Quiet Luxury: Quality before the logo

If you watched the latest season of the HBO’s Succession, you might have noticed that most of the clothes worn by the Roy family’s protagonists bore no logo. The various outfits are rather noticeable by their materials such as luxurious woollens, perfect seams or rare leathers. This new trend is called “Quiet Luxury”.

The richness of the garment

Whereas some brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton swear by diversifying and using their logo on their different pieces, while keeping an exceptional tailoring quality, sister brands such as Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Gran Sasso, Eton, Sunspel as well as Crockett & Jones emphasize the quality of the materials of their clothes and shoes while being very discreet about their identity. 

The reason behind this is quite simple, as these companies are primarily looking for a mature, self-confident audience who has no desire to draw attention to the clothes they wear. One could summarize that this unisex trend reaches a clientele of men and women who are fundamentally fond of simplicity. This is another thing that Gentologie advocates. As you can imagine, a gentleman does not need a brand name to stand out, and that is indeed what Gentologie is all about: chic and elegance.

The everyday trend

To that end, I spoke with Mr. Jean-Michel Bonin, newly appointed owner of Clusier, a men’s boutique located in Old Montréal, to find out more about quiet luxury and how it plays out on a daily basis. “Here, customers are looking for a garment that has a value. We’ve never really had garments with visible logos since our inception. In many cases, when a product is well made, a prominent effigy is not necessary. We have noticed that several brands, which used to be benchmarks of quiet luxury, now have huge, visible logos. This has prompted us to review our way of doing things and, in some cases, to drop suppliers who no longer meet our quality standards,” says Mr. Bonin.

Are customers paying more attention to quality when making purchases? “Our customers are looking for quality of tailoring, details as well as finishing. To our young buyers, we suggest wearing more sober clothes if they want to be taken seriously during business meetings. Ties, belts and big buckles with a brand logo are not necessarily well received on these occasions. The reason for wanting to wear a certain brand name with a logo at all costs is that it comes before quality,” adds the owner of Clusier.

Timeless luxury

I must confess that like many, I had my “logo period,” but as time goes by and as I gain in maturity, the more I feel the need to wear elegant, sober and quality clothing. Thus, Mr. Bonin points out that many luxury products are overpriced while quality is not at all high. “The Gran Sasso sweaters we stock at Clusier are superior in fibre to designer clothing that retails for over $1000 and they have much longer durability. People in our niche are not looking to change their wardrobe frequently, they pay a lot of money, but want something that will last over the years. It’s especially noticeable as people move into their 30s,” says the man who has been in the apparel business for over 15 years.

Anyway, I sincerely hope that this reading has introduced you to the intricacies of quiet luxury. This style brings a timeless look to the forefront and creates a sartorial richness that will make you stand out at any occasion.

For prices and retailers

Gran Sasso

ETON

Luigi Bianchi

Clusier

432, rue McGill
Montréal, QC
H2Y 2G1
clusier.com

Article originally published in Gentologie Magazine Issue 11. Subscribe now to receive our magazines.