Economic uncertainty, political instability, a discernible shift in consumer principles and tastes and, arguably, a lack of inventive design have all culminated in the global luxury market’s current slump. Some of the sector’s most notable names in luxury fashion, motors, jewellery and champagne have all, in recent weeks and months, reported an unprecedented downturn in sales.
Of course, global inflationary pressures and wider political tensions remain beyond the control of brands and businesses. However, their key area of resilience in the face of these challenges lies in how well they can respond to consumers’ values and needs, especially in uncertain times. Brash and vulgar displays of wealth that marked the heyday of the 20th century are today deemed tacky and inappropriate in a world where personal ethics have risen to the fore and where wealth disparities have become more apparent. The latter is an uncomfortable truth, especially for the Millennials and Gen Z generations who will come to represent up to 70 percent of global luxury spending by 2030. They seek investment in brands that are perhaps not so vehement in their materialism; where allure is in a brand’s ethos and ethics as well as aesthetics.
Not all luxury markets will align with the shift toward subtlety and ethics, but design continues to be a formidable tool in a brand’s ongoing quest to remain relevant and engaging to the luxury consumer; a vital means of future-proofing in the face of turbulence. If luxury brands are to rally against the market slump, they must think carefully about how their design resonates with today’s consumer values. Importantly, design must communicate a more nourishing value proposition than superficial beauty can ever provide.
The paragons of taste have shifted. So-called ‘stealth wealth’ has toppled the desire for emblematic, logo-festooned status symbols. Brand ethos and values – tapped into what are prominent and sensitive issues in the modern world – coupled with artisanal craftsmanship, heritage, performance and innovation make for the most arresting brand narratives today. Businesses must use design thoughtfully to inform and shape their sensory brand worlds to engage with audiences who favour the understated over the overt and who are increasingly more attuned to the ethical implications of their purchases.
This presents an important and creative opportunity for luxury brands to forge deeper connections and relationships, both physically and viscerally, with their consumer. Enter the art of the subtle and understated; the conscious and the considered. By harnessing the soft power of subtle ‘thoughtful signifiers’, brands may foster the formation and nurturing of ‘insider communities’ that engender a sense of specialness and hyper exclusivity – a core identifier of ultimate luxury experiences where only a few are in the know.
But what, exactly, is a ‘thoughtful signifier’ and how can it be leveraged for luxury brand resilience?
In essence, these are thoughtful and distinct design gestures and details that move beyond the superficiality of a logo and enable brands to become more of an embodiment of their ethos and spirit through product design, immersive environments and visual and digital touchpoints.
For example, Budapest fashion house, Nanushka, embarked on a rebrand earlier this year comprising the expression of geometric motifs and contemporary forms that allude to its unique aesthetic and heritage craft – translated across all of its vital touchpoints. From garment trim to hardware design, the brand codes are imbued practically and symbolically throughout the Nanushka world, highlighting the brand DNA which underpins its visual brand language and informs its beautiful, eco-conscious creations.
These thoughtful signifiers focus on tactility, materiality and texture, which elegantly point to the artisanal spirit of the Nanushka brand. Consumer interactions are transformed from the transactional to the immersive. Importantly, because these brand signifiers are translated subtly via accents of stitching, folding and embossings in place of the superficial articulation of a logo, the cultivation of an ‘insider community’ is inevitable. These are luxury consumers who belong to a niche that understands the design codes that ‘mainstream’ luxury shoppers might miss. They recognise the mark of Nanuska in the same way that others will get the signature ‘Intrecciato’ woven leather pioneered by Bottega Veneta, the ‘spiked’ knitwear of Chet Lo or the iconic four-tacking stitches on a Margiela piece.
Embodiments of thoughtful design encompass meaningful brand narratives that are rich, resonating and enduring. It communicates to consumers a brand’s reason for being in persuasive and reassuring ways – which is exactly the protective factor they need to weather the forces assailing the current market.
A brand’s essence must connect to consumers and shape culture in profound and sustainable ways by transcending the brash, reductive monogram and permeating its brand world from identity right through to product artistry. Authenticity, integrity and emotional connection create the brand intimacy that luxury consumers crave – and such thoughtful signifiers become the vital means with which this can be achieved, helping a brand to endure; anchoring it safely even in choppy seas.
Ben Atkins is the founder and creative director of Any Other Name, an independent creative studio and brand consultancy based in London. Working across campaigns, identities and experiences with clients that include Apple, Rimowa and Tiffany & Co.
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