We delve into the psychology behind the understated movement that’s making a big impact
In a world that insists we work, live and love at breakneck speed, there is something infinitely calming and reassuring about the biggest trend for 2024: quiet luxury. It is an aesthetic that is being embraced across fashion and design and speaks wonderfully to a sense of harmony – something that is intrinsically soothing to our brains.
If you’re yet to fully embrace quiet luxury, know that it’s a mood more than a specific look. It is a movement that celebrates a state of slowing down, pausing for breath and taking the time to make more considered aesthetic choices that are calm, understated and revel in the beauty of restraint.
Quiet luxury is the welcome antidote to a recent acceleration of fast fashion and the drive for conspicuous consumption, which create insatiable drives for constant newness. It is also a backlash against ostentatious displays of wealth, such as wearing garments with obvious logos or flashes of bling that have recently been trending. Instead, it celebrates a more conscious, quiet, pared-back way of living, where less is more, and a holistic simplicity is embraced.
The natural world provides a wonderful source of inspiration for the trend, which works collectively on our senses to take us back to nature and its soothing, restorative qualities. It is there in a calm colour palette of caramel hues, off-whites, clay pinks and smudges of charcoal. It is also in the fibres we’re seeking out, such as soft cashmeres, linens and suedes. But also, it is in the scents we’re drawn to, from floral blooms, to warm, woody notes, smoky tones and tantalising hints of leather, which form the evocative blends of Aja Botanicals.
In a beautiful confluence between the worlds of fashion and interior design, we see quiet luxury being celebrated by the most talented and confident designers. Think of the cool, calm elegance of British designer Phoebe Philo, the former creative director at Céline, who has brought her pared back, luxurious look to her own independent brand, or the luxe, simple designs of The Row. Or, indeed, in the celebrated British architect John Pawson’s minimalism, with its clean lines and subtle design flourishes; echoed also in the sleek and thoughtful design of Aja Botanicals’ vessels.
In a beautiful confluence between the worlds of fashion and interior design, we see quiet luxury being celebrated by the most talented and confident designers.
Intrinsic to the mood of quiet luxury is a celebration of the artisan at its heart. The slow, often laborious, process of hand-crafting a product speaks to valuing the rich history of an object, of wanting to preserve the craft and making process for future generations, and of investing in something that will last a lifetime. This ethos is embedded in the elegant glass vessels that are carefully hand-blown for Aja Botanicals in Istanbul, the historic centre for glassmaking.
Hand in hand with valuing the artisanal approach comes a desire from those who appreciate quiet luxury to know that ethical practices and sustainability are placed at the heart of design and production. Those who invest in the movement want to buy once, and buy well. That means investing in brands that offer long life to their products, be it in the quality of natural ingredients, the craftsmanship of a product and clever sustainable considerations, such as the refillable scents that Aja Botanicals offers.
The effect of quiet luxury is incredibly transportive. By invoking the colours and scents of the natural world and paring back design to a minimalist beauty, it works to calm our nervous system, lift our spirits and provide a protective layer to face the world with. Adopters of the movement exude the deep-rooted confidence of people secure and enriched by their conscious choices. No wonder it’s so very appealing for right now.
Jessica Salter is a lifestyle journalist covering interiors, fashion and wellness for a range of publications that includes the Financial Times, The Sunday Times Style, House and Garden and Vogue.
