Sébastien Létrange, the chairman of LÉTRANGE Paris, sat down with A&E magazine to discuss the rise of Quiet Luxury.
Why do you think Quiet Luxury is becoming so popular?
The overall market and consumers as a whole are becoming more mature. The luxury consumer base has been growing steadily in the past few decades and there is a natural momentum taking place that makes the ‘top tier’ bigger too. Consumers are more aware and conscious of buying decisions. People are more educated about the choices available to them, and as a result expect more from a product. It’s also true in the restaurant industry for example. The more you taste something, the more you expect in your next experience.
In the luxury industry it means that some of the bigger ‘logo brands’ are becoming so massive that, for some people, lots of their products are no longer a sign of distinction, nor a sign of quality despite very high prices because marketing has become such a heavy part of the pricing.Between buying a qualitative product or the image of a product some clients have now started to make a distinctive choice – choosing quality over image.
In your opinion, what separates “Quiet Luxury” from “Loud Luxury”?
Sorry for my very French answer: it’s simply Philosophy. In the 1860’s, Armand Létrange, the 2nd generation of our family [working in the luxury industry] elevated the thinking behind his work – which was quite unusual for an artisan back then. He tried to define a philosophy which he wrote on the wall of his workshop stating “Atteindre l’excellence et la défier chaque jour” which translates to “Strive and reach for excellence each and every day”. This statement still guides us today. The motivation in our making, impacts the motivation when buying because our clients feel and understand the products. So to answer your question, Quiet Luxury is all about focusing on the ‘excellency’ of a product, rather than worrying about what is required to make it recognisable to the masses.
In terms of customers, what do you think defines the two categories?
The Loud Luxury customer traditionally looks for a product that will provide an immediate statement. He wants to be ‘seen’ as a member of the club he belongs to or wants to belong to.
The Quiet Luxury customer is looking for excellence but still strives for distinctive products. They want to be surprised. To be different. They do not want to be ‘seen’, but simply to be. We have several clients who have told us “I do have money but I do not need it to be seen”.
How do material integrity, tailoring skills and sourcing play into the quiet luxury trend?
All these factors are key. The best leathers, the best craftsmanship, the most refined production processes are what makes craftsmanship unique. It is really a big point of satisfaction when the clients clearly see the difference and the effort we place into each handbag. In Quiet Luxury, consistent quality is the constant challenge. Just a week ago, a lovely lady in Doha sent me a letter after buying her first LÉTRANGE bag, she said: “ The pleasure is all mine to have such a beautiful and niche piece of art. The craftsmanship is like no other, it can’t be compared. These handmade pieces have their own magic” Reading her words, you feel the emotions that motivate us and what all this is about – serving your customer the absolute best, without compromising on anything else.
Do you think the quiet luxury trend has longevity?
Without any doubt, yes. Even if it will obviously never become bigger [than other trends]. Quiet Luxury will stay niche and for the distinctive happy few. Historically, luxury has never been about mass production. It is about limited production – and I believe it will stay this way, catering to the consumer who truly places importance on products that last a lifetime. Soon, I believe more people will start to turn towards Quiet Luxury.
What cultural and economic factors do you think have impacted the growth of Quiet Luxury?
I don’t think this has already fully taken place yet, it’s a gradual change, happening more and more now. And it is leading to an extraordinarily interesting moment in fashion history.
On one side, we have the Loud Luxury market, where marketing is everything. And it truly does represent an enormous part of the success of many of the bigger brands, and it comprises a massive part of the price of their products. You see luxury brands and logos everywhere – it almost loses some of its novelty. When I was a child, advertisements on the streets were for coffee or tea, maybe high end perfumes. Now it is about luxury brands being everywhere, all at once… where the biggest brand takes it all. Quiet Luxury houses cannot follow the same plan, it wouldn’t make sense. The money is first put into the product, not into the advertising or the ‘buzz’ effect.
How does LÉTRANGE play into Quiet Luxury, yet still manage to keep its own identity and recognisable image?
LÉTRANGE is not a logo brand. We discreetly play with a few distinctive core elements: the three punches (on every product), the name tag, our clou sellier (saddle nail).
They all come from our history. The three punches were actually on some of our bags 150 years ago, in some graphic designs, and also even on the Louvre Palace where it all began.
You will never see loud initials or a big logo. It is the balance of our provenance, our savoir faire, and our ability to think out of the box, to offer innovation where no one will expect it. Our best seller is the “Empreinte: a wearable piece of art”. A handle no one has ever dared to think of unless in a proper artisan nightmare! Our workshops curse us everyday because that bag is really hard to make.One of our other best selling products, the “Attachant 10:30”, seems simple and classic at first sight. But the magic lies in the technique behind its construction, which is completely new and totally unexpected in a handbag.
Why is Quiet Luxury important to LÉTRANGE?
Because it is truly what we do and who we are. It has been within the core DNA of our brand since its inception in 1838. Rooted back in the Louvre Palace, Auguste Létrange (our founder) was not there to just make shiny products. He was an artisan doing hard work to provide high quality products to his customers. Then he added innovative twists to it. From there, each generation added its own touch. Seven generations later we keep our motto, “Heritage with a twist”, by combining quality, provenance, excellence, design, innovation and elegance into a very bold, creative, yet timeless, collection.
It is the opportunity for us to offer genuine consistency to our clients. From the product to the client, we have an honest and transparent relationship. At LÉTRANGE we want to be a brand you form a relationship with, and we want to offer distinctive experiences. In our boutique in Doha, you can personalize and customize your bag like never seen before in our industry. For example, with the ‘Égo Mini’ we offer the very first bag that is made in Paris, then assembled and personalized in Doha. It’s simply unique. We interact with our clients on a deeper, more personal level.
In Paris, at the end of the year, we will be opening a new concept called the LÉTRANGE Apartment. A different place to come and meet us to discover our history, collections and unique experiences. A place open only upon appointment so to have time to welcome the clients And because when you are queuing outside a luxury store…is it really that luxurious an experience?
As you see, Quiet Luxury also requires a lot of consistency, and not 180° turn around every new creative director. It is a completely different approach that we have wholeheartedly adopted since our inception, and we believe it is here to stay.
