Curated experiences for the true lover of luxury

Over the past few years, luxury has become less about ownership and more about the experience. The high-end consumer wants more than just luxury goods and, at this time of the year, is searching for gifts with resonance. There is a growing need for brands and businesses to cater to more sophisticated expectations in terms of authenticity, sustainability, and personalisation. Most importantly, it’s about once-in-a-lifetime, transformative experiences that make a lasting impression — ones that leave people changed.

According to the latest Bain & Company Luxury Study, released in November, the market for luxury experiences such as travel, dining, and entertainment has grown at a much faster pace than that for luxury goods. Experienced-based goods are expected to rebound quicker, while the recovery of the luxury experiences market, which has lagged due to Covid-19 restrictions, is dependent on the normalisation of tourism. What started out as a fad has now become a business strategy that luxury brands have had to adopt in order to stay abreast of changing consumer demands.

The experience economy, a term first used in the Harvard Business Review in 1998, speaks to the shift to creating immersive consumer experiences. Dior, which opened its Dior Café in 2019 in the Miami Design District, just one street from the Fendi Caffe, has since offered pop-ups in restaurants in Seoul and Singapore for exclusive dining experiences, presenting a menu and cuisine reflective of the maison and its Cruise 2022 collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. At $25 for an iced coffee, guests enjoy the proximity to a brand that has extended the red-carpet treatment beyond its retail offering.

Similarly, aiming to bolster the shopping experience, Gucci has moved into 63 Wooster Street, in Soho, New York, developing a new way to engage with the eclectic and creative philosophy of the brand. The destination house Gucci Wooster is a treasure trove of restored architectural design, bold colours and fabrication, vintage fixtures, and memorabilia, complete with innovative screens featuring glasses-free 3D technology. Private and personalised in-store, phone, and video visits are available by appointment.

As luxury — and the way in which we define it — continues to evolve, these emerging trends can help you gift with intention, and perhaps change a loved one’s life. 

1. Sabbatical

LAMU WRITING RETREAT

According to US Bureau of Labour statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021, with the greatest numbers being in the 30-to-45 age group. While the “Great Resignation” hasn’t hit figures close to this in South Africa, Covid-19 has forced many to rethink their lives as a result of heightened work pressure, burnout, a search for purpose, or a change in pace. A writing retreat for you or someone in your life may be just the thing if you’re looking for a time-out in a magical setting. Join writers, creatives, and yogis on Lamu — a tiny island off the east coast of Kenya and a destination du jour. While staying at the legendary Peponi Hotel, you’ll enjoy group and/or individual writing classes with writing coach and literary agent Sarah Bullen, while festival owner Georgia Black will curate yoga sessions, moonlight dhow trips, snorkelling, island-hopping, and decadent seafood feasts. More importantly, you will have a chance to find your story, connect, rest, and dream. The retreat takes place from 19-25 September 2022.

thewritingroom.co.za

3. Transient Hotels

700’000 HEURES

The world’s first ephemeral hotel, 700’000 Heures, was established in 2018, and can only be experienced by a private community of members — le Cercle des Amazirs. This is a nomadic approach to hospitality, with the hotel’s location being shifted every few months to help alleviate guests’ concerns about their travel footprint and to elevate the communities which it inhabits for a spell. According to the website, “In each new destination, 700’000 Heures empowers locals to create our unique sanctuaries and welcome you in these dream homes that exist within, not apart from, their community.” The name 700’000 Heures comes from the average number of hours a person spends on Earth, and the concept was born out of founder Thierry Teyssier’s love for discovering new places and exploring different cultures, according to Net-A-Porter.

700000heures.com 

4. Hands-on Meals

MUSASHI BY AMAN

While Michelin-star restaurants remain the holy grail, more and more travellers are after a gastronomic experience that brings with it an understanding of provenance and culture. And this is what master chef Hiroyuki Musashi offers — an exclusive taste of authentic, traditional sushi in the Edomae style at Musashi by Aman, at the Aman Tokyo hotel. He is dedicated to quality and creates his omakase sushi masterpieces with rice he grows himself, fed by spring waters from Mount Fuji. Omakase, which translates to “I will leave it to you”, is about giving the chef complete creative control, allowing him to conjure up dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients of his own liking for your pleasure.

aman.com/ hotels/aman-tokyo 

6. Wellness

THE SAXON SPA

Nestled in the tree-lined suburb of Sandhurst, the Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa has brought a new focus on wellness and mindfulness since reopening in May 2021. Luxurious amenities include the spa, comprising eight treatment rooms, a spa café and hair studio, and a modern gym with kinesis equipment. According to Saxon Spa manager Tanya Lopes, “A global shift in the consciousness of self-care has revived much-needed conscious learning of our environmental and physical factors, forcing us to prioritise the importance of applying mindfulness to all our actions and thoughts, slow down our thoughts, and be aware of our actions without letting our concerns affect the enjoyment of every moment.” 

• From the December issue of Wanted 2021.