, so you can advise them, Gonzalez said. "That's why it is so important for our agents to spend as much time as possible traveling. We want to be able to tell someone what the transfer will be like from the airport to the resort, whether they will face traffic at certain times of the day. It shows your commitment to their whole experience when you are well informed."

Part of the process of delivering on the luxury brand promise, Brant said, is to be sympathetic, empathetic and compassionate. "Sympathy allows you to sense the feelings of travelers as they are trying to explain what they are looking for," she said. "Empathy means you can understand their feelings and maybe even feel them. Feeling compassion empowers and motivates you to take the action that satisfies the luxury traveler's needs."

Erina Pindar, a managing director at Smartflyer in New York, said the emergence of hotel brands like 1 Hotels shows that suppliers are adapting to this new luxury definition. "It's in the experience you feel when you get to a hotel. Maybe we should call it effortless luxury. It's the kind of luxury that doesn't come with gilded walls or crystal chandeliers." Luxury is in the details, like "the amazing local selections in the (1 Hotel Brooklyn's) mini bar, a Tesla as the house car. It all makes sense, and nothing seems forced."

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For many travelers, luxury means a limousine transfer from an airport, 1,000-thread count bed sheets and three-star Michelin restaurants. But many industry insiders say a change is afoot, with more travelers putting their own personal imprint on the meaning of the phrase "luxury travel."

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"Experience Counts" - in-depth piece in The Economist

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"TEN YEARS AGO you would have auctioned handbags." Ben Elliot, the boss of Quintessentially Group, a concierge service that helps the rich organise their lives, is explaining a shift in the way that money is raised for charity. These days a kickabout with David Beckham, or perhaps a cycling trip from Venice to Rome, would be more effective: "It's about the bragging rights of doing something others can't do," he says.

If sophisticated consumers are shifting their preferences from handbags to handlebars, makers of luxury goods need to pay attention. The rich set trends, and their notions of luxury trickle down. European consumers now "put more value on inward things", Mr Elliot thinks. Revenues of upmarket hotels this year are expected to grow by 9%, four times the rate of luxury-goods sales. Even the Chinese are tilting a bit from having to being: during this year's Golden Week, an autumn season of concentrated consumer frenzy, the number of transactions in shops was 30% up on last year but that in restaurants and hotels rose by 52%, according to UnionPay, a payment-card company.

What qualifies as an experience people are prepared to pay for is also changing, to something more elaborate, more private and sometimes even stripped almost bare of conventional comforts. David Leppan, a South African-born millionaire, is not much interested in conventional luxury, but reckoned that a recital by Plácido Domingo at Seville's Alcázar palace, arranged by NetJets, a firm that hires out private planes, was "pretty much priceless". Mr Elliot's colleagues at Quintessentially cite the Antarctic Ice Marathon as the sort of activity its clients appreciate. Swish hotels nudge guests away from the familiar to the authentic. "Luxury can be the absence of strawberries in wintertime," says Frank Marrenbach, who runs the Oetker Group's chain of hotels. His chefs prefer to offer seasonal fruit.

In a YouTube video for Johnnie Walker Blue, a top-of-the-range whisky, two friends (played by Jude Law and Giancarlo Giannini) swap ownership of a beautiful old sailing boat on the basis of unlikely wagers. If ownership does become separate from enjoyment, makers of luxury goods will have something to worry about. That moment may not have arrived yet, but as consumers become more sceptical, more discriminating and more interested in experiences, it is coming closer.

It is not as though the rich have stopped buying stuff. The average billionaire owns $6m-worth of luxury goods, not to mention yachts worth $22m, according to Wealth-X, a research firm founded (and later sold) by Mr Leppan. But increasingly such purchases form part of an experience. In the video Mr Law needs a new made-to-measure suit for the dance that will win him the bet on the boat. Savoir Beds, a British firm, is making a rotating bed for the new owner of a French château so that he can enjoy the view both of the surrounding countryside and of the fireplace on the opposite wall. Sellers of less bulky luxuries who make bespoke products for their best clients often add events to their offering. Ferragamo, the Italian shoemaker, treated its favourite Chinese customers to a trip to its workshop in Florence.

Make it special

Most consumers are not in that league. More than a third of luxury handbags sell for less than €500. The ranks of people who covet such goods are destined to grow; once hooked, they will trade up. Globally, McKinsey expects the number of big-city households in emerging markets with incomes of more than $70,000 a year to treble by 2025.

Makers of luxury have come to realise that the paradox of industrial craftsmanship can be pushed only so far. To captivate new clients and keep the older ones on board, brands will have to invest shopping with a sense of occasion and give ordinary customers some of the individual attention they have lavished on their biggest-spending ones. Increasingly, that is what they are doing. When Burberry launched a perfume in September, it gave customers a chance to inscribe bottles with their own initials, both in shops and online.

Consumers still want to hear the story that luxury tells, perhaps more than ever as the world comes to seem more rootless and mass-produced. In London's Savile Row a small crowd of men and women, nattily clad in mid-20th-century garb, recently staged a demonstration against two shops selling clothes by Abercrombie & Fitch, an American fashion chain. "Give Three-Piece a Chance," demanded their placards. To the demonstrators, the intruder was the antithesis of Savile Row's made-to-measure tailoring. "We're not proper Savile Row-type people," said the protest's organiser, Gustav Temple, who edits an obstreperously nostalgic magazine called The Chap. "But we hope to be one day." The brides of Trang Tien Plaza would understand.

Special report: Exclusively for everybody More in this special report:

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"TEN YEARS AGO you would have auctioned handbags." Ben Elliot, the boss of Quintessentially Group, a concierge service that helps the rich organise their lives, is explaining a shift in the way that money is raised for charity.

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Creating a Luxury Experience

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In luxury brand management, experiences are essential. However, most of what we know about designing customer experiences originates from work developed with and/or for mass brands. Luxury brands are conceptually different and require a specific approach to brand management. This article offers a framework to guide you through the design of building a luxury experience.

We are living the experience economy. Experiences engage customers and in creating memorable events connect them emotionally to the company or the brand. ¹ An increasing number of organizations are placing experiences at the core of their marketing strategy ² and, in luxury brand management, experiences are essential. 3,4 However, most of what we know about how to design customer experiences originates from work developed with and/or for mass brands. 5,6 Luxury brands are conceptually different and require a specific approach to brand management. ⁷

Through our research we discovered that the holistic brand experience that high-end brands (e.g., premium and luxury brands) offer goes beyond the recommendations of traditional branding frameworks. The luxury experience is different from "simply" offering the highest possible level of quality in each of the brand touch-points with the consumer and, consequently, should be designed and managed differently. We developed a framework that can help managers design a luxury experience. Although high-end brands would benefit the most from applying the principles of the framework, virtually any brand can apply (at least some of) the principles to offer a differentiated customer experience and strengthen its brand.

Experience Design and Luxury Experience

Experiences occur when customers interact with one or more elements of the brand context and, as a result, extract sensations, emotions, or cognitions that will connect them to the brand in a personal, memorable way. 8,9 Specific aspects of the brand context, such as store atmosphere or human elements, ¹⁰ influence customer experience. However, customer experience is holistic. ¹¹ A company should orchestrate an integrated series of "clues" that will, collectively, determine how customers experience the brand. 12,13

To design a luxury experience, it is important to first define what a luxury brand is. We agree with the perspective that luxury brands are conceptually distinct from brands with extreme levels of premiumness. ¹⁴ We advocate that owning "legitimacy in luxury" is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for a brand to be or become a luxury brand. Legitimacy in luxury includes an exceptional production process (often based on craftsmanship, uniqueness, and exclusivity), a product of the highest quality (often design-based, instigating consumers' emotions and self-expressive motivations), and a tradition or history associated with the brand. Another condition for a brand to become a luxury brand is excellence in experience. Consider, for example, the brand Azzaro (apparel and perfume), which was at its peak in the 1970s-1980s. Today this brand has lost much of its luxury appeal despite owning legitimacy in luxury. Luxury experience provides the symbolic value and emotional connection that luxury brands need to keep the "dream component" of luxury brands alive. ¹⁷

What is luxury experience? Conventional wisdom suggests that luxury experience is achieved by offering the highest quality in any of the elements that mass brands also offer. For example, the product offered should be of exceptional quality. The service added to the offering should be delivered impeccably. We believe this is not enough to design luxury experience. This is because we believe that luxury experience goes beyond extreme premiumness.

The luxury industry is idiosyncratic. Luxury is more than the material offering (even if the offering is a service). Luxury is a differentiated offering that delivers symbolic and experiential value besides functionality. 18 At times, ironically, offering symbolic and experiential value requires luxury brands to not offer "impeccable quality" ¹⁹. For example, while many could think of a Ferrari's noise and wasted potential as product "flaws", from a luxury experience perspective these are part of the brand's philosophy: In luxury, passion and dreaming are as important as functionality. We learned through our research (see the appendix on the web edition for our methods) that to achieve excellence in luxury experience, a similar approach applies: Brands must go beyond what traditional branding frameworks recommend to create luxury experience.

1. Beyond brand values, beliefs

Luxury brands should advocate beliefs to their customers. Beliefs can be seen as the brand's philosophy, apparent both at product and brand levels, and which becomes a guiding principle for those brands. Beliefs go beyond brand values because beliefs are more specific (though subjective) and consequently more segmenting. Unlike mass brands, luxury brands should not strive to please everyone, but should attract those customers whose beliefs are similar to theirs. For example, Louis Vuitton, beyond the brand value of "travelling", believes in practicality. Louis Vuitton initially embarked on innovation by substituting round suitcases with rectangular, flat-bottom models that could be stacked. While some consumers may dislike Louis Vuitton, those who identify themselves with the brand's beliefs are likely to connect with the brand at deeper levels. Ferrari believes in performance and, as a consequence, it rarely advertises; however, it invests significant amounts in Formula 1 events. It focuses on actions related to its beliefs to reinforce those beliefs in consumers' mind. Premium brands can apply this principle to create a customer experience that resembles a luxury experience. For example, La Martina applies this principle by defining itself not as a fashion brand, but as a polo brand (it sells apparel and accessories related to the polo lifestyle). La Martina reinforces this belief in several touch-points, such as the atmosphere of its stores, the design of its clothes, and by being constantly present at polo events.
2. Beyond a logo, a set of visual icons
When consumers think of a true luxury brand, they likely think of a whole set of visual icons that can include monograms, brand symbols, logos, colors, patterns, images, or even concepts. For example, leather goods from Bottega Veneta display no visible brand symbols, but many consumers recognize the weaved leather pattern for which the company is known. The stronger the brand, the broader the spectrum of icons can be. When one thinks of Chanel, for instance, the colors black and white, the intertwined c's, the number five, a string of pearls, a camellia, and a little black dress might come to mind. Luxury brands should actively choose their symbols and iconize them through constant and consistent repetition. A good example is the black dress, which appears revisited in Chanel collections every year. Luxury brands can also repeat design elements across a product range: The face of the watch in Chanel's Premiere Collection is the same shape as the stopper of the Chanel No. 5 perfume, which in turn takes its shape from the Place Vendome in Paris. Absolut Vodka is an example of a premium brand that has adopted the principle of luxury experience. In over two decades and more than 800 collaborations with artists, Absolut has iconized the shape of its bottle by consistently developing advertisements focusing on its interpretation.

Figure 1. The 7 Principles of Luxury Experience

3. Beyond a product, a unique ritual

True luxury brands cannot stop their offering at the product. Luxury brands should go beyond that and offer unique services or rituals. This can start with attentive salespeople and prompt customer service, but it should go beyond that to offer a differentiated, unique buying and consumption "ritual" that exceeds expectations. A powerful example of moving beyond products and offering a unique ritual is the perfume brand Le Labo. Using the premise that the quality of perfume deteriorates over time, it revolutionized the consumer buying experience by offering a personalized and special experience: each Le Labo perfume is hand-blended and individually prepared in front of the customer at the moment of purchase. The glass decanter is then dated and the customer's name is printed on the label. After taking the package home, the customer needs to let the perfume marinate in the fridge for one week before wearing it. It becomes a personal, exclusive, and unique choice of fragrance.
4. Beyond a point of sale, a temple
Luxury brands must pay special attention to the way they sell and innovate at the point of purchase. Where before luxury brands used brick-and-mortar stores mainly to sell products, they now aim at designing multifunctional, controlled spaces to create brand experiences and communicate brand beliefs through events, exhibitions, and collaborations. These stores function almost like religious temples for discerning consumers. For example, Prada embarked on a unique project in combination with AMO, a research studio based in Rotterdam, and the renowned architect Rem Koolhaas. The result was a wide-ranging project that included special "Epicenters": stores designed to provide a working laboratory for experimental shopping experiences. The project also included a plan for an extended web presence, the development of specialized, site-specific shopping tools, the application of emerging technology, and innovative programming ideas such as exhibitions, film screenings, concerts, and other public events. BMW World in Munich is another example of a temple-like showroom where consumers can experience the brand. The initiative entertains, engages, educates, and interacts with consumers in an environment that materializes the BMW brand. Brands like Apple and Nike have similarly transformed their stores into temples in their respective "Apple Store" and "Nike Town". The temple is the opportunity that the brand has to physically connect with the customer. The "Red Bull Station" in São Paulo was designed to "give wings" to young artists by providing them with music studios, artist residencies, and exhibition spaces. Importantly, creating a temple does not necessarily require high investment. Kiehl's uses its small stores to offer customers a consistent and attentive experience that is unique in the cosmetics industry. Used in this way, the store-turned-temple is a brand's best opportunity to connect with consumers.

Luxury brands don't push consumers to buy products. Rather, they communicate the legends associated with the brand. Myths should be conveyed indirectly and should be consistent in every point of delivery, including products, stores, or marketing actions.

5. Beyond segmentation, access to a parish

Mass brands define groups or segments of consumers and push products towards them. For luxury brands the roles are reversed: consumers are pulled towards the brand with the promise of belonging to the exclusive community. Many consumers want access to this special group, but, similar to what happens with many religions, only a select number who share the brand's beliefs may truly belong. In addition to using pricing or distribution to naturally segment customers, luxury brands create other artificial barriers or initiation rituals to select which consumers gain admittance. They may even deny access to customers with the means to purchase. For example, Hermés customers have to form a long-term, intimate relationship with the store before they are given the opportunity to buy one of the brand's "it" bags. Rather than putting off customers, this behavior creates a sense of belonging to a special group. Customers who are admitted then stay for a long time and are rewarded for their loyalty. For example, Aston Martin extends invitations to events and maintains one-on-one relationships even with customers who bought their cars fifteen years ago.

6. Beyond communicating value, myth-telling

Mass brands aim to communicate their value or advantages over other brands, but luxury brands don't push consumers to buy products. Rather, they communicate the legends associated with the brand. Myths should be conveyed indirectly and should be consistent in every point of delivery, including products, stores, or marketing actions. Myth-telling is a subtle narration of the story and heritage of the brand. Luxury brands often do this by inducing a certain degree of mystery, or by making a connection with art to tell the myths in an elevated way. 20 For example, Rolls Royce invites a few selected customers to visit its manufacturing facilities to see and experience its storied production process in person. Yet, there are no direct messages, no pushing a customer to buy something.

7. Beyond a category, a way of life

The final element of the framework suggests that luxury brands should move beyond the mental limits of a product category and offer a "way of life". At some point, strong luxury brands will sever their association with the product category in which they are rooted and push the brand to the ultimate level of intangibility. In other words, they sell a pure aesthetic principle and offer consumers a certain way of life. One way to offer a way of life is through horizontal brand extensions. For example, Giorgio Armani created a homogeneous and consistent world across a wide range of categories (e.g., clothing, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings) for customers embracing the brand's signature minimalist style. Ultimately, by extending its "Stay with Armani" philosophy to the Armani Hotel, where the brand's style is woven into each of the guest rooms and suites, Armani makes it possible for customers to live both with and within the brand. Another way to offer a way of life is to collaborate with other brands. An interesting illustration is a collaboration between the Porsche Design Group and Poggenpohl, a luxury kitchen brand, to create a high-design kitchen for men.
Figure 2. Excellence in Luxury Experience and Legitimacy in Luxury Define True Luxury Brands
We believe that offering a way of life is the ultimate behavior of a true luxury brand, because it requires the brand to possess other strong attributes that can be communicated subtly. For example, Armani's strategy would not make sense if Armani's icons and beliefs were not strongly present in the mind of consumers. Offering a way of life must be based in authenticity and must be consistent with what the brand represents.
Implications
Although creating a strong luxury experience is crucial for high-end brands, virtually any brand can benefit from applying at least some luxury experience principles. While luxury brands can apply the principles to create, recreate, or reinforce a luxury world, any brand can achieve excellence in luxury experience to then become, or at least resemble, a luxury brand. Figure 2 depicts how excellence in luxury experience can help brands to enhance their position.

Brands that do not own legitimacy in luxury can apply the principles of the framework to become lifestyle brands, premium brands that offer an enhanced experience. Although these brands cannot become true luxury brands unless they acquire legitimacy in luxury, they can adopt luxury experience principles to increase their brands' desirability. In other words, the framework offers a roadmap for brand managers to follow a "trading-up strategy" ²¹

Brands that have enjoyed a true luxury status in the past and have lost ground may apply the principles of luxury experience to regain their status. For example, Royal Salute whisky is improving its positioning as a luxury brand by applying some of the luxury experience principles. Created in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the brand is emphasizing its "royal beliefs". By working closely with polo enthusiasts (e.g., providing support for global polo events, using polo player Facundo Pieres as a brand ambassador), Royal Salute affiliates itself with the "parish" that holds the same beliefs. It also has an ephemeral "temple" in the Tower of London, where it holds special events for customers to taste and savour the whisky and experience the brand while helping support the Tower of London.
The final element of the framework suggests that luxury brands should move beyond the mental limits of a product category and offer a "way of life". At some point, strong luxury brands will sever their association with the product category in which they are rooted and push the brand to the ultimate level of intangibility.
Brands with legitimacy in luxury that fail to follow the principles of luxury experience do not achieve the status of true luxury brands. We call these "heritage brands" because they have what it takes to be a luxury brand but fail to offer an excellent luxury experience.

Finally, brands with legitimacy in luxury can achieve excellence in luxury experience and thereby reach the status of a true luxury brand. These brands can monitor their behavior to maintain or enhance their privileged positions. Louis Vuitton, for example, has moved towards greater popularization. Recently, however, the brand increased the price of its products to reduce their accessibility. In addition, it created a new handbag that was released in small batches, generating a long waiting list. ²² These monitoring and protective measures help the company to maintain its position as a true luxury brand.

Vadim Grigorian is Marketing Director of Luxury and Creativity at Pernod Ricard. He consults key hi-end brands of the company on their luxury development, such as Martell, Royal Salute and Perrier-Jouët. He also implemented art world engagement strategy for Absolut. Previously he was Marketing Director of Russia and Eastern Europe at Pernod Ricard. Vadim holds an MBA from INSEAD and is author of several award winning business cases.

Francine E. Petersen is Associate Professor of Marketing at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT). Her research focuses on consumer emotions and luxury consumption. She holds a PhD from the University of Maryland, was Visiting Professor at Columbia Business School, and has experience as a marketing manager and marketing research consultant. She teaches seminars related to branding, consumer behaviour, and luxury at MBA, Executive MBA and executive education levels.

The data collection process included visits to stores, sites, and plants across the world, and more than 50 key decision makers such as CEOs, executive board members, directors, designers, and brand or product managers working in the luxury industry. The geography of the interviews is diverse, with focus on the main cities in France, the United Kingdom, China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, United States, Russia, and Brazil. Markets included perfumery, jewelry, watches, drinks, fashion, services (hotels), leather goods, and cars. We have also drawn from our practical and academic experiences in the management of luxury brands and conducted an extensive literature review of managerial, research, and press articles and books.

Our research followed a grounded theory approach to develop the framework. Grounded theory is an inductive method used to generate theory through the systematic and simultaneous process of data collection and analysis.[i],[ii] Our analysis was based on continuous comparisons between data collected via interviews, field observations, and analysis of these data through practical and theoretical lenses.

The executives were recruited from our personal network or using a snowball technique (convenience sample). The initial interview guide was organized around the theme of "defining a luxury brand" and contained some fixed questions that every interviewee had to answer (e.g., "what are the pre-requisites for luxury in your opinion?" "what differentiates a luxury brand from a premium brand?") as well as some questions that were adapted to a specific industry or a particular business. Following the grounded theory approach, and as the core categories were emerging, we adapted the questions to gather more specific data. The interviews were set in an informal atmosphere and lasted from one to three hours.

We visited stores, sites, and plants (e.g., Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Martell, Perrier-Jouët, among others) in Europe, America, and Asia to observe how luxury brands present themselves. These visits were accompanied by the senior management of the respective brands (e.g., Hermés in Tokyo was accompanied by the general manager of Hermés Japan). During the visits, we systematically observed the point of sale in detail, noting how the brand presents itself, the associations with the brand (e.g., art), how customers are treated, whether and how the story of the brand is told, the presence and consistency of visual icons, and whether additional physical brand experiences were offered. These observations aided the analysis of the interviews and provided examples described in this article.

The data analysis followed a three-step approach.[iii] In the first stage of data analysis (open coding), we obtained core categories - or themes - related to luxury experience. The relevant categories that emerged include aspects of customer experience previously recorded in the literature but they also included brand-related aspects that, to the best of our knowledge, have not been previously examined as part of the "context" influencing customer experience. In the second stage of data analysis (axial coding), we categorized examples and passages of the interviews according to the identified core categories. At this stage we were able to better understand each of the identified themes. In the third stage of data analysis (selective coding), we organized the conceptual relationships between the identified categories and named them. Our analysis is built upon comparisons between the data collected through these different means.[iv] As a result, we were able to draw a parallel between the elements of brand management that create customer experience in mass markets and the elements of brand management that create a luxury experience.

1. Pine, B. J. and Gilmore, J. H. (1998) "Welcome to the Experience Economy," Harvard Business Review, 76/4 (July/August): 97-105.

2. Frow, P. and Payne, A. (2007) "Towards the 'Perfect' Customer Experience," Journal of Brand Management, 15/2 (November): 89-101.

3. Atwal, G. and Williams, A. (2009) "Luxury Brand Marketing - The Experience is Everything!" Journal of Brand Management, 16/5 (February): 338-346.

4. Berthon, P. R., Pitt, L. F., Parent, M. and Berthon, J.P. (2009) "Aesthetics and Ephemerality: Observing and Preserving the Luxury Brand," California Management Review, 52/4 (Fall): 45-66.

5. Verhoef, P. C., Lemon, K. M., Parasuraman, A., Roggeveen, A., Tsiros, M. and Schlesinger, L.A. (2009) "Customer Experience Creation: Determinants, Dynamics and Management Strategies," Journal of Retailing, 85/1 (March): 31-41.

6. Pullman, M. E. and Gross, M. A. (2004) "Ability of Experience Design Elements to Elicit Emotions and Loyalty Behaviors," Decisions Sciences, 35/3 (August): 551-578.

7. Kapferer, J.N. and Bastien, V. (2009) "The Specificity of Luxury Management: Turning Marketing Upside Down," Journal of Brand Management, 16/5-6 (March-May) : 311-322.

8. Gupta, S. and Vajic, M. (2000) "The Contextual and Dialectical Nature of Experiences," in New Service Development-Creating Memorable Experiences, ed. James A. Fitzsimmons and Mona J. Fitzsimmons, 33-51 (Thousand Oaks: Sage).

9. Pine, B. J. and Gilmore, J. H. (1998) "Welcome to the Experience Economy," Harvard Business Review, 76/4 (July/August): 97-105.

10. Baker, J., Parasuraman, A., Grewal, D. and Voss, G. B. (2002) "The Influence of Multiple Store Environment Cues on Perceived Merchandise Value and Patronage Intentions, " Journal of Marketing, 66/2 (April): 120-141.

11. Verhoef, P. C., Lemon, K. M., Parasuraman, A., Roggeveen, A., Tsiros, M. and Schlesinger, L.A. (2009) "Customer Experience Creation: Determinants, Dynamics and Management Strategies," Journal of Retailing, 85/1 (March): 31-41.

12. Berry, L. L., Carbone, P. L. and Haeckel, S. H. (2002) "Managing the Total Customer Experience," MIT Sloan Management Review, 43/3 (Spring): 85-89.

13. Meyer, C. and Schwager, A. (2007) "Understanding Customer Experience," Harvard Business Review, 85/2 (February): 118.

14. Kapferer, J. N. and Bastien, V. (2008) The Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands (London and Philadelphia: Kogan Page).

15. Vigneron, F. and Johnson, L. W. (2004) "Measuring Perceptions of Brand Luxury," Journal of Brand Management, 11/6 (July): 484-506.

16. Patrick, V. and Hagtvedt, H. (2009) "Luxury Branding," in Handbook of Brand Relationships, eds. Deborah J. MacInnis, Joseph W. Priester and Choong Whan Park: 267-280 (New York: Society for Consumer Psychology and M.E. Sharpe).

17. Dubois, B. and Paternault, C. (1995) "Understanding the World of International Luxury Brands: The 'Dream Formula'," Journal of Advertising Research, 35/4 (July-August): 69-76.

18. Berthon, P. R., Pitt, L. F., Parent, M. and Berthon, J.P. (2009) "Aesthetics and Ephemerality: Observing and Preserving the Luxury Brand," California Management Review, 52/4 (Fall): 45-66.

19. Kapferer, J. N. and Bastien, V. (2008) The Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands (London and Philadelphia: Kogan Page).

20. Hagtvedt, H. and Patrick, V. (2008) "Art Infusion: The Influence of Visual Art on the Perception and Evaluation of Consumer Products," Journal of Marketing Research, 45/3 (June):379-389.

21. Silverstein, M.J. and Fiske, N. (2003) "Luxury for the Masses," Harvard Business Review, 81/4: 48-57.

22. Davis, A. (2013) "Louis Vuitton Perfectly Engineers 'It' Bag Frenzy," The Cut - New York Magazine (comment), September 16, 2013, http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/09/louis-vuitton-perfectly-engineers-it-bag-frenzy.html.

23. Glaser, B. G. and Strauss, A. L. (1967), Discovery of Grounded Theory-Strategies for Qualitative Research, (Chicago: Aldine).

24. Goulding, C. (2002), Grounded Theory. A Practical Guide for Management, Business and Market Researchers, (London: Sage).

25. Strauss, A. L. and Corbin, J. (1990), Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques (Newbury Park: Sage).

26. Hudson, L. A. and Ozanne, J. L. (1988), "Alternative Ways of Seeking Knowledge in Consumer Research", Journal of consumer research, 14/4 (March): 508-521.

" Different Types of Risk in Your Supply Chain, and How to Avoid Them The Magic of Innovation "

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Designing Luxury Experience | The European Business Review

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In luxury brand management, experiences are essential. However, most of what we know about designing customer experiences originates from work developed with and/or for mass brands. Luxury brands are conceptually different and require a specific approach to brand management. This article offers a framework to guide you through the design of building a luxury experience.

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Defining Luxury Brand Values

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Perhaps there is no more contentious issue in the luxury market today than what makes a brand "real" luxury? The industry establishment frequently claims that this brand or that one simply doesn't measure up to their inbred standard, thus negating it as a competitive threat. But all that is changing, as the very definition of "luxury" is undergoing a paradigm shift in the consumer market.

In a recent survey conducted with over 600 luxury retailers and marketers by Unity Marketing and Luxury Daily, industry insiders identified the very definition of luxury is changing as the No. 1 threat disrupting the business of luxury. Increasingly, luxury is becoming irrelevant with the result, as this insider said, "Luxury retailers and brands have lost their way."

Another insider expressed the quandary facing the luxury industry today: "The change in how consumers define luxury and the new path to purchase is dramatically redefining the marketing strategy. Luxury brands must be very agile and innovative in order to gain the favors of the new luxury consumer."

The luxury industry has an identity crisis. "The idea that luxury matters less and less to young people is a concern, as they will define what luxury means versus brands defining it via marketing efforts," said another.

The marketers' challenge is to translate their brand messages into values that are truly meaningful and relevant to today's customers' lifestyles and their increasingly sophisticated and informed mindset. But luxury marketers can't dictate anymore. They must follow the customers' lead, an idea foreign to the powers that be in the industry.

In research for my book, Putting the Luxe Back in Luxury: How new consumer values are redefining the way we market luxury, I found 10 essential values that a luxury brand must reflect to earn the title of "luxury." These values still hold in the face of the changing affluent consumer demographics, purchase behavior and their new thinking about what luxury means. But each value has to be interpreted for today's customers. H

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What Makes A Brand Luxury And Why Shinola Earns The Title

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Survey among luxury industry insiders finds the defintion of luxury has changed. It is the number trend disrupting business of luxury. There are 10 values that a brand must meet to qualify as luxury. But they must be interpreted for a new generation. How Shinola earns the title of Luxury Brand.

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"What do a painted pebble, a diamond made from roadkill, and an ecclesiastical crown all have in common?"

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"In recent times we've seen luxury brands go back to their heritage and craftsmanship as an antidote to the logo and as a way of distinguishing their brand," he said. "But the trap is that this can tip into nostalgia, and I don't think the contemporary luxury consumer is feeling nostalgic."

Sepia-tinged advertising campaigns, mini-movies showing white-coated workers hand stitching in the workshop, the revival of dormant heritage brands such as Vionnet, Poiret and Schiaparelli, and marketing campaigns anchored to milestone anniversaries all have contributed to this wistful mood.

"There are a lot of people working in a craft-based way today and who are dedicated to materials and processes, but in ways that you couldn't call at all nostalgic," said Mr. Openshaw, offering as examples the Irish furniture designer Joseph Walsh and the milliner and jeweler Maiko Takeda, who is based in London. "Their work is in no way heritage, but they also aren't happy to just hand over the whole process to a machine."

Ms. Scholze believes contemporary craft is poised to fill something that has been lost in the boom of the luxury industry. The personal luxury goods market was worth 223 billion euros, or $242 billion, in 2014, triple its size 20 years ago, according to the global management consultancy Bain. And while growth has slowed recently, there still has been significant change.

"The luxury industry has become so successful and often so accessible, it can feel like the question of exclusivity has been lost," Ms. Scholze said. "Craft in luxury is about making something that is so unique it can only be made one time, and, perhaps even more, appreciating the passion and endless obsession of these makers."

An example of such single-minded creativity in the museum exhibition will be The Golden Fleece, a headpiece made from strands of gold so impossibly thin that it has the appearance of fur. It took its creator, Giovanni Corvaja, a grueling 12 years of research and more than 2,500 hours to make.

The piece combines traditional metalwork with a technique devised by Mr. Corvaja that combines weaving, braiding and carpet-making, resulting in a gold wire that is one-fifth the diameter of human hair.

"My pieces turn out to be luxury items because of the rarity of the components they are made of, rather than the fact they are made of a precious metal," said the goldsmith, who works in Todi, in the Italian province of Perugia. "I like to think about my work as a mixture of various elements: time, diligence, skill, passion, ideas and gold. And of all those things, gold is probably the most easily attainable."

Another of the exhibition's craftsmanship showpieces is a chandelier created by the Amsterdam-based duo Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta of Studio Drift. The Fragile Future 3 Concrete Chandelier, which is about 11 square feet and took two months to create, combines a modular three-dimensional circuit board structure with LED lights decorated with real dandelion seeds. The dandelion seeds were harvested by the studio and dried and applied to the LEDs by hand.

"The Fragile Futures projects started with us thinking about what happens when you fuse natural components with technological components," Ms. Gordijn said. The combination of contradictory materials seems to achieve something impossible, rather than the obviously expensive.

"We were surprised to be included in an exhibition about luxury because our work feels very removed from the world of luxury brands and logo handbags, but perhaps we represent what luxury could be," Mr. Nauta said. "What people who buy our work are buying is a huge amount of time that allows us to put so much thought and care into a piece. That to me is luxury."

The definition of craft must evolve beyond traditional handmade techniques if it is to free itself from nostalgic associations with the past, Mr. Openshaw said. "I think it is less about handcraft and it's more about the fingerprint of the maker; it's about objects showing the unique fingerprint of something that feels extraordinary."

The V&A's exhibition is well timed, said Claudia D'Arpizio, partner and head of Bain's global luxury goods practice. Ms. D'Arpizio said she had observed a shift to a more thoughtful attitude toward luxury purchases in the global market.

"Status symbols and showing off possessions are still important, but globally we're seeing increased sophistication in taste," she said. "Increasingly it's about demonstrating knowledge, passion and taste in what you're buying."

The fashion designer Iris van Herpen is, by her own admission, pushing the relationship between craftsmanship and luxury to its limit.

"Craft is still very important for the luxury industry, but it shares its place with newer techniques and technology," she said. "In my opinion they are equal and they need each other."

The Amsterdam-based designer regularly experiments with what she describes as "3D and 4D printing, biomaterials, biotechnology and metamaterials."

A dress from her spring 2013 collection, created in collaboration with the Canadian architect Philip Beesley, will be part of the V&A exhibition. It incorporates handwork techniques with graduated laser-cut mesh.

"It might sound conflicting, but new technology makes new ways of excellent craft possible again," Ms. van Herpen said. "We craft dresses by hand because they are impossible to make with technology, and we use all kinds of new techniques and technology for the same reason - because that would be impossible to do by hand."

She added: "It's about a mix of traditional craft, collaboration and knowledge with new techniques and materials - possibly even with science or biology. Technology and craft go hand in hand, and that's the ultimate luxury."

To Mr. Nauta, the markers of what is rare and exclusive in the 21st century are more elusive.

"It's about that moment of surprise when someone walks into a space and encounters a piece and gets a feeling of the impossible being possible," he said. "That's the quality that we want to capture in the objects we make."

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"In recent times we've seen luxury brands go back to their heritage and craftsmanship as an antidote to the logo and as a way of distinguishing their brand," he said. "But the trap is that this can tip into nostalgia, and I don't think the contemporary luxury consumer is feeling nostalgic."

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Luxury Consumer Trends

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The partnership between tech giant Apple and fashion powerhouse Hermès on a special-edition Apple Watch is a clear indication that the luxury market is evolving.

The association helps Hermès remain at the cutting edge of luxury but perhaps more significantly, according to Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson, it is a strong signal that Apple now sees itself as luxury brand. "Look at Apple's price point. Look at their visual merchandising. Look at their creative directors. Look at their executive team. Look at their mythological founder," he says.

The limited edition Hermès watch will most likely sell out immediately when it goes on sale on Monday, but Ritson suggests the long-term benefit of the association will be far more valuable for Apple, as the deal has the ability to "alter and improve brand equity as part of the process". In another move designed to strengthen Apple's luxury credentials, British fashion label Burberry has become the first brand to launch a dedicated channel on the Apple Music streaming service.

This shift towards Apple being seen as a luxury brand is largely driven by the reputation it has earned through the quality of its engineering - something that illustrates just one of four major changes under way in the wider luxury market. Marketing Week sets out to examine each of these burgeoning trends.

1. Quality comes before exclusivity

Apple's partnerships with Hermès and Burberry signal a shift in consumers' perceptions of what constitutes luxury that is backed up by data from a major new report on the sector. Quality, not exclusivity, is now the key definer of luxury for consumers globally, with 86% citing it as the most important attribute, according to Albatross Global Solutions and Numberly's fourth annual 'The Journey of a Luxury Consumer' report.

Indeed, Apple design chief Jony Ive told The Wall Street Journal last month that he does not consider the Apple Watch Hermès collection "exclusive" and is "not comfortable" with the word.

Quality overtook exclusivity in the report last year as the leading characteristic of luxury, and its prominence continues to rise in 2015's data, while the role of exclusivity falls back. The number of people naming exclusivity as the key attribute of luxury products drops 15 percentage points to 52% this year, meaning elegance (60%) becomes the second most important attribute for global audiences.

In the UK, quality is even more important than it is for the average global consumer with 89% rating it their top priority, followed by craftsmanship (64%). Again the significance of exclusivity is declining, falling 14 percentage points in the UK to 51%. Elegance (44%) is not as relevant for UK consumers.

"What separates true luxury from the idea of luxury is quality," says Javier Calvar, chief operating officer at market research firm Albatross Global Solutions.

"As luxury becomes more democratic, exclusivity becomes less important to consumers," adds Calvar. He suggests this is because of the increase in luxury consumers from China who do not want to show off their wealth, and because for millennials - another group growing in importance and wealth - "luxury is like a membership badge" so they have no interest in something that separates them from their peers.

"We've seen a definite shift in our demographic, as has the whole luxury sector," says Simon Sproule, director of global marketing and communications at Aston Martin Lagonda.

"If you take the total global luxury market, 60% is still baby boomers and above, but the other 40% is 'Generation X' and millennials, so [younger people are] a significant chunk of business."

However, he does not believe the defining attributes that make a product a 'luxury' change according to a person's age. "If you are buying an expensive product, then you're looking for quality, you're looking for a story and for something that fits your lifestyle," he says. For Aston Martin, "it's about making the car relevant to [different consumers] at that point in their life".

As a result, the concept of the traditional showroom is becoming less intrinsic to the sales process. Instead, consumers in the luxury car market want to shop for a brand in an environment that is reflective of their lives.

2. Retail footfall is dropping

"People want to experience a brand on their terms, which means they may not necessarily walk into a showroom," says Sproule. "We have a retail structure, as do all car manufacturers, but we're seeing an increase in urban locations for car retailing, which is less about selling a car and more about brand experience."

Concept stores in shopping malls and on the high street, as well as brand showrooms in premium locations in major cities around the world, are therefore becoming more important, as is sponsorship of cultural and sporting events.

In line with this strategy, Aston Martin is taking part in furniture designer Tom Dixon's Multiplex concept (below), a pop-up department store situated in London's Old Selfridges Hotel, which has been developed in association with Wallpaper magazine.

"The chance to look at a nice car in a department store may seem unusual but actually it works because people are relaxed as they are out for a day's shopping. It's not a hostile environment so it's a good place for us to be," Sproule says.

The concept store - an immersive, multisensory look at what the department store of the future might look like - brings together Tom Dixon's brand with businesses from the worlds of fashion, beauty, art, technology and design.

Dixon created Multiplex to counteract the shift towards online shopping. He says: "It's getting difficult [for all brands] to do physical spaces. The big challenge that everyone has, and particularly furniture brands, is dragging people off their couches and into real environments to experience real stuff."

Multiplex is open until 15 October and coincides with London Fashion Week, the London Design Festival, the BFI Film Festival and the Frieze art fair. It includes furniture and lighting from Tom Dixon; an immersive spa experience from perfume brand Haeckels; an installation from eyewear brand Cubitts, where visitors can purchase handmade glasses and view a range of experimental frames made from coal, cement and rust; and a concept car from Aston Martin on the ground floor.

"Keeping a brand as an 'island' is an old-fashioned concept," says Dixon. "The modern world is really about the network you have. We have made a whole new network from different worlds [at Multiplex] and it's how they overlap and work together that will make them more powerful."

3. Most luxury consumers are 'digital natives'

In response to the changing luxury landscape and the rise in wealth of the digitally literate young generations, fashion publisher i-D, which is owned by Vice, has launched Amuse, a global online luxury lifestyle channel designed specifically for millennials.

"A number of luxury brands are still very much on the cusp of getting involved in digital marketing and really understanding it," says i-D and Amuse managing director Richard Martin, who believes the luxury market is yet to adapt to the new breed of 'digital-by-default' consumers. Amuse aims to look at luxury from a different angle that Martin believes is in keeping with today's aspirational millennials.

"It's also about redefining what luxury is," he adds. "Modern luxury could be about experience, curiosity or time, which is becoming ever more precious. We won't just do articles about expensive products because it's not about that. We talk about products but we also look at back stories, narrative and why that product is important."

Martin says the publisher is "trying to break a few moulds" with its approach to video and written content. An example is its take on travel journalism through the 'Second Gen' video series, which follows second-generation migrants such as Sharmadean Reid, the founder of Wah Nails, on journeys to their parents' homeland.

"It creates a highly emotional connection while at the same time looking at travel through fresh eyes," says Martin. "It has a different level of integrity and is an example of how we look at a traditional topic, such as travel, while making sure we're building in an emotional narrative."

Even very traditional luxury brands, such as hotel chain Ritz-Carlton, are realising they need to modernise and refresh certain aspects of their business in order to appeal to younger consumers.

Over the past two years the brand has been on a mission to "make sure everything from food to marketing is appealing to 'Generation Y' [another name for millenials]", according to vice-president of global brand marketing Lisa Holladay. She believes many luxury chains run the risk of becoming irrelevant as they continue to pursue outdated strategies.

As part of the move, Holladay says Ritz-Carlton will update its hotels to incorporate cultural influences that better reflect each individual location and create less formal dining experiences to appeal to "the next phase of luxury travellers, who do perhaps also enjoy boutique hotels and Airbnb".

The hotel chain, named the world's most popular luxury hotel brand in a report by consultancy Luxury Branding last week, has also unveiled a new "bolder" logo that it hopes will create better stand-out, particularly in growing markets such as Asia and the Middle East where its brand recognition is lower.

4. Growth of the global middle class

The evolution of the luxury consumer landscape will progress at a faster pace as people's wealth continues to rise, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It estimates that the size of the middle class globally will reach 3.2 billion by 2020, up from 1.8 billion in 2009, and it is expected to reach 4.9 billion by 2030. Around 85% of this growth is expected to come from Asia.

"It means that wealth around the world is being redistributed, and when money goes into the hands of people that didn't have much of it before the relationship those individuals have with luxury brands is very different from those who have been exposed to luxury brands for a long time," says Calvar at Albatross Global Solutions.

It is something that luxury yacht brand Princess is witnessing. Over the past year, the yacht manufacturer has seen a 4.5% increase in the number of first-time boat buyers purchasing its top-end M-class products, which marketing director Kiran Haslam says "tells me a lot about what somebody entering the market wants in terms of luxury".

"There is a level of comfort in spend unlike what we've seen previously. People are comfortable spending a lot more money than ever before, even within the luxury market segment," he adds.

Princess deals with a mix of customer types, from people who have inherited their wealth through to self-made millionaires and more "flamboyant" customers who tend to come from emerging market wealth. The latter want "instant gratification", Haslam says, which can be difficult as boats generally take 12 to 14 months to build.

Growth is coming from younger buyers too. He adds: "A really large percentage of our top-end product customers are between the age of 30 and 50. It's no longer a retirement plan to buy yourself a yacht to enjoy in your golden years. We have much younger buyers coming through. We saw that at both the Cannes and Southampton boat shows."

As the number of luxury consumers rises and wealth is redistributed globally, the brands that prosper will be the ones that refresh and adapt to meet the changing consumer behaviour these shifts are creating.
Simon Sproule will be speaking at the Festival of Marketing in November. For more information and to get tickets, visit www.festivalofmarketing.com
Luxury is becoming less of a status symbol in the UK

In line with the fact that exclusivity is becoming less relevant as a defining factor of luxury, fewer UK consumers see luxury products as a status symbol, according to the fourth edition of Albatross Global Solutions and Numberly's 'The Journey of a Luxury Consumer' report.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of UK consumers view luxury purchases as a way to reward themselves and to meet their own personal needs, the largest proportion of anywhere in the world. This compares to just 48% when looking at a global level.

The remaining consumers in the UK see luxury goods as way of promoting their social standing, with 12% classing it as an indicator or social success, 12% believing it is a sign of social acceptance and a further 12% viewing luxury purchases as a status symbol.

Recognition from peers is far more important for consumers globally. Just under a quarter (22%) view luxury purchases as a status symbol, 18% associate designer goods with social success and 11% buy luxury items to gain social acceptance.

This trend is exaggerated further among millennials, 62% of whom make luxury purchases in order to gain some form of social acknowledgment, with one survey respondent from New York stating that luxury is about "being able to show the best version of myself" and "show other people I am playing at their level".

"In the past, millennials have been accused of being unsocial, lazy and irresponsible but today these people are getting jobs, pursuing careers and becoming socially responsible individuals. They need recognition [of this shift in behaviour] and luxury helps them get that recognition," says Javier Calvar, chief operating officer at market research firm Albatross Global Solutions.

With regards to the key channels for information and inspiration ahead of making a purchase, the UK is more in line with the rest of the world. Stores remain the main source of communication for consumers (59% global, 58% UK), followed by digital media (58% global, 52% UK).

No matter where information is sourced, however, most purchases are made in stores. In the UK, 48% of consumers only research products offline, with 94% going on to make purchases in-store. This compares to just 13% who only use digital channels for research, 44% of which go on to buy goods online. For consumers who do a mixture of online and offline research (39%), 88% make their purchases in-store, while 12% choose to do so online.

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Four trends changing the definition of luxury

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The partnership between tech giant Apple and fashion powerhouse Hermès on a special-edition Apple Watch is a clear indication that the luxury market is evolving. The association helps Hermès remain at the cutting edge of luxury but perhaps more significantly, according to Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson, it is a strong signal that Apple now sees itself as luxury brand.

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Brief interviews from thought leaders on luxury today

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Luxury used to mean flashy handbags, fine furs and five-star hotels. Yet in the era of modern style, it's no longer synonymous with exorbitance and exclusivity. Luxury has morphed beyond high price points and iconic labels, and instead now revolves around everything from uniqueness to meaning to experience.

We asked fashion insiders what the word means to them and how it's shaping business strategy and consumer engagement.

Tammy Eckenswiller, vp of brand creative, Rebecca Minkoff
The definition of luxury for me would be a direct, authentic relationship with a brand, whether that's a $15 flip-flop or a $15,000 bag. There's something really luxurious about that connection that you have with brands and that brands can make with you.

For example, athleisure retailer Outdoor Voices right now is to me a luxury brand, even though from a financial perspective, it would not traditionally be considered a luxury brand. It's this connection they develop that's very authentic. As a brand, you want to create more of that, to make a direct relationship that's a more real-time conversation where you're not just firing out campaigns and messaging. It helps you to think outside the box because consumers are co-creating with you.

Kristen Naiman, svp of brand creative, Kate Spade New York
It's been a long time since luxury products could be defined as luxurious simply because they were made out of something super expensive or rare, or because they were only accessible to the few. We've also moved beyond luxury as simply intelligent design accessible to many.

To me, luxury now is that incredibly unique thing, different for each person, which can express the spirited voice and individuality of the person wearing it. Luxury is the perfect match between the product and the customer. To create luxury products now, you must know not only whom you are talking to, but also what she wants to say about herself.

Rony Zeidan, founder and creative director, RO New York
Luxury hasn't changed; it still represents a high level of aesthetic of execution at all levels form creation, to manufacturing, materials, craftsmanship, service, experience and sensibility. What has changed in recent years is what the consumers think luxury is, influenced by marketing and social status.

Jane Lewis, founder and designer, Goat Fashion
The connotation of luxury as we have come to know it has evolved. It now embodies a more rounded and meaningful customer journey and relationship. I believe customers seek to understand and relate to a brand's integral values, craft and expertise. It's simply not enough to have a high price tag to denote a luxury item - customers need to feel an emotional connection of sorts and an intellectual investment in the pieces they purchase. The experience rather than the expense is what true luxury is about.

Inii Kim, co-founder and creative director, King & Partners
To me, luxury is still about being extraordinary in what you do. Staying true to the idea of luxury to me is brands that go far beyond regular procedure to stay exceptional in terms of the quality of their products and the experience they provide, while staying pure and aspirational on every channel. Being more accessible does not necessarily mean losing the title of a "luxury" brand, but when you start to dilute your brand value in order to capture a greater audience, that's when "luxury" is lost.

Malinda Sanna, founder and CEO, Spark Ideas
What has emerged as the new definition of luxury is the small, the rare, the thought leader. True luxury today is experiential; it's having the inside track that not everyone knows about. It is highly personal and intuitive. It never copies, it leads. It surprises and takes risks. And it makes you see the brand as the only solution to your desire in a sea of sameness.

But whether it's a fashion brand, a boutique luxury villa subscription service or a young jeweler, the new definition of luxury encompasses a belief in something. It's a piece of global soul. The specialness comes not just from the connection you have to the "thing" or even to the experience but to the entire set of values that surround it.

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The changing definition of luxury brands

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Luxury used to mean flashy handbags, fine furs and five-star hotels. Yet in the era of modern style, it's no longer synonymous with exorbitance and exclusivity. Luxury has morphed beyond high price points and iconic labels, and instead now revolves around everything from uniqueness to meaning to experience.

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#Wellness

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NEW YORK, United States - At 4pm on Saturday, April 30, a small group of runners convened at an event space in the warehouse-heavy neighbourhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn, for a guided meditation session. The gathering preceded the Red Hook Crit 5K run, a circuit race that happens in tandem with the more famous high-speed bicycling competition of the same name.

The session was organised by Tom Daly and Max Vallot, who have spent the last two years developing the first line of products for their new label District Vision: made-in-Japan sunglasses specifically designed for running, which debuted in December 2015 and are sold at retailers including Dover Street Market and The Webster, as well as through the company's own e-commerce platform. Daly and Vallot enlisted American photographer Chadwick Tyler to document the happening.

On the face of it, District Vision's efforts to market its products with a meditation experience seem similar to the strategies being widely adopted across the sports and activewear space (see Nike's running clubs and Lululemon's yoga classes, which, ultimately, function as sophisticated marketing experiences driving sales of apparel and shoes).

But District Vision doesn't see its running-and-meditation programme - which takes participants through a specific breathing sequence that allows runners to move and meditate at the same time - as a mere marketing tool. "What we're developing is a product as well," says Vallot, who plans to package and sell these techniques. Along with activities like the Red Hook Crit, District Vision is introducing people to its meditation-through-motion practice via in-person events with figures like the famous Indian yogi and author Sadhguru, as well as videos. "There's a mental aspect of this and a physical aspect. I think we, as a niche brand in sports, have the ability to be a little bit more controversial with the mental aspect and play on that."

The idea of staging a transformative experience, not only as marketing but as a product to be sold, is linked to the wider rise of the "Transformation Economy" as foreseen by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, who have long described product innovation in consumer markets as a multi-staged "progression of economic value" from commodities to goods to services to experiences to personal transformations, where a better you becomes the product.

"When we buy experiences, those purchases make us happier than when we buy things," says Pine, citing a 2014 Boston Consulting Group report which reveals that of the $1.8 trillion spent on "luxuries" in 2013, nearly $1 trillion, or 55 percent, was spent on luxury experiences. "Some large part of that trillion is luxury transformations: people looking to recharge, revitalise or to improve well-being in some way," he continues.

The market for wellness tourism alone - which includes activities like yoga or meditation retreats - grew to $494 million in 2013, a 13 percent jump from the previous year, according to the Global Wellness Institute, a think tank. Fashionable studios like The Class and Sky Ting Yoga, both founded in New York City, regularly host retreats at prices equivalent to the cost of a luxury handbag.

On the West Coast of the US, "transformational festivals" are on the rise. Two years ago, a group of Burning Man veterans launched Further Future Festival, a high-end version of the annual gathering, which promises a desert weekend "filled with incredible music, visionary speakers, inspirational art and human connection."

Brands must remember that consumers are looking to become better people.

"People really want to learn and tap into that ability to lead a better life," explains Colleen Wachob, the chief branding officer of MindBodyGreen, a media property dedicated to health, wellness and lifestyle. Along with service journalism - which is written by a staff of editors as well as expert columnists - the publication offers paid online courses on everything from "beating inflammation" to the "art of detoxing." It also hosts an annual "Revitalize" summit, where 250 influencers pay to hear from leaders in health, wellness and entrepreneurship.

Robyn Berkley, founder of New York-based activewear brand Live the Process, turned her personal passion for yoga, meditation and wellness into a clothing line, which also produces content and hosts transformative one-off events. "I want to be the brand that incorporates idealism into someone's life," Berkley says. "This conversation would not have happened four, or even two, years ago."

Traditional luxury retailers are responding. In six of its stores (and online), Lane Crawford has developed a "Fit Room," a year-long pop-up that features products from more than 70 brands aligned, in some way, with the Transformation Economy, from Live the Process leggings and District Vision sunglasses to Vitamix blenders, Fitbit fitness trackers and Technogym equipment. Along with in-store workouts and other events, the China-based department store is offering beauty touch-ups and a cold-press juice bar.

Similarly, in London, Selfridges has opened a "Body Studio," which at 37,000 square feet, is the store's largest department. (It's a part of the Oxford Street location's five-year, £300 million redevelopment.) The space features 150 brands in the lingerie, activewear and swim categories, with prices starting at £5 and topping off at £2,500. Selfridge's e-commerce site and locations in Manchester and Birmingham also plan to crank up activewear- and innerwear-driven promotions. While Lane Crawford's Fit Room is focused primarily on health-related products, Selfridges' Body Studio is broader in scope, with a Daniel Galvin hair salon, a "Fit Studio" for bra fittings and, maybe most significantly, Hemsley + Hemsley at Selfridges, the first café concept from clean-living food bloggers Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley.

But are these retailers really productising transformations themselves? Or are they simply packaging a selection of goods under a timely thematic umbrella, bolstered by related activities that function more like marketing? Genuine transformations - though they may well drive sales of associated product - must come with a price tag of their own. "What turns something into an experience is when you charge for time," Pine says. "An admission fee also sends a signal that this is an experience worth having."

At multi-brand activewear retailer Bandier, classes at Studio B, a fitness studio in its 5th Avenue flagship are not free. Instead, the retailer brings in star instructors from studios across the city who each charge their normal fee. (Bandier takes a commission.) "For the instructors we work with, Studio B feels like their own studio without all of the operational burden and real estate expense," says founder Jennifer Bandier. "We wanted to give some of our favourite fitness brands a platform for growth, as Bandier's growth is tied to the vibrancy of the overall health, wellness and fitness community." The company says that it has doubled its foot traffic since opening the studio and plans to introduce a similar concept in Los Angeles later this year. "We think about creating and curating experiences in a similar way to how we buy and merchandise our stores," she says. "The experiences we create are part of our overall product offering."

But while tapping the "Transformation Economy" may seem like a natural move for activewear brands, does it make sense for traditional fashion companies?

In some ways, fashion goods have always been transformative in their own right: they can certainly make someone more attractive and communicate social status. So it's perhaps not that much of a stretch for fashion brands to start offering deeper transformations. "Brands must remember that consumers are looking to become better people," Pine says. "If they're buying physical goods, it's to achieve aspirations, whatever they might be."

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NEW YORK, United States - At 4pm on Saturday, April 30, a small group of runners convened at an event space in the warehouse-heavy neighbourhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn, for a guided meditation session. The gathering preceded the Red Hook Crit 5K run, a circuit race that happens in tandem with the more famous high-speed bicycling competition of the same name.

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#Wellness

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Consumers are placing more value on health and wellness than on material objects these days, and the definition of health and wellness has evolved. The phrase no longer refers simply to a lack of illness and disease, but to a more holistic state of being, where one's mental, physical and emotional health are in sync. And in an era in which so many catalog their lives on social media, looking great, feeling good and sleeping well are the new luxuries that consumers want to enjoy and flaunt.

Last week, I heard Jack Ma, Chairman and Founder of Alibaba, speak at Alibaba's Gateway '17 summit in Detroit, and I think he properly summed up this growing trend: today's customers want to be healthy and happy, no matter who they are. Owning the most expensive or the latest goods has taken a back seat to looking good and feeling good, and consumers are showing an increasing preference for participating in activities and indulging in experiences that promote their well-being-and sharing those experiences with their friends.

People are spending on a holistic approach to health and wellness that includes nearly every aspect of life, even sleep. Consumers are increasingly participating in fitness classes and activities that improve well-being; using products, devices and apps that aid sleep; and eating organic and natural foods, taking health supplements, and following special diets.

The popularity of the health and wellness trend is visible across consumer groups, and it differs significantly from the various food and exercise trends that took hold in previous decades. Eating healthily, exercising regularly and monitoring one's health have become a lifestyle choice. According to Euromonitor International, the global market for health and wellness offerings reached $686 billion in 2016 and it is expected to grow at a 3.5% CAGR, to $815 billion, by 2021.
Millennials: The Driving Force Behind the Wellness Trend
While this trend is visible across age groups, millennials are driving its growth. Millennials, who were born between 1980 and 1999, have grown up in a time of rapid change, so their priorities and expectations are sharply different from those of previous generations. According to the Harris Group, 72% of millennials would rather spend money on experiences than on material goods, and that preference is forcing retailers to adapt as more millennials ascend into adulthood and increase their spending power. For millennials, wellness is a daily, active pursuit, and one they are willing to spend on. Many of them bring fitness into everyday life visibly by wearing athleisure apparel for all kinds of activities other than working out. They also enthusiastically track their fitness training and sleep data through apps: research firm Forrester found that millennials and Gen Zers combined account for 69% of all fitness wearable owners.

In terms of shopping, millennials tend to prefer an experiential retail environment that goes beyond the transactional. Anjee Solanki of Colliers International, a leading global commercial real estate company, says that "any successful brick-and-mortar retail business knows that it's important to give customers a memorable experience in an immersive, dynamic environment by changing the physical spaces constantly to give customers something fresh and new."

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Wellness Is The New Luxury: Is Healthy And Happy The Future Of Retail?

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Consumers are placing more value on health and wellness than on material objects these days, and the definition of health and wellness has evolved. The phrase no longer refers simply to a lack of illness and disease, but to a more holistic state of being, where one's mental, physical and emotional health are in sync.

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#Offline #Film

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Offline is the new luxury - VPRO documentary - 2016

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#Offline #Film

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"The new standards of modern luxury are consumer-led rather than brand-driven, and they are steering the direction of high-end hospitality and travel."

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Last month we released our annual travel industry trends forecast, Skift Megatrends 2017. You can read about each of the trends on Skift, or download a copy of our magazine here. Download Your Copy of Skift Megatrends 2017
You may have noticed, over the last few years, a change in the wind - if not in your own luxury preferences and purchases, then surely with the tenor of a new generation of brands and services that all seem to embody a refreshingly modern take on what qualifies as luxurious.

You may have found yourself quietly questioning whether a mass-produced "luxury" carry-on, for instance, plastered with a monogram motif can qualify as luxurious, simply because of its high price. That's especially true when you can find a competing product of equal or better quality - and at a better price - from an up-and-coming specialist.

Exclusivity - and delight - are still just as important for the modern luxury experience today as they've ever been. But rather than scarcity being tied up in the cost of an item, or prestige being defined by the logo on the side of someone's bag, scarcity and prestige are linked to unique and outstanding brand experiences.

The recent release of Snap's Spectacles is a perfect example. The product rollout is intended to delight and to build excitement. But it also offers up a new way of thinking about exclusivity: exclusivity by geography, rather than financial exclusivity.

Social media-friendly, share-worthy, global: The Spectacles, while not quite a modern luxury item, have certainly adopted modern luxury behaviors. In doing so, they've stoked excitement for a product whose prestige is separated solely from price, and whose purchasing experience is exciting (and speaks volumes about the Snap brand going forward). These are talking points the hospitality industry might be wise to pay attention to.

Marked by a dramatic embrace of digital, and the arrival of a new wave of modern luxury brands and services that emphasize delightful experiences - be they in travel or otherwise - we find ourselves at a point on the luxury timeline where choice is now in the hands of the consumer, and smaller brands now have a chance to not only survive, but thrive. Furthermore, they've conditioned shoppers and travelers alike (who are often one and the same) to expect certain behaviors from the luxury brands they support and at the properties around the world where they choose to stay. In doing so, these up-and-comers are guiding the direction of the luxury marketplace today.

The longstanding standards of decorum and good taste have been upturned:

"Opulence," The Telegraph's Stephen Bayley recently noted, "is a dated part of any definition of luxury." Opulence, and opulence alone, doesn't cut it in today's competitive marketplace, which is driven by transparency and consumer choice/independence.

In the hospitality industry, we've already seen strategies that reflect this new way of luxury thinking from the likes of Conrad Hotels and Waldorf Astoria Hotels. Both have recently introduced new programs (Conrad's "Smart Luxury" initiative and Waldorf's "Unforgettable Experiences" program) intended to offer a more tailored experience for the well-heeled traveler. These programs are ambitious and certainly forward-looking, but they're also both an indirect reaction to the thinking (and threat) of Airbnb as well as more contemporary high-end hostels and hotel chains where buzzwords like "personal," "authentic," and "local" weigh heavily.

This sort of thinking reflects a new philosophy, where consumers aren't limited to the confines of a particular brand, and where companies simply become the catalyst by which they can create their own outcomes. That's one of the reasons why consumers are flocking to products that hide their logos on the inside, thereby allowing shoppers to express their sense of style without it being defined by a particular logo, NPD Group reported. The retail research firm recently reported that a third of all handbag purchases over a 12-month period up to June 2016 were of bags that hid their logos or had none at all. This uptick was consistent across all age groups - both younger buyers and older ones - not just shoppers in their 20s.

As these examples demonstrate, today's concept of luxury, whether for retail or for travel, isn't what it used to be. It's not about conspicuous consumption. It's about the personal journey, the experience, and the story behind it all. And that, in and of itself, presents the hospitality industry with an incredible opportunity to deliver truly bespoke and memorable experiences for today's discerning luxury traveler. Drawing on the expertise of retail innovators, smart luxury hoteliers can enhance the overall guest experience to be more personalized, more transparent, more desirable, and much more innovative than ever before.
Download Your Copy of Skift Megatrends 2017

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Travel Megatrends 2017: The New Luxury Is Defined by Small Brands and Big Stories

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Last month we released our annual travel industry trends forecast, Skift Megatrends 2017. You can read about each of the trends on Skift, or download a copy of our magazine here.

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Luxury experience as authentic, unique and sustainable

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At BoutiqueHomes, we love the idea of simple luxury. When we say luxury villas, we aren't talking about homes with all the bells and whistles and some extra bling thrown in.

Over the years, luxury has become synonymous with expensive brand names and logos. However, in recent years there's been talk of a shift. In 2007, writer Dana Thomas penned a book entitled Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. She noted that a backlash was beginning - a search for real luxury and traditional quality. She cited French shoe designer Christian Louboutin as saying, "Luxury is the possibility to stay close to your customers, and do things that you know they will love."

Some say this backlash has been spurred on by millennials, the generation born between 1980 and 2000. They're young, starting to earn big money, and have ideas about how they'd like to dispose of it. And it's not on status symbols. Millennials are free thinkers, individuals, disruptors.

Pam Danziger, a consultant on the spending habits of affluent Americans, has been widely quoted on the subject of this new luxury. Millennials, she says, are looking for substance over style. They are looking for ways of expressing themselves, going beyond the brand. They want to live in the moment. A 2014 survey by Harris Poll for online ticket company Eventbrite found that 78% of millennials would rather pay for an experience than for luxury goods.

As one millennial Lauren Martin wrote on Elite Daily, "The Baby Boomers seem to defy anything that remotely inspires creativity and a different view. They ignore what they don't know and hate what they can't understand. But we will be different." She proclaimed her own generation one of "freedom of expression" (and legal weed).

When it comes to travel, this translates into experience, experience, experience - something to post on Instagram to inspire (or piss off) your friends.

Millennials are looking for "authentic" interactions. So, instead of booking themselves into the Ritz-Carlton, they seek out utopian festivals. But they choose the VIP experience. Like Mark Zuckerberg dropping into Burning Man by helicopter and giving out grilled cheese sandwiches.

But, strange shenanigans in Black Rock City aside, we at BoutiqueHomes think they're onto something. We grew tired of homogenized, branded luxury years ago. According to lifestyle commentator Lucia van der Post, old luxury is a thing of the past. "The traditions of old luxury - the luxury of things - are awfully dull for new consumers. They want to be touched emotionally by their experiences, and there are new priorities, such as ethical concerns and sustainability."

What is luxury? In our opinion, it's simple. We like to leave the excess to the likes of Marie Antoinette, and the bling to the Kardashians. Instead we find luxury in a perfectly-constructed A-frame cabin in Yosemite, in a geometrical eco-cabin on Easter Island, and in the futuristic cool of a tiny Palm Springs hotel designed by John Lautner.

Our luxury 'villas' can be carefully restored farmhouses, characterful chateaux or architects' dream getaways. The luxury is in the owner's eye for design, and the care that they take to produce the very best quality. When we travel, we want our senses stimulated, not over-stimulated. We don't travel to be waited upon (although that can be fun). We travel to experience how other people see the world, to see their worlds through their eyes.

Our idea of luxury is simple - private, elegant destinations with a feeling of intimacy and seclusion. And yes, if you can make them eco-friendly, even better. In line with millennial thinking, the tourism sector has increasingly been offering opportunities for tourism based on the concept of eco-luxury. What good is your week of self-indulgence if it's destroying the world around it?

We don't make shoes, but we agree with Christian Louboutin. We want to get to know the owners of our properties when we stay in their homes. We want to find rentals we know our customers will love. And, like all good millennials, we value the importance of experience, creativity and individuality. That's true style - and substance.

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At BoutiqueHomes, we love the idea of simple luxury. When we say luxury villas, we aren't talking about homes with all the bells and whistles and some extra bling thrown in. Over the years, luxury has become synonymous with expensive brand names and logos. However, in recent years there's been talk of a shift.

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ROBB REPORT: New luxury as experience and inclusivity

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The world's most exclusive brands-many of which cling to tradition-are reshaping their long-standing practices to provide smarter, more immediate, more sustainable, and healthier products and services. Yet technological advances and innovative new business models are not the only forces driving the rapid evolution of the luxury marketplace. At the heart of these changes are dramatic shifts in the values, attitudes, priorities, and expectations of you-the consumer.
It was one of the most exclusive fashion shows of all time. When Tom Ford debuted his comeback women's collection in September 2010, he invited only 100 people to watch Lauren Hutton, Julianne Moore, Daphne Guinness, Beyoncé, and his other famous muses model sexy python-print gowns and fringed coats on the runway. The event took place months before the clothes would arrive in stores, and no photographs were allowed.

When Ford introduces his latest fall/winter collection this September, by contrast, anyone will be able to view the pieces online, and those with sufficient means will be able to purchase items as soon as they come down the runway. This is part of a new see-now-buy-now approach that Ford is testing. Burberry, Diane von Furstenberg, and several other fashion brands have launched similar programs.

"In a world that has become increasingly immediate, the current way of showing a collection four months before it is available to customers is an antiquated idea," said Ford in a press release. "Our customers today want a collection that is immediately available."

Ford's about-face is telling. New technology, market trends, and changing social attitudes have brands and companies catering to customer demands in an unprecedented manner. Now you can acquire nearly any item (a new Zenith watch from Mr. Porter, for example) the same day or engage any service, even a private jet charter, immediately, with the swipe of a finger, and have practically anything customized to your preferences. Even so, we want more than that.

"People still buy luxury products," says Claudia D'Arpizio, a partner at the management-consulting firm Bain & Company, which reports that the global luxury industry grew by 5 percent from 2014 to 2015 and surpassed $1 trillion in retail sales. "But they value the experience around them more than the products themselves, since the experience is more shareable."

More of us, in other words, seek meaning from our means. "We have gone from 'extra' values to 'intra' values," says Olivier Abtan, a partner and managing director at the Boston Consulting Group, another management-consulting firm. "That means spending good time, sustainability, health, and family."

Thus, luxury could be a private meeting at the base of the Himalayas with an oracle ordained by the Dalai Lama, arranged by the travel company Cox & Kings; or waking up to sunrise yoga on the rooftop helipad of the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. It could be a Ralph Lauren necktie that warns you when your heart rate accelerates too rapidly, a Bentley whose interior is lined with a material made from non-animal protein leather, or your own mouse avatar, on which doctors can test cancer treatments to determine which would be most effective for you.

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Technical Support
As Ford notes, you want immediate access to items, and digital platforms provide that. They also enable you to make informed purchases more easily and to engage conveniently with brands on a personal level. "Technology is a driver of shopping and customer experience," says D'Arpizio.

According to Joshua Schulman, president of Bergdorf Goodman and NMG International at the Neiman Marcus Group, 75 percent of his company's customers do research online before buying an item. Saks Fifth Avenue recently launched a service through which associates are available online around the clock, and they can curate personalized virtual boutiques for you on the company's website.

E-commerce, once thought to be only for mass-market brands, is becoming critical to the luxury sector. "In the U.S., some fashion brands have 20 to 30 percent of their sales online," says Abtan. He predicts that within the next year or two every luxury brand will be selling online, including such holdouts as Chanel and Harry Winston. Regardless of the nature of the purchase, it seems everyone enjoys the convenience of shopping online.

But as larger luxury brands proliferate on the web and open stores in every city, smaller boutique brands are filling a niche by providing individualized experiences and access. Human contact, when it's on your terms, can be the height of luxury.

In February, just hours after his fall/winter-collection runway show in New York, the women's-wear designer Joseph Altuzarra spent an entire afternoon at Bergdorf Goodman greeting clients as part of the store's Right from the Runway initiative. He explained his inspiration for the collection (Jim Jarmusch's vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive), described the work involved in the soutache braided embroidery on the back of a coat, and offered suggestions on how to style different looks. One woman, who was visiting from Europe, planned to buy a green ombré tie-dyed dress from the collection. After chatting with the designer, she purchased several additional pieces. "Women love having a relationship with the product they buy, and part of that is having a relationship with the designer," says Altuzarra. "Some designers are able to do that through digital and Instagram, but usually that's a relationship with a younger, more aspirational client. At the price point we're selling at, with $5,000 dresses, our customers are digitally aware, but they are not influenced by it. They are not on Instagram 24/7 looking at runway shows."

At his showroom in Manhattan, jeweler James de Givenchy works with each of his clients to create a one-of-a-kind piece. The average wait time for completion is eight weeks, and no one complains. "We have 12 manufacturers downstairs, and we serve a small market of people who want to have things made especially for them," de Givenchy says. "It's the experience of meeting and discussing what their needs are."

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Have It Your Way
The travel industry also recognizes the value of individual attention. Companies understand that you want to personalize trips and experience your passions. This could mean attending a sold-out baseball game in Osaka, Japan, or shopping for a Ferrari at the automaker's headquarters in Maranello, Italy, according to Scott Wiseman, president for the Americas at Cox & Kings. "It used to be that luxury had to do with being first to a new property or destination," he says. "Now people want to be part of something instead of watching it." Wiseman says his clients can overnight in a Maasai mud hut, for example, and learn something of the local culture.

Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, sees a demand for nontraditional travel experiences from his company's clients. "We never talk about exclusivity," he says, "we talk about inclusivity." He cites the appeal of the organic free-range chicken farm at the brand's Yao Noi property in Thailand, where you can collect your own eggs for breakfast. "It's about experience and community engagement," says Jacobs. "Customers who are spending north of $1,000 a night want more than just good service and a great bed."

Community engagement can extend to guest rooms. Gone is cookie-cutter hotel design: "People are preoccupied with the personality of spaces," says Ian Carr, co-CEO of the hospitality and residential design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates. "They don't want generic or transient. They want curated, personal, locally connected."

Hospitality companies also recognize guests' desires for seamless service and freedom from awkward, time-consuming social interactions. Technology can help address those demands. "More and more, people don't want to talk to anyone," says Herve Humler, president and COO of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, which has a GPS-enabled service in the works. It is expected to allow guests at the brand's resorts to use their mobile devices to order lunch from the beach, for example, and have a server locate their chaise longue on the sand.

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Sustainable Efforts
That lunch likely will not arrive in Styrofoam, and it could well include meat from animals that have been responsibly raised or produce that has been sustainably farmed. Cited in 2010 by the Harvard Business Review as a corporate mega-trend that would rival the impacts of mass production and electrification, sustainability is making its way into the luxury world. The luxury-industry conglomerate Kering's first Environmental Profit and Loss report, published last year, set targets for reducing emissions and waste from its production and supply chain. Jewelry brands Chopard and Tiffany & Co. have begun using ethically mined gems and recycling gold, silver, and platinum, because an increasing number of customers demanded that they do so.

In the luxury-auto market, the SUV, with its relatively low mileage rating, has remained popular enough for Jaguar, Maserati, and Bentley to launch, or prepare to launch, their first models. However, according to a March report by Donatas Bimba of the market-research firm Euromonitor International, sales of plug-in electric vehicles are set to bounce back in 2016 and record solid growth from 2017 onward thanks to upgraded models and improved charging infrastructure. Bimba cited plug-in hybrid vehicles as "the most dynamic new car segment in the U.S." and pointed to the BMW i8 and Mercedes-Benz S500e. He also noted the potential impact of the Model X all-electric SUV from Tesla, which is aiming to woo customers away from their Porsche Cayennes and Range Rovers.

"The electrification of the drivetrain is not a temporary phenomenon; it is the future of mobility," says Gorden Wagener, the chief designer at Mercedes-Benz, which has plans to offer 10 plug-in hybrid models by 2017 and recently announced a new policy requiring top managers to drive electrified, as opposed to gas-powered, company cars.

In addition to offering more environmentally friendly models, luxury carmakers may begin adding sustainable materials to their vehicles' cabins. "People on the top level of society-our customers-sooner or later won't order a Bentley with 20 hides, because as a, say, vegan person, they will not accept it," says Stefan Sielaff, director of design for Bentley Motors. "On the other side, they are not going to accept artificial leather, because it is oil based, so you really have to start experimenting with alternative, organic materials, such as textiles made of animal-free protein leather, silks, even stone." Bentley is already offering stone veneers, made of rocks sourced from quarries in India, in its Mulsanne models.

The transition to autonomous-driving vehicles could have an even more profound effect on car design. "Maybe in the future, the car is a sitting room, a living room, a conference room, and you use the time in the car in a different way," says Sielaff. "It becomes like sitting in first class of an aircraft."

In BMW's Vision Next 100 self-driving concept car, the steering wheel and center console retract so that the driver and front-seat passenger can turn toward each other. Another autonomous-driving vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz F 015 research car, is described as a "luxury lounge," with chairs that can rotate to form a club-style seating arrangement.

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The Balance Equation
Our own health is as important to many of us as the planet's, and fashion and hospitality brands, along with hospitals and medical practices, are responding accordingly. Fashion labels are designing their own Fitbit devices (Tory Burch), activewear (Zegna), and connected clothing. Ralph Lauren's PoloTech shirt works with an iPhone or Apple Watch to put real-time workout data in your hand. A smart suit or necktie that could advise the wearer on heart rate and body temperature may not be far off. "Living a luxury lifestyle isn't just the dream of having a better life," says David Lauren, executive vice president of global advertising, marketing, and communications at Ralph Lauren. "It's also how technology can help you live a healthier, better life now."

The country's leading hospitals have long offered executive health programs that work with patients on preventive health care, nutrition, and stress management. The programs were initiated in the 1960s to protect C-level managers and board members considered valuable assets by corporations. "But now, the real growth segment has been in individuals motivated toward this kind of health-care surveillance," says Dr. Benjamin Ansell, the director of UCLA's Executive Health Program, which provides personalized, in-depth evaluations. Private practices offer similar programs.

Craig Venter, one of the first people to map the human genome, offers an executive physical at his latest venture, the La Jolla, Calif.-based Human Longevity. For $25,000, the company will sequence your DNA and run a full complement of tests to determine your risk for heart disease, melanoma, dementia, and other ailments. "Having the ability to control health and life outcomes is the ultimate luxury," he says. (Some experts argue that genome sequencing alone may not be sufficient to detect health risks, and that further research is needed.)

Venter's company is focused on advanced preventive care; others provide exclusive treatments. Champions Oncology is among the companies offering a mouse avatar to cancer patients. For a price starting at $10,000, Champions will remove a portion of the patient's tumor, inject it into the mouse, and have the animal undergo different treatments to determine which will work best for the patient. (Doctors disagree on the efficacy of such practices when compared to human clinical trials.)

In the hospitality realm, hotels and resorts are providing health and wellness services that go far beyond facials and massages. The comforts of home on the road now include nutritious foods, fully equipped workout facilities, yoga, and spin classes. "It's a luxury to have normalcy when you travel," says Michael Newcombe, general manager for the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. He oversees all 38 Four Seasons spas in the Americas and has partnered on services with local fitness professionals, dermatologists, and medical providers.

Health retreats offer increasingly sophisticated medical services, such as Alzheimer's prevention through cognitive stimulation, sleep recovery programs, and couples counseling. "The old-fashioned notion of going to a health spa involves weight loss and plastic surgery," says Alejandro Bataller, a vice president at the SHA Wellness Clinic near Alicante, Spain. "But now, it's so much more." The SHA experience includes classes at the clinic's health academy, where visitors learn how to manage stress and cook healthy meals. And Bataller is working with a Spanish university to develop an app that will keep track of guests' progress after they leave. "We are going to be able to support you through technology wherever you are," he says.

But for all the ways luxury companies are employing new technologies to meet your demands and enhance your life-providing instant access to the latest fashions or seamless service at resorts and hotels or cutting-edge wellness programs-their ability to forge relationships with you and other clients may ultimately determine whether they succeed or fail, says Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, a research organization in New York. "What wealthy people want is empathy, trustworthiness, the emotional elements of humanity," he says. "It's not a points program or Champagne when you walk in the store that matters. It's doing little things that mean so much more."

Accordingly, Pedraza says, the luxury industry is paying particular attention to women, and not just with marketing initiatives such as Bergdorf Goodman's Right from the Runway. "[Women's growing influence] is a big trend in luxury," he says, citing Gucci's Chime for Change charity campaign, supporting girls around the globe, and the LVMH-owned Champagne house Veuve Clicquot's Business Woman Award as strategic outreach programs.

"Women have the say and the money," he observes, "and we will see that grow as more millennial women get into higher levels of corporations. How will it manifest itself? Maybe a nicer world."

Certainly that would be the most welcome change of all.

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The world's most exclusive brands-many of which cling to tradition-are reshaping their long-standing practices to provide smarter, more immediate, more sustainable, and healthier products and services. Yet technological advances and innovative new business models are not the only forces driving the rapid evolution of the luxury marketplace.

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The $11,000 Backpack

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Here's an example of how the world of luxury has changed since labels and logos were the ne plus ultra of luxury: Rather than buying brand-name bags or recognizable $20,000 Birkins, the ultra wealthy are choosing to have one-off items made entirely by hand via artisans who work in small studios or even at home, and who sign their handiwork discreetly, if they sign it at all.

To wit: Joel Storella worked as a style consultant at Hermès for seven years before he left the company in 2010 to start his own business making five- and six-figure leather cases, bags and trunks, and servicing a cadre of clients that would make any Barneys sales manager salivate.

He says it's the best decision he ever made.

"I was tired of not having a personal connection to the things I made and the people who ordered them," Storella told me the other day at Forbes. He was showing off a strikingly simple Black Ops backpack sewn from black python and supple calf leather. It took 80 hours and nearly 5,000 stitches-stitched literally by hand, not by sewing machine-to make. "I wanted to make things that would embody a single person's vision."

Storella lives in Boston-he sews the bags in a studio using traditional saddlrey tools-and personally delivers them to the people who ordered them. It's the least he can do, since women's bags in alligator or crocodile start at $25,000.

The projects are so time-consuming that Storella has capacity to make only 10 or 12 a year, depending on the detail involved; he's currently making a large trunk covered in pure alligator skin that he personally picked out from a farm in Georgia. He declined to say who it's for, but I could see something like it fitting perfectly into the travel retinue of Pharrell, say, or Rihanna.

All this to say that Storella has caught on to a neo-luxury wave that I believe will continue to gain strength over the next few years. I like his backpack in particular because it looks completely clean and minimal on the outside but has several key pockets and a hidden pouch inside that make it as functional as it is fashionable. (Ask any luxury purveyor today-from Bentley to Burberry to Breguet-and they'll tell you that people are willing to spend plenty of money as long as they believe the product has real value and some redeeming sense of practicality, however small.)

Storella signed his name on the bottom interior of the bag, leaving nothing on it otherwise to alert viewers who made it-this too adheres to the new-luxe idea that you've got to be in the club to know what you're looking at (see also: obscure watches, rare cars, vintage wine, emerging art).

"I would talk with ladies who were embarrassed to bring their $30,000 bag to the nail salon because everyone recognized the label and know how much it cost," Storella explained. That's why he wants to keep the work understated, even if his unique trunks cost upwards of $100,000. "My bags are meant to be creations of pride so people can use them anywhere without feeling like everyone knows what they're carrying."

Call it low-key luxury. And expect to see-or not see, as it were-plenty more of it this year.
Follow me on Facebook: Hannah Elliott Follow me on Instagram: @HannahElliottxo

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The New Luxury: The Discreet $11,000 Backpack

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Here's an example of how the world of luxury has changed since labels and logos were the ne plus ultra of luxury: Rather than buying brand-name bags or recognizable $20,000 Birkins, the ultra wealthy are choosing to have one-off items made entirely by hand via artisans who work in small studios or even at home, and who sign their handiwork discreetly, if they sign it at all.

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V&A Exhibition of Luxury Objects

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What is Luxury? A V&A and Crafts Council exhibition | Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) | Artsy

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Past show featuring works by Studio Swine, El Ultimo Grito, Iris van Herpen, Aram Mooradian, Studio Drift, Nora Fok, George Daniels, Henrik Nieratschker and Marcin Rusak at Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) London, Cromwell Road Apr 25th - Sep 27th 2015

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The Dandelion Chandelier

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With Fragile Future III , Studio Drift fuses nature and technology into a multidisciplinary light sculpture. The project can be seen as a critical yet utopian vision on the future of our planet, where two seemingly opposite evolutions have made a pact to survive. The sculpture consists o

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50 Wellness Innovators

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These scientists, chefs, trainers, teachers, advocates, and entrepreneurs are transforming the ways we care for ourselves and others.

Editorial Director

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To say that someone is innovative does not fully express the depth of her nature. Innovation requires us to introduce something new to the world or challenge the status quo, and doing so necessitates a host of other compelling characteristics. In many cases, to be innovative is to be inspired, brilliant, insightful, purpose-driven, and pioneering. It also demands thorough mastery of a particular subject matter and the audacity to believe things could be done differently. The following wellness trail blazers demonstrate all of these qualities, and more.

Each person featured on this list is doing deeply impactful work in his or her individual realm-from yoga and fitness to meditation, neuroscience, technology, and nutrition-and their contributions are shaping the future of these spheres. More importantly, their work is saving lives, changing lives, and helping us be healthier, happier, better. Taken as a sum, you'll likely get the sense that the following 50 people might just change the world-and the truth is, you're probably right.

Related: The One Word That Could Change Your Life

A self-professed professional biohacker, who lost 100 pounds and increased his IQ, all by his own devising, Dave Asprey wrote the New York Times bestseller, The Bullet Proof Diet, and created Bulletproof Coffee in 2009. Asprey writes and talks about biochemistry and improving health and performance without the usual hacks of counting calories and over-exerting through exercise. His coffee concoction alone, which contains grass-fed butter and brain octane oil, has made Asprey somewhat of a celebrity in the wellness space, but his writing on health and diet contain some of the most innovative thinking in nutrition and exercise today.

French-born Amandine Roche worked as a human rights lawyer for the United Nations in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2003 to 2014. During this time her colleagues were kidnapped and killed and she was forced to evacuate to save her life. Suffering from anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD, and more, Roche escaped to India to heal. Rather than move on, however, Roche returned to Kabul to teach yoga and meditation to women, children, and even Taliban members as a way to help them cope with the trauma of living in a war-torn region. ( Hear Roche talk about what it's like to meditate with the Taliban in this video.) In 2011, she founded the Amanuddin Foundation, which means "religion of peace" in Farsi, to promote these non-violent, mind-body techniques and help bring social justice to an impoverished, post-conflict country.

Husband-wife duo Jeff Krasno and Schuyler Grant are akin to the royal family of the yoga world. While Krasno was pursuing a successful career in music, Grant gained renown as the owner of Kula Yoga Project, a premier alignment-based yoga studio in New York City. (You can read more about Grant's work on our list of 100 Most Influential Yoga Teachers in America.) As Grant began taking her Kula method around the world teaching retreats, workshops, and trainings, she and her husband started to think about melding the joy of communal yoga with music festival trappings, and Wanderlust Yoga Festival was born in 2009. The global festival has ultimately served as the foundation of a unique and innovative brand that includes a media company, a network of yoga studios, and "wellness clubhouse" destinations, the most recent of which launched in Los Angeles last year.

Related on Yoga Journal: 10 Yoga Innovators You Should Know

Former president of Facebook and founder of the defunct file-sharing service, Napster, Sean Parker recently donated $250 million to establish the Parker Institute (a new initiative from the year-old Parker Foundation) with the mission of researching and developing a form of cancer treatment called immunotherapy, which uses the immune system to fight the disease. This will be the first time that the country's leading immunologists and cancer centers-Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Stanford Medicine, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center-will unify under a single nonprofit biomedical research organization. Considering Parker's track record-the internet billionaire changed how the world consumes music and makes "friends"-he just might cure cancer. Here's hoping!

With the job title of chief evangelist for brand marketing at Google, you know Gopi Kallayil is not your average corporate figure. Over the last decade, the India-born yogi has brought mindfulness and meditation to the workplace-and not just his own-promoting these mental tools well before they became popular on Google Adwords (an invaluable marketing tool he helped create). "It's amazing that technologies have allowed us to establish relationships with thousands of people around the world, but the most important relationship you can have is the one with yourself," he said at a 2011 TEDx Talk in Berkley, California, which highlighted key messages that would later appear in his book, The Internet to the Inner-net, published last fall. Even just a minute of yoga and a minute of meditation a day will make a difference, according to Kallayil.

Related: Yoga Is Not Your Therapy-Here's Why

The China Study was the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted, and the book of the same name that followed, while controversial, influenced-and continues to shape-expert and public perception of what constitutes a healthy diet. The central focus of this research is the role the consumption of animal products play in the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It led to the popular documentary Forks Over Knives and to Campbell's Center for Nutrition Studies, which is now a popular launching pad for the careers of countless plant-based nutritionists, chefs, and activists.
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Hartwig created Whole30 -a Paleo-leaning nutrition and lifestyle program-with co-founder Dallas Hartwig in 2009, and in less than 10 years, it has become the Weight Watchers of the 21st Century. More than 100,000 people have tried it, many of whom swear by their life-changing health results. It has spawned books and cookbooks, an overwhelmingly large, active community forum, and a Whole30-approved label that health food purveyors promote on their products. Hartwig didn't create a diet, she has built a forward-thinking healthy lifestyle movement that's sure to become even more widespread and influential in years to come.

Dawn Estelle Archer created her dance conditioning workout method in a parking lot in Richmond, Virginia, and then took it on the road to teach it in all 50 states in 2014, where her approach quickly snowballed into a phenomenon, primarily attracting women for whom working out was not routine. She now has her own studio, livestream classes, and more than 217,000 Instagram followers, who weigh in regularly with comments like, "I never knew dancing, or as she would say SWEATING, could be so much FUN! Thank you for making exercising fun for me." And she does it all from a place of body positivity: The bodies represented in her feed and workout videos are diverse and imperfect-or, in other words, real.

In 2011, Graham and Mandaric started meeting up with friends in the early morning hours to work out outside. That simple action has since turned into a grassroots fitness phenomenon called The November Project, which has about 30 chapters across the U.S. and Canada, all of which host free workouts (often before the sun is up) that hundreds of college students and young professionals show up for week after week. The pair also just published a book that tells their origin story and gives people a peek into the culture surrounding a movement that appears to just be getting started.

Tiffany Cruikshank is an internationally renowned yoga instructor, who has spent the past 20 years crafting a methodology for teaching and practicing yoga, wherein the practice is melded with Eastern and Western notions of medicine. Cruikshank's teaching is held up by her work as a holistic health practitioner, acupuncturist, and sports medicine expert. Based in Seattle, Cruikshank teaches regularly for YogaGlo, and travels extensively around the world. She is also the author of the new book Meditate Your Weight. Her approach has helped thousands of yogis around the world see their practice in a new light as a result of Cruikshank's innovative thinking and dedication to the practice.

Sweetgreen is raising the salad bar. The nine-year-old farm-to-takeout quick-service food chain, which has 54 locations (and counting) nationwide, specializes in fresh, organic ingredients sourced from local farmers, but their impact goes far beyond your lunch order. The company is also known for its sustainable business practices and its support for nutrition education in schools. "Kids are our future," Jammet recently told Refinery29.com. "Our Sweetgreen in Schools program teaches kids about eco-literacy, wellness, nutrition, and seasonality, and we're working with local partners to put salad bars and gardens in schools." Since launching a classroom curriculum in 2010, more than 1,000 students across four states (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and New York) participate annually in wellness workshops, learning the true value of a healthy diet and healthy planet.

An authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher and owner of Land Yoga in Harlem, New York City, Lara Land has been practicing and teaching yoga for almost 20 years. Land has traveled the world to some of the most impoverished countries, introducing yoga therapy to HIV positive children and adults. Land continues to support various social justice efforts in NYC. She started the Uptown Yoga Festival to bring free yoga to the community, has a huge benefit at the Red Rooster each year for yoga-related causes and started a non-profit, Three and a Half Acres, which brings yoga to vulnerable populations like homeless LGBTQ youth, and people living with HIV/AIDs. While many studio owners are a gentrifying force in their neighborhood, Land's inclusivity, direction, and integrity has set a new standard.

From Our Partner: Meet the Winners of the Yoga Journal Good Karma Awards

"Wearables" represent a rapidly growing and evolving segment of the tech industry that many say will revolutionize the way we live in years to come. Kurt Workman and Jordan Monroe of Provo, Utah, may be responsible for the most adorable development in this category: the Owlet Smart Sock, a washable baby booty with a pulse oximeter that monitors your infant's heart rate and blood-oxygen levels while he or she sleeps. Parents can check on baby's vitals via the Owlet mobile app, which also alerts you if your baby stops breathing. This innovative product debuted with rave reviews at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show and is sure to bring many new parents peace of mind.

Whether or not you're beach-bound, you can appreciate how Carl Daikeler has helped people lose weight and get in shape at home since launching the California-based brand in 1998. Beachbody's wildly popular fitness programs, including Tony Horton's P90X series and Shaun T.'s Insanity, have revolutionized living-room-workouts and what it means to be an athlete and coach. In fact, Daikeler has empowered people all over the world to train to become paid coaches through Beachbody, and change their lives-as well as those in their community-to evangelize the brand and empower more Americans get healthy.

Over the past few years, since founding her chic yoga retreat company Yoga for Bad People, Heather Lilleston has become somewhat of a household name in the wellness world. Rigorously trained through the Jivamukti method under Sharon Gannon and David Life, and later under Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee, Lilleston has been teaching yoga for nearly 15 years, more recently become a lead teacher in training programs at both Yoga Shanti and Yoga Vida in New York City. Today, Lilleston brings her yoga teaching methodology alongside an approachable, non-judgmental, yoga culture to retreat centers in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

Related: 25 Stunning Places in the World to Find Peace of Mind

Mason and Sarah Levey founded Y7 Yoga in 2013 when they moved to New York from Detroit, Michigan. They wanted to create a studio that would offer an alternative to the more lineage-based classical yoga studios they saw and were turned off by. Inspired by the innovation of the ridiculously successful and trend-setting SoulCycle-which even after its IPO continues to draw much critique from the cycling world-the husband-wife duo devised a similarly anti-establishment studio that was fun, hip, and appealing for all fitness types. The Leveys turned off all the lights, paired heart-pumping fast paced yoga with hip-hop music, and a new trend was born: "A Tribe Called Sweat." With five studios open and plans for more, soon Y7 may be as prominent as some of the other boutique fitness studios across the country.

Nina Tandon, recently named one of Foreign Policy's Global Thinkers, has a Bachelors degree in electrical engineering from the Cooper Union, a Masters in bioelectrical engineering from MIT, a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, and an MBA from Columbia University. In addition to her influential teaching, speaking, and research, Tandon is the founder of EpiBone, a bone reconstruction company that has created a revolutionary technology that allows patients to "grow their own bone." EpiBone aims to simplify the more than 900,000 a year bone-related surgeries, and offer a significantly superior bone graft that will make these procedures and bone defect corrections more exact and more effective over the long-term.

Andy Puddicombe

Co-founder of Headspace

After being ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk, Puddicombe went on to create an app that would allow busy people all over the world to reap the benefits of meditation via a simple, daily practice. Headspace's secular, 10-minutes-a-day approach is now making meditation more accessible for people from many different walks of life, from busy working professionals to smartphone-obsessed teenagers. To date, an estimated 7.5 million people in 190 countries have used the Headspace app as their go-to source for meditation instruction and peace of mind.

A meditation teacher from the Shambhala Buddhist lineage, Lodro Rinzler's work is focused on creating social consciousness, and he does it in a way that speaks to Millennials and seasoned practitioners alike. He's the author of The Buddha Walks into a Bar... and The Buddha Walks into the Office, a contributor to Sonima.com, and the co-founder of New York City's first drop-in group meditation studio, MNDFL. At his Institute for Compassionate Leadership, he's training a new generation of leaders in how to channel their passions into meaningful work that contributes to a more compassionate world.

The world-renowned chef has had a long-held appreciation for creating healthful meals using fresh ingredients, and now, after dedicating more than 30 years to his work as one of New York City's most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs, he is doubling down on his commitment to wellness. In June he announced that he will temporarily close his flagship restaurant, Bouley, and take an 18-month sabbatical to travel around the world to deepen his study of the relationship between health and food. He's currently writing a book called Living Pantry about healthful eating and he has plans to create a website and app in the same vein. In coming years, Bouley is poised to be a driving force in the culinary world's influence on improving American health.

Author of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace, which was acclaimed by Pulitzer winners and Buddhist teachers alike, Reverend angel Kyodo williams is a Sensei, an ordained Zen Priest, and has been a spiritual teacher and author for over 15 years. Recognized in her field as one of the most profound voices on the connection between inner and social transformation, Kyodo williams "envisions the building of a presence-centered social justice movement as the foundation for personal freedom, a just society and the healing of divisions of race, class, faith and politic." Kyodo williams was the second black woman ordained in her lineage, and has been a resounding voice on social justice and racial tensions through a Buddhist framework. Her whole message is about innovation: "Change the way change is done."

Related: 9 Meditation Teachers You Should Know

Yoga's representation in mainstream media often mimics the primary issues that fashion and beauty have propagated since their inception, equating perfection with thin-ness, whiteness, and a false confidence that is wrapped up in overt sexuality. The Yoga and Body Image Coalition, founded by Melanie Klein seeks to make yoga more accessible by speaking out against the harmful media paradigms that have caused so much exclusivity and shaming in the yoga world. Additionally the coalition seeks to create communities and environments that are welcoming of all practitioners regardless of physicality, race, and gender. Klein is a professor of Women's Studies and Sociology at Santa Monica College and has written several books that have paved the way for body positivity in the yoga world.

Related: 30 Beautiful Photos That Dispel the "Yoga Body" Myth

Thanks to the development of fMRI technology in the 1980s, the body of research about the neurological effects of meditation has increased exponentially over the last few decades. Richard Davidson has been at the forefront of this research since the beginning of his career in neuroscience, and he is still one of the leading scientists in the field. In speaking engagements and interviews, Davidson cites the influence of his friend the Dalai Lama as the impetus for shifting his research from focusing solely on stress, anxiety, and depression, to include practices of kindness, compassion, and meditation. His groundbreaking work has greatly shaped our current understanding of emotions, contemplative practice, and the brain. His insights, as well as the research produced under his leadership at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are central in conversations about the future of human flourishing and well-being.

When it comes to unbelievable innovations in medicine, it wasn't too long ago that Michael McLoughlin's work was the stuff of science fiction. His modular prosthetic limbs (MPLs) are neutrally controlled artificial limbs that restore motor and sensory capability to amputees. Earlier this year a pioneering surgical technique allowed a patient to attach an MPL directly to his residual limb, resulting in unprecedented range of motion and comfort. In initial tests following the surgery, Johns Hopkins University reported that the amputee was able manipulate his prosthetic to demonstrate individual finger control, simultaneous finger control, two degrees of freedom at the wrist, multiple grasps, and worked through simulated activities of daily living-all under the control of his mind.

Seane Corn is a celebrated Vinyasa yoga teacher who has developed worldwide recognition for the past 20 years. She has become a leading voice in merging yoga ethics with social justice values and is the founder of Off The Mat Into The World, an organization that engenders yogic values into social impact service work. Corn is known not only for her teaching, but her ability to speak passionately and powerfully about the need for action off the mat, and into the world. Corn's impact has been profound, as she remains the loudest, most impassioned, and most innovative voice in the mainstream yoga world doing incredibly important and un-glamorous work to make this world more equal and more free.

While boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle and Flywheel made indoor cycling cool in recent years, Peloton Cycle made it globally accessible. In 2012, CEO and co-founder John Foley launched Peloton, the first and only at-home exercise bike that integrates live-streaming and on-demand classes-to invite folks anywhere, anytime to join in on an immersive community ride. Whether you're in your living room, hotel gym or Peloton's broadcast studio in NYC, a high-energy instructor, like adidas athlete Robin Arzon, may call you out (by username!) to sweat with swagger. All you need to participate is either Peloton's high-tech indoor bike complete with a 22-inch, sweat-proof touchscreen ($1,995) or the app ($12.99 per month for unlimited classes) and a stationary bike. With 20,000+ bikes sold as of January, 100,000+ riders, and 4,000+ on-demand videos, Foley is helping make fitness more experiential and convenient than ever.

With the scientific understanding of genetics and food sensitivities growing, personalization has become one of the hottest topics in conversations about the future of nutrition, dieting, and health. Eran Segal is one of the top researchers pioneering this area of study. Segal heads a lab in Israel with a team of computational biologists and experimental scientists and his work has been published in over 100 publications. His study of nutrition, genetics, the microbiome, and gene regulation is paving the way toward creating an algorithmic approach to personalized diet and health plans that could revolutionize the way we approach weight loss and medicine.

Israel's meditation innovations are both large-scale and deep. The Big Quiet 's giant group meditations, in places like Central Park and concert halls, regularly draw upwards of 1,000 people to sit in silence together, from beginners to professionals. And for those practiced meditators, Medi Club has become a new kind of social circle and professional network, where connection is facilitated based on shared values related to mindfulness and wellness, instead of via rounds of shots at happy hour. By building a grassroots network of modern meditators "that are not master yogis or hippies or Buddhist monks," Israel has helped make contemplative practice more accessible to legions of young people who will help shape the future of this space.

Los Angeles-based Pedram Shojai brings a fresh, sometimes irreverent voice to a world that's known for being overly earnest. While he's a former Taoist monk, a doctor of Oriental Medicine, and a Qi Gong master, his recent book, The Urban Monk, is focused on simplifying and modernizing meditation and other ancient practices to help more people banish stress and up their energy to live full, meaningful lives-via many platforms. He teaches online classes and offers a 12-week "Urban Monk Academy," hosts multiple web series on wellness topics, created Well.org, and travels around the world lecturing different groups-from personal trainers to CEOs-on how they can embrace meditation and mindfulness.

It's almost unheard of to find a trainer and fitness star with credentials as impressive as Shauna Harrison' s. She's a graduate of Stanford, UCLA, and Johns Hopkins and has a Ph.D. in public health, and she's used her smarts and energy to inspire a huge following that continues to grow and propel her towards bigger things. Harrison virtually trains her Instagram community with regular videos and training tips and her #SweatADay challenge now includes more than 90,000 posts and has turned into a community that motivates thousands to move. She also works with top brands, like Under Armour and TRX, to design innovative fitness programming, like the recently released TRX for Yoga.

A pint-sized dynamo with endless energy and smarts, Kurzban started teaching her own dance-based workout classes while she was a student at Brown University and built it into a wildly popular workout brand, 305 Fitness, while still in her 20s. The workout inspires people to exercise in an unparalleled way, because of its fun, free style and culture. With its passionate following of young women who break a sweat to live DJ music in a club-like atmosphere every week, 305 is poised to revolutionize dance workouts for Millennials in a way not seen since Zumba exploded onto the fitness scene in the early aughts. Based in New York City, Kurzban recently expanded to Washington DC and Boston, and will likely be bringing her DJs and dance moves to more cities soon.

After being declared the winning model on "Project Runway" season eight, Snow turned her attention away from modeling and acting to create SERENE, a wellness community with programming and events like rooftop yoga and meditation in New York City, Los Angeles, and London. She's since become a Reiki practitioner and brought on two new co-founders, Tegan Bukowski and Jordan Daly. Together, they continue to expand SERENE's work to bring health and consciousness into the mainstream in new ways, most recently with a wellness co-working concept in Montauk and an upcoming tech platform, SereneBook, launching this year.

Holly Rilinger 's dedicated community of Flywheel riders would follow her anywhere, and that star power led her to be cast on Bravo's "Work Out New York" in 2015. She used the momentum to launch her own workout method, Lifted, which taps the Zeitgeist by combining meditation and intense interval training into one hour, allowing busy people to fit both self-reflection and sweat into their day in a new way. (Picture moving from sitting in stillness to burpees seamlessly.) It also brings meditation to the (potentially skeptical) gym crowd in an accessible way that may make them want to try it outside of class later.

Related: The Unique Release of an Emotionally Cathartic Workout

Sound therapy has been picking up steam as the next big healing modality, and Sara Auster is one of the driving forces behind that movement. One of the most well-known, respected, and innovative sound therapy practitioners in the field, she hosts sound baths at yoga studios, meditation centers, and popular destinations like museums and concert halls. Her approach to sound healing is also holistic-she incorporates expertise in yoga, massage, and Reiki while sharing the transformative power of sound.

Natalia Petrzela is known to mind-body workout enthusiasts as a dynamic top instructor of IntenSati, the popular fitness program that combines affirmations with interval training, martial arts, dance, and yoga, but she's also a professor at The New School and is one of the only people in the field looking at the culture of health and wellness from a scholarly perspective. Petrzela writes about topics like wellness and class issues, yoga's controversial connection to sex, the making of celebrity fitness instructors, and body image for publications like Well+Good and the Huffington Post and is currently working on a book, Sculpting an American Self, that will be the first to examine the historical roots and societal impacts of wellness culture in modern life.

Functional medicine-the practice of identifying and addressing root causes of illnesses rather than just treating symptoms-is a field dominated by men and known for hefty price tags, but Berzin is making it modern and accessible. Her practice, Parsley Health, delivers "high-tech holistic medicine" with members paying an affordable monthly rate for in-depth health assessments, follow-ups, community perks, and more, all in a tech-savvy, convenient way. Berzin's approach is sure to serve as a model for specialty wellness practitioners in the future, as she makes addressing chronic health problems through lifestyle change possible for more people like never before.

In an era of celebrity chefs and Instagram food porn, Seamus Mullen promotes wellness more than his kitchen prowess. It stems from a health transformation he experienced after he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and used food and exercise to banish the symptoms. He published the cookbook Hero Food, became an avid cyclist who raises money and awareness for childhood hunger through Chefs Cycle, and now shares his healthy lifestyle with his Instagram followers daily, documenting everything from handstands to avocado salads. His successful advocacy for healthy living and cooking is bound to inspire other chefs to follow suit.

You might say Chloe Coscarelli single handedly changed vegan food's reputation. Instead of precious plated peas that wouldn't satisfy a mouse or crunchy hippie fare, she created a comfort food menu at her restaurant, By Chloe, that's praised by college students, burger lovers, the kale salad set, and everyone in between. It's wholesome, hearty food that appeals to the masses and is good for the planet. She's set to soon boast six locations, in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, so a lot more people will be eating their veggies thanks to her work.

Brown's Beyond Burger made major headlines this year as the first veggie burger that "bleeds" like its beefy counterpart (thanks to pulverized beets), but it's just one of many products the plant-protein entrepreneur is making with the mission to shift the world's reliance on animal protein in order to improve human health and positively impact climate change. Beyond Meat, which counts Bill Gates among its investors, also makes "chicken" strips and "meatballs" and is constantly innovating in order to appeal to consumer tastes while proving that the food system need not be reliant on environmentally and economically unsustainable products that pose risks to human health.

Coss Marte, a former drug kingpin, created his fitness method after losing 70 pounds working out in his jail cell. When he launched the program at a workout studio in New York City, ConBody quickly became a popular destination where people from all walks of life get in shape and gain confidence. Now, Marte's using that success to effect social change-by hiring others with criminal backgrounds who get few other opportunities, providing trainings for them, and also teaching his classes to inmates at Riker's Island (a jail complex) while inspiring them with this story and offering advice on how they can get back on their feet after serving their time.

Related: The Healing Potential of Yoga in Prisons

Berardi and Caravaggio created a nutrition coaching program that goes far beyond meal-planning assistance, and has deep influence on clients and health professionals alike. Positions in their Precision Nutrition coaching programs become available twice a year (they typically sell out within hours), and those who are accepted get a year of expert coaching, daily nutrition practices and training plans, guaranteed results, and the motivating opportunity to win prize money. Fitness pros can sign up for a program to add nutrition credentials to their resume in order to better serve their clients, too.

At a time when the prevailing mentality in the fitness world is harder-longer-faster, Rebecca Kennedy has created a genre-defying class that emphasizes the importance of active recovery as part of a well-rounded workout program. A.C.C.E.S.S. (Athletes Connection to Core, Endurance, Strength, and Stretch) helps fitness buffs work on mobility and flexibility by incorporating yoga, core conditioning, and dynamic stretching into a session they can fit in on a rest day, and Kennedy-who is also a star Barry's Bootcamp instructor and Nike master trainer- has plans to expand it over the next year.

In a peaceful protest, Zen Honeycutt and Miranda Becker led a large coalition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., this May to deliver over half a million signed petitions demanding the ban of the herbicide glyphosate in America. While the EPA and the World Health Organization both claim that glyphosate is not likely to be a carcinogen, the American Cancer Society disagrees-and so does some science. Honeycutt and Becker, who have teamed up their communities to raise awareness of this toxin, presented mounting evidence to the White House that the contaminant in wine, beer, tap water, breast milk, cotton products, cereal and breakfast foods may be causing cancer and even autism (watch Honeycutt's video interview with an MIT scientist to learn more). "The EPA must revoke the license of glyphosate now and protect the people, not the profits of the chemical companies," said Honeycutt, who urges people to call the EPA (703-308-8187) to tell them to "stop poisoning us."

"Dr. Kale" would be an appropriate nickname for Drew Ramsey, who is known for his love of the leafy green: he co-created National Kale Day and co-authored the 50 Shades of Kale cookbook, after all. But kale advocacy is just one of the ways he's bringing cutting-edge scientific research to the masses to raise awareness about how food and nutrition affect brain health, an oft-ignored aspect of well-being. His new book, Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients That Fuel Brainpower, Boost Weight Loss, and Transform Your Health, brings that message home.

As the owner of award winning restaurants like Craft and Colicchio & Sons, a TV personality on "Top Chef," and the author of multiple cookbooks, Colicchio has incredible influence, which he's using to promote better food policies and make the case that all chefs have a responsibility to do the same. He co-founded Food Policy Action to hold legislators accountable for votes that affect farming, the food system, and access to nutritious foods, and has been a steady, smart, voice in the ongoing fight over GMO labeling. Colicchio is leading the charge for chefs to regularly stand up for the right to know what's in the food they cook and serve.

The "founding moms" of Oakland, California-based Revolution Foods started their company with a mission to provide children and families access to healthy, affordable meals-and their efforts are paying off. They currently work with over 1,500 schools and outside school programs, and each week they serve over one and a half million freshly prepared, healthy meals to students across the country. Revolution Foods' lunch boxes and snacks are now also available in select regions of major retail stores, such as Safeway and Walmart, and 1% of proceeds go toward providing schools with fresh meals.

Related: See Sonia Jones' New Children's Book on the Fun and Power of Yoga

Popular meal-kit delivery services, like Plated and Blue Apron, might have made dining-in more convenient and affordable, but Christina Bognet's four-year-old food app, PlateJoy, brings a lot more nutrition to the table. The MIT-grad used her neuroscience degree to develop an algorithm to turn individuals' health and taste needs into ultra-personalized weekly menus and recipes. The program, which costs $10 a month and includes an extensive questionnaire, is very effective: Bognet herself lost 50 pounds using her app. A new partnership with online grocer Instacart completes the package with same-day food delivery so the food you need to put your meal plan into action literally appears at your doorstep.

Creating a more sustainable seafood supply chain is a major food system issue of the moment, with implications for climate change, human health, and many additional global issues. Dock to Dish started as a collective of Montauk fisherman sourcing and delivering local seafood to community members and restaurants in a traceable way, and it now has outposts in Los Angeles and Vancouver and is continuing to expand. Barrett has been at the forefront of starting conversations and creating solutions in the sustainable seafood realm, such as encouraging a return to a know-your-fisherman culture.

Collins and Forrest turned an idea for quality meat-based protein bars into one of the fastest growing snack brands in the country, and their Epic product line now includes jerky bites, bone broth, and animal cooking oils. All are produced with guiding principles and practices that support optimal health benefits for their customers and responsible ranching practices that are better for animals and the environment. That includes helping farmers transition to pasture-based regenerative ranching methods that can help restore grasslands and soil and utilizing whole animals to reduce waste.

Lauren Singer
Founder of Trash is for Tossers and The Simply Co.

Photos of the trash Lauren Singer produces each year are regularly posted in major media outlets. Why? It fits in a mason jar. The environmental activist started a blog to document her zero-waste lifestyle and has now become an influential advocate and role model for people everywhere trying to minimize their environmental footprints. She also created The Simply Co. a non-toxic, sustainable laundry detergent, to help others follow her lead.
This feature includes contributions from Shira Atkins and Cristina Goyanes.

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50 Innovators Shaping the Future of Wellness - Sonima

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These scientists, chefs, trainers, teachers, advocates, and entrepreneurs are transforming the ways we care for ourselves and others. Editorial Director SHARE: To say that someone is innovative does not fully express the depth of her nature. Innovation requires us to introduce something new to the world or challenge the status quo, and doing so necessitates a host of other compelling characteristics.

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Reflections on the changing meaning of luxury:
"Luxury is time, luxury is authenticity, luxury is craftsmanship, luxury is attention to detail, luxury is switching your phone off, luxury is the open road, luxury is a clear mind, luxury is freedom, luxury is covetable, luxury is one of a kind.."

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Everything with the topic 'The New Luxury Issue' on i-D

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"The population of high-net-worth individuals is going to expand globally," said Doug Gollan, editor of the magazine Elite Traveler. "The big question is, how deep into the pockets of these super-rich people are the luxury brands going to be able to get?"

The key, Mr. Gollan and others say, may be in better harnessing the smartphones and other digital devices that are already nestled in these consumers' silk-lined pockets and crocodile handbags.

"It's clear that access to big data from the Internet is reducing any gap in terms of education of consumers and information about luxury goods," Ms. d'Arpizio said. In addition to creating new virtual "touch points" for these affluent, hyper-connected consumers, analyzing the way people interact with apps and online stores can help educate brands about what she calls the "deep why" - the emotional, rather than the rational, drivers of luxury purchases.

"Technology and the Internet are enlarging the range of opportunities for creating a dialogue with customers," Ms. d'Arpizio said.

Worldwide, luxury consumers are increasingly emerging from a class that is accumulating wealth at a younger age than their parents or grandparents did. These consumers, now in their 30s and 40s, have grown up with the Internet and mobile technology and are accustomed to using digital tools and social networks to educate themselves about brands, which in turn allow brands to establish emotional connections with them.

Analysts pointed to companies like Burberry, which have harnessed social media with hugely popular campaigns, including " The Art of the Trench," a long-running blog that invites people to upload photos of themselves wearing the brand's signature coat. Last month, Burberry took over the holiday window displays of the Printemps flagship store in Paris and added a playful digital twist: After logging into a dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot, visitors can control some of the windows' figurines or snap shareable digital "postcards" from cameras embedded in the display.

Ms. d'Arpizio said such experiments showed that the fashion world already had learned a lot from technology and lifestyle brands about the transition taking shape in customers' expectations. For example, "Apple has taught a big lesson to the luxury industry," she said, "making the industry understand that people want a different kind of relationship with brands."

It is these young consumers who will drive brands' revenue in coming years, predicted Hana Ben-Shabat, a partner who specializes in luxury retailing at A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm in New York.

"The average luxury consumer is more connected than the mass-market consumer, and already purchases far more online" in both volume and value terms, Ms. Ben-Shabat said. While they have significant disposable income, their busy work and travel schedules often leave limited time for shopping and reading about current fashion trends, which drives them to do more of their research and ordering online.

E-commerce still represents a small fraction of luxury transactions - about 4.5 percent last year, according to a survey published by the Italian trade association Altagamma - but it is growing fast. By the end of this year, that figure is expected to climb to 7 percent, and Ms. d'Arpizio said that by 2025 she expected that more than one-fifth of all luxury purchases would be take place online. By then, even most transactions that are concluded in a physical store will have been influenced by what people have experienced on a website, mobile app or through their social network.

"That changes completely the rules of the game," she said.

And not only will the proliferation of digital and mobile sales and marketing channels continue to transform customer behavior, it also will have a drastic effect on the life cycle of luxury brands.

"You no longer need a long heritage to be credible," Ms. d'Arpizio said. "The ability to become relevant now is not a question of years, but of months."

That will create an ever-more heated race among brands for the attention of luxury customers.

"There are now hundreds of equally compelling brands, such that we have reached a situation of competitive congestion," said Robin Lewis, a former editor at Women's Wear Daily who is now a retailing and fashion industry consultant. "Increasingly, brands will need to figure out how to get out in front of the consumer ahead of their competitors."

Ms. Ben-Shabat said technology would be a key way for brands to reach customers on multiple platforms. "You can target and optimize your offering on an individual basis," she said. "People will be able to opt in or opt out as they find your content interesting."

But for all the advantages these new technologies are expected to bring, maintaining a customer's interest will remain a challenge for luxury brands.

"You can speed up the process of becoming relevant, but you cannot reduce the complexity," Ms. d'Arpizio said. "You have to work very hard to keep the momentum."

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The New Luxury Buyer: Younger, Richer and Well-Wired

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"The population of high-net-worth individuals is going to expand globally," said Doug Gollan, editor of the magazine Elite Traveler. "The big question is, how deep into the pockets of these super-rich people are the luxury brands going to be able to get?"

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#Wellness

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By Limei Hoang December 7, 2016 14:44

OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom - "Feeling good is the new looking good." That was the mantra in the air a few days ago, as entrepreneurs from the fields of health and wellness - including Jason Wachob, Amanda Chantal Bacon, Dr. Nigma Talib and Neil Grimmer - took the stage at VOICES, BoF's new annual gathering for big thinkers.

From beauty-enhancing supplements to the rapid growth of athleisure, there has never been a better time for fashion companies to tap into the health and wellness sector. In The State of Fashion 2017 - a new report on the global fashion industry by BoF and McKinsey & Company - the transformation economy is described as a rapidly-growing segment, particularly as consumers shift away from purchasing products and move towards spending their money on mind and body-enhancing experiences.

Wachob, the founder and chief executive of mindbodygreen - a media property dedicated to health, wellness and lifestyle - said there was a big opportunity in the health and wellness space for traditional fashion and luxury companies.

"The market is monstrous and there is a shift in consumer habits," he told BoF before taking the VOICES stage. "I think looking good is important, but feeling good in a lot of ways has become the new looking good and the better you feel, the better you are going to look. There is a big opportunity."

People want experiences, they want to feel transformed - not to continue to collect more clutter or more things.

It is a view shared by fellow panellist Dr. Nigma Talib, a naturopathic doctor to a number of A-list clients. "What I find is that the new fashion is now health and wellness," she said, speaking alongside Bacon, the founder of Moon Juice, and Grimmer, the founder and chief executive officer of Habit, a start-up that offers DNA-personalised meal plans. "People want experiences, they want to feel transformed - not to continue to collect more clutter or more things," said Talib.

Fflur Roberts, luxury goods analyst at Euromonitor believes the shift can be attributed to younger consumers, who see more value in transformational experiences than material goods.

"People care more about what they do, eat and wear, but it's also become a fashion trend as well. Now, it's a very normal thing to go to the gym and look after yourself," she says. "Looking at the luxury aspects of it, it's very much a status thing as well, people want to show that they care about their bodies and self-preservation."

Fashion's connection with health and wellness is about more than a commercial opportunity, however. There is an interest from within, as many of those working in the industry struggle to cope with the intense cycle of collections and deadlines.

"As an industry we've spent a lot of time this past year talking about the fashion system, that now comes with so many pressures and deadlines," said BoF founder and chief executive Imran Amed on the VOICES stage. "But the solutions for coping with the demands of the fashion system may also require personal, individual-level interventions too; interventions that help us to manage the stress of life in the digital age," he said.

But of course, the commercial opportunity is what is driving the fashion industry's investment in health and wellness. The investment arm of LVMH, L Catterton Europe, has signed a deal to acquire a majority stake in Italian bicycle maker Pinarello. The private equity company is also reported to be in talks with British cycling apparel maker Rapha about a potential acquisition.

The Pinarello acquisition is just one example of how the luxury sector's demand for health and wellness is growing. Last year, the overall global market for health and wellness reached $701 billion in value and it is expected to grow by 17 percent over the next five years to $833 billion by 2021, according to data from Euromonitor. This significantly outpaces the sluggish growth in the personal luxury goods market, which grew by just 1 percent in 2015 on the previous year in real growth terms, according to a report by Bain & Company.

Luxury companies should take note. "If you're in the luxury business, not only is it not growing as fast as it used to, but the slices of the pie are shifting towards experiences and away from goods," says Joseph Pine, the author of "The Experience Economy," which explores the next phase of consumerism after the service economy.

"It's a part of a whole set of stuff where research shows that purchasing experiences makes us happier than purchasing goods. Experiences that actually make us fitter and help us achieve our aspirations for health and wellness is where things are shifting," Pine adds.

"The more global wealth grows, the more people will look for experiences," says Euromonitor's Roberts. "People's mindsets might be changing a bit. They might want experiences, so I imagine lots of brands will be looking into this area and we'll see more of this in the future."
Related Articles: Is the New Luxury a Better You? Athleisure's Winners and Losers Activewear Brands Limber Up in China VOICES is BoF's new annual gathering for big thinkers, taking place from 1-3 December, in partnership with QIC Global Real Estate.

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By Limei Hoang December 7, 2016 14:44 OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom - "Feeling good is the new looking good." That was the mantra in the air a few days ago, as entrepreneurs from the fields of health and wellness - including Jason Wachob, Amanda Chantal Bacon, Dr. Nigma Talib and Neil Grimmer - took the stage at VOICES, BoF's new annual gathering for big thinkers.

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V&A Exhibition of Luxury Objects

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While in the past luxury could be defined by the cost of the materials used, these days it often rests on looser constructions - like time, craftsmanship and resourcefulness.

"Post-recession, we saw a resurgence of the luxury industry," Ms. Wierzba said of the years after the 2008 financial crash. She and her co-curator, Jana Scholze, also pointed out an increased "proliferation of marketing around craftsmanship, with photography of things being hand-made," like stitching a leather handbag or assembling a watch.

The show also looks at the foundations of luxury: creativity, craftsmanship and time.

While the Portuguese crown of gold and gems is a traditional representation of luxury, the dandelion chandelier by Studio Drift, a design studio in Amsterdam, exemplifies the value of craft, innovation and the time spent to make the chandelier. Ms. Wierzba said the chandelier was part of the exhibition because "it's an extraordinary object, unique and visionary. It's experimental and risk-taking. And it requires an investment of time."

Other objects on display include a rhinestone-studded monkey astride a treasure chest, a 17th-century tea set, a modern-day leather briefcase inlaid with a floral design in brass that took 300 hours to make, a Venetian lace chasuble from 1670 to 1695, echoing back to a time when some luxury items first became available to the masses, "during the consumer revolution of the 17th century," Ms. Wierzba said.

There are examples of modern-day luxury items as well, like a Vacheron Constantin watch and an Hermès saddle, which were chosen for their hand-craftsmanship.

The idea of time as a luxury is presented in an installation called "Time for Yourself" by Marcin Rusak. It shows a compass spinning in random directions and a watch without a dial. Mr. Rusak, who collaborated on the installation with the designer Iona Inglesby, said "it is almost impossible to get truly lost these days. It would take a lot of effort to experience this luxury."

The show also explores the social and environmental costs of luxury. "Issues related to global warming, over-extraction of resources and the growing pressures of economy pose a threat to our desire for precious materials and things," Ms. Wierzba said. "Designers today have an important role to play in identifying alternatives."

A case in point is plastic. The designer Gangjian Cui imagines that once humans have depleted the world's petroleum resources, plastic will be considered a luxury. He has created a delicate side table, on view here, that uses it sparingly, by extruding slender strands of plastic. On another front, the British-Japanese design firm Studio Swine in London uses human hair combined with a resin to create a vanity set that looks as if it were made of endangered materials, like horn and tropical woods.

For one of the exhibits, the museum's staff had to wear hazmat suits to install "Rare Earthenware," an installation of three urns made of radioactive mud taken from a lake in Inner Mongolia, around which about 2.5 million people live. The exhibit (created by Unknown Fields Division and the ceramicist Kevin Callaghan) is meant to highlight the amount of waste created in the production of technology. In this case, the designers used mud from the lake to craft three ceramic vessels - representing the toxic byproducts entailed in the manufacture of smartphones, light laptops and the cells of smart cars. Ms. Wierzba said the urns, presented in a sealed glass case, "show the cost of our luxury consumption, even when it's 'green."'

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While in the past luxury could be defined by the cost of the materials used, these days it often rests on looser constructions - like time, craftsmanship and resourcefulness. "Post-recession, we saw a resurgence of the luxury industry," Ms. Wierzba said of the years after the 2008 financial crash.

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MONOCLE: What does luxury mean today?

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Monocle x Unlimited: What luxury means today - Film

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As smart global consumers become more discerning in their choices we are seeing the rise of a new and more thoughtful brand of luxury. We travel to Bali,...