ELITRENDS: Trends for 2024 - Luxury

Luxury brands are evolving into multifaceted entities, serving as platforms, curators, collaborators, and cultural contributors. Embracing experiential luxury, they prioritize cultural influencers. Physical activations play a crucial role in fostering this evolving cultural exchange. A study in April 2023 revealed a 77% increase in European luxury shops (and 11% globally), ushering in new iterations of concept stores. These spaces, featuring rotating exhibitions and collaborations with local artists, transform into vibrant cultural hubs. Going beyond the retail environment, there's a focus on long-term activations that celebrate tradition. This emphasizes the notion that luxury brands not only draw from existing culture but actively contribute to shaping it. The question arises: Will you opt for enduring partnerships or permanent spaces to redefine the dynamics of the luxury-culture relationship?

CASE 1 - VACHERON CONSTANTIN

Watchmaker’s traveling exhibition celebrates craftsmanship and local artists

Vacheron Constantin, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, embarked on a captivating journey with its traveling exhibition, Hekaya 1755. This immersive series of ten exhibitions, held in early 2023, paid homage to the brand's enduring connection with Saudi Arabia. Showcasing its latest timepieces, the exhibition featured a decorative unit that artfully depicted the evolution of the country's architecture.

By presenting its timepieces in this context, Vacheron Constantin provided visitors with an opportunity to delve into the intricacies of haute horlogerie through the rich tapestry of local traditions. Such experiences go beyond showcasing technical mastery; they also serve to embed brand values and contribute to the preservation of heritage, all communicated through the universal language of art.

THINK: How can you turn your appreciation for cultural heritage and craftsmanship into a communal experience?

CASE 2 - AIGO

S?o Paulo bookstore focuses on immigrant stories

Since the late 19th century, S?o Paulo's Bom Retiro neighborhood has been a melting pot, initially welcoming Italian, Jewish, and Greek migrants, and more recently witnessing a significant influx of Koreans and Bolivians. Reflecting the diversity of this community, the bookstore AIGO has a unique focus: exclusively curating books about or by immigrants. This literary haven opened its doors in July 2023.

AIGO has the potential to be a powerful tool in showcasing the vibrancy of Brazil's multicultural society. By curating books that capture the cultures and stories of this diverse group, the bookstore seeks to present the lived experiences and perspectives of immigrants in their own voices. For the broader community, immersing themselves in these multidimensional narratives may be the most impactful way to counter anti-immigrant sentiments.

THINK: How could your company promote intercultural understanding?

CASE 3 - HEINEKEN & DYE LAB

Heineken marks its 150th birthday with custom-designed textiles

In October 2023, Heineken marked its 150th anniversary by collaborating with the Nigerian apparel brand Dye Lab. Together, they created a collection of limited-edition fabrics using the traditional Yoruba technique of wax-resist block prints. The fabrics, featuring motifs inspired by Heineken, were skillfully crafted into garments modeled after the Nigerian agbada, receiving overwhelmingly positive responses.

For global entities like Heineken, emerging economies such as Nigeria present opportunities to engage with local pride. It is crucial to avoid any semblance of appropriation, but through genuine partnerships, a mutually beneficial cycle of cross-cultural enrichment can thrive.

THINK: Which symbols, traditions or regional craftsmanship would make for a natural yet unexpected fit with your brand identity?