Separating Luxury from Wealth: Authenticity, Craftsmanship, and Ethical Business for a New Era
Just as Coco Chanel, through costume jewelry, decoupled financial assets from elegance, embodying the style of the 1920s and ultimately advancing women's liberation, redefining luxury without tying it to financial wealth will shape the next era.
Brunello Cucinelli’s essay references philosopher Kant’s perspective on luxury:
"Luxury is found among those with a refined sense, and through its diversity, it satisfies our capacity for judgment, invigorating society and creating a multitude of jobs." This quote holds clues for us as well.
To separate luxury from financial assets is more of a mindset shift. It means not pandering to the world of those with wealth, but rather offering a new perspective.
One person who embodies this approach today is Shunsuke Teranishi of MIZEN, who incorporates the ingenuity, wisdom, and craftsmanship of Japanese farmers into luxury products. He promotes items like tsumugi silk, made from what was considered inferior-grade cocoons, and kogin-zashi, a type of embroidery originally developed to protect against the cold.
The dilemma that results in products becoming accessible only to the wealthy has existed since the time of William Morris in the 19th century. Morris, who led the Arts and Crafts movement, resisted the flood of low-quality, mass-produced goods, aiming to create artistic daily items that brought joy to the artisans who made them. However, the reality was that only the wealthy could afford these products. This dilemma led Morris to gradually embrace socialism.
Cucinelli offers one way to address this dilemma through the "redistribution of profits" in Solomeo. He pays artisans 20% above average wages, restores and beautifies the village, builds theaters and libraries, and operates his business to promote human happiness.
In short, when creating a luxury business in Japan, the point is not to cater to what the wealthy might like. Instead, it is better to refine services and products based on Japan’s indigenous concepts, creating things that turn customer values upside down. This approach is authentic because it remains true to its origins, and people are always willing to pay for something that radically shifts their worldview.
Even if the end result is products that only the wealthy can afford, the profits can be redistributed in different ways—whether through returning benefits to the artisans, improving the local environment, education, or welfare. In an era when the government can no longer be relied upon, such luxury businesses will become a vital presence. Now, more than ever, ethics are demanded of business leaders.
I fully understand that this paints an idealistic "big picture," but people like Cucinelli, Shunsuke Teranishi, and Hiroyuki Murase of Suzusan are actively working toward these ideals. And for that reason, I have to support their efforts.
Photo: Appeared on a NewsPicks program themed around wealth in July 2023, wearing a piece featuring MIZEN's kogin embroidery.