There’s no doubt that 2023 was the year that Quiet Luxury reigned. The sophisticated fashion and homewares trend took over social media in just a few months when quiet luxury brands like The Row and Bottega Veneta captured attention at Paris Fashion Week and minimalist icon Phoebe Philo announced her return to the fashion world. But what does it mean going into 2024 when Y2K and 90’s fashions seem to be having their own very loud, and very glitzy comeback?
What is the Quiet Luxury Trend?
Visually it’s become synonymous with an inoffensive (yet occasionally uninspiring) neutral palette of beiges. It can be found in the cashmere-swaddled wardrobes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and the Olsen twins, as well as the baby-soft bouclé armchairs that took over your instagram feed last winter.
It’s often muddled with the ‘Old Money’ trend; a distinctly more problematic trend that seeks to illustrate the difference between ‘classy, tasteful’ old money style and ‘brash, crass’ new money. The end result of which often feels like a cosplay of Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue models from the 2000’s (rugby shirts, polo tops and boat shoes) and ostentatious British ‘Saltburn style’ wealth displays (tweed, pearls, tennis skirts and Eton tails). It of course feels distinctly Westernised and doesn't consider cultural disparities in which affluence is in fact associated with how vibrantly patterned and colourful your outfit is.
But the Quiet Luxury trend actually has its roots in a sustainable practice in which quality takes precedence over quantity. A few choice elevated basics for the wardrobe, beautifully made antique furniture for your home, and luxury homewares and gifts that are thoughtfully chosen and responsibly sourced. It celebrates expert craftsmanship, quality materials, timeless design, reusability and, if you’re that way inclined, wearable, usable colours like white, black, earthy brown, plaster pink, olive green, and dare we say it.. beige.
Where did The Quiet Luxury Trend come from?
In March, coinciding with the season 4 premiere of The Succession (a show about an influential conglomerate), Gwyneth Paltrow stepped into a courtroom dressed in a carefully curated outfit composed of pieces from The Row, Celine and Ray Ban. It was stealth wealth at it’s finest; outwardly very normal and yet you just know each piece was expensive AF. The wellness entrepreneur has been both lambasted and applauded for her sartorial choices throughout the case with some calling it a PR stunt to look 'normal' despite being a multi millionaire and others saying it was respectful of the situation and inspiringly stylish.
But it would be the wedding of Sofia Richie and Elliot Grange that would become the lit match to this explosive trend. A blond bombshell, model and daughter of Lionel Richie, and the founder and CEO of independent record label 10K Projects, in a wedding weekend on the French Riviera amid an A-list cast. A relative Tiktok tick box for trend setting.
Looking like a Chanel editorial shoot (the bride wore three dresses by the designer throughout the weekend), the event began with a bridal party descent down the steps of pastel-hued mansion Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes. All framed by a cascade of white flowers, the occasion included a minimalist palette, classic cut suits, and classic French architecture. What others may consider boring, the internet decided was the epitome of sophistication. Since the infamous wedding and throughout the summer of 2023, the hashtag #QuietLuxury snowballed towards 300 million views on Tiktok with a slew of tutorials on how to get the Quiet Luxury look. (It’s interesting to note that Richie chose to launch a tiktok account the weekend of her wedding, beginning with a GRWM and highlighting significant moments shared with her father, guests and new husband).
Is Quiet Luxury a new trend?
Strictly speaking, no. We’ve absolutely seen this before.
In prime recession era 2008, designer and mystery girl Phoebe Philo was announced as the new creative director at Celine, the French luxury fashion house founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana as a children’s shoe store. At the time, the brand's signature was non-flashy, understated elegance but it didn’t have the same influential power on the industry as brands like Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.
But with Philo at the helm, the brand became a powerhouse of timeless, covetable design. Along with phenomenally successful bag designs like the Trapeze and the Cabas, she redesigned the way women dressed to bring minimalist aesthetics, clean silhouettes, a tonal colour palette and ‘normcore’ to the fore. Her approach reflected the political and cultural mood of the time; conservative, practical and reflective. Her fashion lines were designed for women by a woman. Comfortable yet elegant (the Foulard pyjama shirt), blending practicality with beauty (the high fashion sneaker) and seemingly devoid of any influence of the male gaze (the much debated trompe l’oeil ‘foot’ shoe). In fact, Philo’s designs are still so covetable that searches for ‘Old Céline’ on ebay rose by 70% last year alone.
It’s no wonder that Philo succeeded. The Normcore and Minimalism trends of the time were a reaction not only to the current climate but to a decade of 90’s ‘logomania’ and Y2K ‘It’ bags that overworked designer brand logos so much that they lost their original high status symbolism.
In the early 2000’s, the executives at luxury fashion house Burberry became so concerned about brand dilution when their iconic beige, black, red and white check flooded counterfeit markets that creative director Christopher Bailey was hired to ‘restore’ the brand to its former luxury associations. Bailey subsequently limited the use of the check; buying back licenses that had previously been freely given and sued counterfeiters to reduce it's visibility. Eventually the brand then all but disassociated with it. When the 2008 recession did hit, logo-wearing was seen as status flaunting and ‘in poor taste’ and so the Burberry check, Gucci belt and Louis Vuitton LV print all fell into the archives.
And while logomania isn’t likely to ever die off while Y2K has its resurgence (yep, we’ve spotted those Juicy Couture velour tracksuits on Gen Z), it seems the current crisis is seeing a revival of more subtle wealth signaling for celebrities and a more thoughtful, slow shopping approach for those who can't afford The Row.
How do we get the 2024 Quiet Luxury look?
The Top Five Signatures of the Quiet Luxury Trend:
- Quality Craftsmanship - Well-made pieces that use traditional manufacturing techniques. Take notes from Jack Scott of New Dile Studio; blending the refined, classical techniques learned from skilled craftsmen in Florence with a contemporary London-influenced approach to create high quality leather wallets. When looking to purchase anything with Quiet Luxury in mind, check the finer details to clarify the quality of the work; look out for loose, unravelling stitching in fabric and the seamlessness of joints in woodwork.
- Elevated basics - Clothing that is re-wearable like a classic white shirt or blue jeans and homewares that transcend trends. If you can use them again and again without people noticing, they’re likely timeless. Storeys and Tails collars and leads aren't just a pet essential; they're elevated by unexpected colour combinations and luxury brass hardware.
- Natural - Cashmere, silk, boucle and leather are synonymous with Quiet Luxury style but hardier fabrics like wool, jute and recycled cotton are all under that natural fibre umbrella.
- Neutral - Either in the colour palette you choose or a distinct lack of showmanship. If you can’t immediately tell where it comes from then you’re on the right track.
- Reusable - Sustainability is key with this look, we're looking for pieces that are designed to last and stay with us as long as possible. Our signature candles come in a luxurious matte black votive that can be reused as a trinket dish or a tumbler.