Recommended Reads
Each month Construct curates some of our favourite reads from the world of luxury to share with our studio, and we've recently started to send to our friends and network too, to encourage ending the day or week with a tea break and time out. This month's edition includes notes on reframing heritage for the new luxury consumer through unexpected collaborations, a bio on fashion’s favourite aesthete, Pharrell, and an ode to boring clothes. Enjoy!
"It's hard to collaborate with architects" Kate McCusker, Dezeen
?Collaborations with artists, architects and designers are key to ensuring the longevity of a heritage brand and modernising design classics for a new generation, says Longchamp artistic director Sophie Delafontaine in this interview discussing the brand's recent collaboration with Italian art magazine Toiletpaper, helping them to challenge the essential character of the brand and start the search for newness and unexpected joy.
10 best fashion concept stores inside Californian hotels Chenu Alexis, Fashion Network ?
As we have seen through our work with The Dorchester and the refurbishment of their village of outlets, the luxury hospitality industry is challenging historical convention to optimise their offerings for the next generation of luxury consumer. This article analyses this shift from a different perspective, offering insights on how the ‘hotel gift shop’ is being reimagined, ditching magnets for boutique merchandising and luxury collaborations.
The thrill of boring clothes Alexander Fury, Financial Times
“After years of look-at-me clothes, of pointy shoulders, crystal-encrusted dresses, bright prints and logos — all somewhat irrationally heightened by the pandemic — people now seem to be shrugging off excess… where the notion of nondescript becomes a badge of honour.” A fun and timely commentary, reflecting on how the shift away from stylish spectacle is not a betrayal of fashion, but an embrace of comfortable mundanity, just in time for the winter season.
The ultra-wealthy Chinese youth redefine their perception of luxury Fanny Tang, Luxury Tribune
领英推荐
Predictions about the next generation of luxury consumer are always in circulation, but this article captures the nuance of younger audiences in a contemporary context beyond the usual conversations of sustainability and inclusivity. Focussing on UHNW consumer behaviours in China, it investigates the aspirations, preferences, and investment strategies of this new generation of wealth and their revived focus on legacy, reframed in a modern context.
How does a luxury brand become a “cult classic”? Rankin Creative, Luxury Communications Council
As we know, reframing heritage for the audiences of today can reclaim a sense of tradition whilst expressing contemporary sensibilities with consideration and care. Taking Burberry as an example, this article unpacks how the heritage house took to the streets of London during Fashion Week to reinvent their modern luxury narrative through inventive collaborations and tube takeovers.
Pharrell Williams: The Future of Luxury Is ‘Freedom’ Imran Amed, The Business of Fashion
By now, we’re all familiar with Pharrell, through music, skincare, or fashion. But this article by BoF founder and editor Imran Amed gives us a closer look into the inner workings of the aesthete, asking what is luxury according to Pharrell? And what does it mean for his vision for Louis Vuitton, the world’s first €20 billion fashion brand??
And finally... A LinkedIn special shoutout to Construct friend Christopher Sanderson at The Future Laboratory
Having The Future Labs as an agency sibling as part of Together Group is excellent – especially when we get to venture inside the mind of co-founder Christopher Sanderson . And now you can too, with this dedicated column reporting from the edge of luxury.