“Luxury” is one of those words that has been grossly overused in the world of retail over the years, be it fashion, interiors, food or beauty. The irony is that the more the term is saturated, the less it is able to represent its true meaning. Yet one of this year’s most notable trends has been described as “low-key luxury,” an aesthetic that champions a quieter and more considered approach to style away from shouty logos and fast-moving fads. Is this the closest we’ve ever come to the original meaning of luxury in the modern fashion market? Quite possibly.
From the fine fabrics of The Row and Totême’s elevated basics to Raey’s oversized silhouettes and Jil Sander’s muted colour-blocking, it takes a mere glance over the industry’s most popular brands to see that wardrobe basics with a twist are a hot commodity. While the low-key luxury look definitely feels of the moment, it has been around in some form for decades, but the last few years have seen it really gain momentum. Yes, the rise of minimalism has certainly fuelled the demand for a more stripped-back aesthetic, yet this sartorial shift is so much more and reflects a wider change of consumer mindset.