Tag Archives: LUXURY

HERMÈS

The ultimate in luxury brands, Hermès is synonymous with opulent and sumptuous goods, finished to the highest standards. This house has perfected the art of luxury since its foundation as a saddlery in 1837. From the outset, the Hermès brand was a favourite of the highest of nobility and the Parisian elite who would seek out no other maker for their equestrian and carriage equipment. The maison would use it’s leather-making expertise to craft various other accoutrement essential to the comfortable travel of its distinguished customers, including luggage and travel cases. With the advent of the automotive age, the brand would apply its prestige and know-how to upholstering the very best motor cars and expanding into leather goods, such as handbags, belts, boots and so forth. This also marked the transformation of the brand into a high fashion label, renowned for their selection of the best materials and elaborate prints to create beautiful accessories and apparel. Today the brand stands as the height of luxury, admired and desired throughout the world.

ARMAND NICOLET

One of the grand Swiss watchmakers, Armand Nicolet is a connoisseur’s horology brand, founded in 1875. The house’s eponymous founder was born into a watchmaking dynasty and was a master of his craft when he opened his workshop. From the outset, Nicolet gained a reputation as an expert manufacturer with a honed eye for the finest complications and mechanisms. The brand’s signature is elegant, timeless timepieces befitting the high taste and high status of its typical customer. The firm’s most famous watches include moon phase and chronograph movements, with the M02 model being the most sought after.

DAKS

When discussing traditional, iconic trenchcoats fashion experts often cite Aquascutum and Burberry as the classic choices. However, another great house with a similar history and status exists: Daks of London. The label was founded in 1894 and has garnered a loyal customer base and a reputation for excellence in the manufacture of tailored outerwear. The brand also offers a full range of tailored pieces, apparel and accessories for men and women, making it an outfitter of distinction for the well-dressed. Similar to those other rival brands noted above, Daks is also famous for its’ own house check.

PENHALIGON’S

Known for their luscious scents and beautiful packaging, Penhaligon’s is one of the world’s oldest perfumiers. Founded in London in 1870, the brand has become one of the preferred luxury fragrant makers for those in the know, including a coterie of royal clients. Penhaligon’s offer a range of candles and home scents as well as bathing, beauty, cosmetic and grooming lines for men and women.

EDE & RAVENSCROFT

The oldest tailoring house in London, Ede & Ravenscroft has carved out a reputation as the leading specialist for academic robes, legal and clerical attire, livery wear and peerage robes. Founded over 300 years ago in 1689, the firm has been the go-to supplier for the judiciary, Oxbridge universities and the Crown since, with Royal Warrants awarded. The house maintains two branches, the primary location being on Chancery Lane and the secondary is in the West End’s Burlington Gardens, giving the firm the rightful claim of being a traditional Savile Row tailor to boot. Indeed, customers, many of whom share generational legacies with Ede’s, may commission any manner of tailored piece from the team of master tailors and cutters.

BENNY & CO

A New York brand whose history and reputation is intertwined with the rise of the 1990s East Coast hip-hop scene, Benny & Co began as a jeweller providing custom after market detailing to wristwatches and jewellery before launching their own eponymous range. The brand reached its zenith in the late 1990s and early 2000s when their “iced out” (diamond encrusted) watches were highly prized amongst their celebrity customer base and those who aspired to emulate them. The watches are increasingly rare today and are still relatively popular amongst collectors and connoisseurs of the music scene with which they are associated.

MAX MARA

Few items of apparel are as iconic as Max Mara’s camel coat, a cashmere wrap coat that is, arguably, one of the most in-demand pieces of womenswear ever produced. It has been the mainstay of the Max Mara house, founded in 1951 as a Ready-to-Wear high fashion designer. Initially focussed on the Italian marker, the Reggio Emilia outfitters offer a full range of fashions, accessories, fragrances and jewellery to an international customer base. The label has also ventured into couture and has an acclaimed bridalwear range.