There are pieces that resist time. Others resist us. We wear what we cannot put into words, we wear silences, affections, and achievements. Could there be any greater luxury than that?
There is something profoundly intimate in the way we connect to certain garments. An inherited dress, a scarf with the scent that reminds us of a trip, a hand-stitched hem, these gestures we don’t speak of and that aren’t tied to utility, transport us to a more symbolic level. In the world of luxury, where every detail counts, we are witnessing a paradigm shift: what once symbolised distant distinction is today an expression of affection; what was once exclusivity has now become shareable. The new luxury is emotional and, more than ever, is full of memories.
We live in a time marked by accelerated consumption and constant replacement, but true luxury lies in permanence. Not permanence as status, but as an emotional legacy. The great maisons have been noticing this change in behaviour with a keen eye and particular sensitivity. Since Karl Lagerfeld took the helm of Chanel (1983), the brand has continually reaffirmed the central role of craftsmanship. Today, under the direction of Virginie Viard, this commitment remains and intensifies. In the Autumn/Winter 2025/26 haute couture collection, hand-embroidered pieces, flowing tulles, feathers, and velvets paraded as true works of art in motion. Chanel highlighted the invisible work that underpins luxury: pieces embroidered carefully by hand, techniques from another era, reinterpreted for a time that values care and permanence. More than fashion, this is a true tribute to savoir-faire: the tradition of French haute couture, preserved by the brand through the acquisition of more than a dozen artisanal workshops under the Paraffection label: embroiderers, shoemakers, florists, and plisseuses who keep these techniques alive.
In its Autumn/Winter 2025/26 collection, Prada made time its inspiration. Materials with a worn look, deconstructed volumes, and imperfect finishes evoke memories of something already lived. According to Miuccia Prada, “imperfection is beauty, because it’s human.” More than a trend, the repair aesthetic is now a language, visible in the return of hand-sewing, exposed patches, and visible seams. As early as 2023, Prada had introduced an unprecedented initiative: the Re-Nylon Project, transforming textile and ocean plastic waste into new clothing, literally and symbolically giving a new life to the memory of the material.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first woman to lead Dior’s creative direction, continues to give voice to fashion as an instrument of memory and affirmation. Since 2016, Chiuri has turned the catwalks into a commitment to convey an emotional and feminist message. Her collections include collaborations with Palestinian embroiderers, Indian artisans, and women’s collectives, elevating the act of embroidery to a social and political gesture. In the Autumn/Winter 2025/26 collection, corsets and historical coats acquire new meanings, reinvented using technical and functional materials, such as Japanese denim and industrial Velcro. Fashion is the language of listening, heritage, and transformation. With the recent transition to Jonathan Anderson, all signs point to a fusion between British avant-garde and French heritage. Although Anderson’s new position at the heart of Dior’s luxury, as The Guardian writes, leaves the maison “on an experimental trajectory,” it is expected that the designer will continue the deeply rooted emotional aesthetic demanded by this great high-end fashion house.
Another major name, the Spanish house Loewe, has, like few others, alongside Hermès, creatively explored the theme of craftsmanship. The exhibition Crafted World, held in Tokyo, brought together 90 works made by contemporary artisans from all over the world, a tribute to the sensitive material and the handmade gesture. The brand, which created the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize (2016) to award the best in global craftsmanship, has, more than a branding strategy, invested in a cultural mission: to protect savoir-faire as humanity’s creative heritage. Founded in the 19th century as a saddlery, Hermès is now one of the few luxury brands that still produces 100% of its leather goods in France, in its own workshops. Each Birkin bag takes between 15 to 20 hours to be made by a single artisan. Its name and signature are registered, and hidden, in the piece, a nearly invisible detail, yet deeply symbolic. In 2023, the maison opened a new workshop in Louviers, with bioclimatic architecture and certified artisan training, reinforcing its commitment to excellence and durability. Hermès doesn’t just create products: it perpetuates gestures, transmits knowledge, and gives time to the material.
The new luxury is not just what is rare, but what has a soul. Consumers seek exclusivity, but above all, they seek authenticity, permanence, and stories that resonate with their own. When we wear a piece with a history, we are not just covering ourselves in material. We wear a place. A gesture. A time. Ultimately, we wear ourselves, not as we want to be seen, but as we truly are. And that, in today’s fast-paced and noisy world, is perhaps the most luxurious gesture of all.
By Mónica Lopes
