30-day Challenge – Day 8

The term “luxury” evokes a multitude of disparate meanings for different people. For some luxury is synonymous with “expensive”. For others it can be associated with “unique”, “exotic”, “rare”, “sophisticated”, or “exclusive”. However, I want to make you aware of two words that I feel are most synonymous with the definition of luxury today – “custom” and “bespoke”.

Oftentimes, buyers will assume that having a bespoke or custom item in itself is what defines a luxury purchase, but I want to bring some insight to this notion – customized products are only valuable because they resonate with those who own them. Imagine a bespoke shirt or blouse made according to your specific anatomic characteristics. To some, that might be custom (or luxury), but I argue that today’s truly discerning and sophisticated luxury customer wants more than custom measurements. They want custom style as well. Hence, that blouse needs to take the owners precise taste and desire into consideration. So if you are thinking of developing a bespoke product, don’t just try to make something that “looks different from the rest”. Make something that resonates with the inner most preference of your consumers.

I don’t plan on badgering you with my views on this subject. Today’s post is short because I am leaving you with two articles, which I believe do a better point of driving home my thesis.

• How The Uncertain Economy Is Changing The Definition Of Luxury – This writeup by Forbes’ Blue Carreon, discusses the new definition of luxury warranted by recent economic trends around the world.

• The Ultimate Luxury: Something Bespoke – The fashion column in the UK’s Telegraph goes a little further with examples of what I believe luxury should and will be in the near future.

I promise to find some non-apparel examples of bespoke luxury in the near future. Till tomorrow…