The Luxury Symposium 2018 highlighted how opulence is always connected to emotions rather than material satisfaction. By Team Viva
How does luxury shape our lifestyles? What makes it synonymous with fashion? Is it just a perception? What is the most luxurious thing that you own? Ever given a thought? Sometimes it is hand-crafted, at other times packaged, often times about heritage and memory but mostly it is a rare experience.
Designer Ritu Beri redefined the contours of the word given that consumers in the country are more travelled, experienced, discerning and demanding than ever. She expressed her desire to open doors for India to luxury brands from various countries that may strengthen India’s voice across the world. At the Luxury Symposium 2018, which she has initiated, she said, “The idea is to create an increased space for knowledge and competence.”
As the symposium commenced, Union Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj said India had so much luxury in her culture, crafts, textiles, and jewellery which, with proper branding, could be an important source for economic growth and employment.
The “Make in India” project itself was likened to an exclusive offering and compared to the “Made in Italy” trademark, Italy being the partner country at the meet. The panel discussion between Licia Mattioli, Vice-President, Confindustria; Massimiliano Guzzini, Business Director, Iguzzini; Christian Foddis, CEO of Asia, Ferragamo; Atul Chaturvedi, Addl Secretary, DIPP; Vinita Jain, founder, Biotique Royal and Rajiv Makhni, journalist, which followed compared how packaging and printing in the Indian market differs from the Italian one. Mattioli highlighted that Italy’s packaging techniques have outgrown the rate of initial growth. “There needs to be a certain rationale when you talk about luxury goods. Techniques such as 3D printing in Milan have helped turn Italy into a hub for innovation. Today, there is customisation, variety and a range of personalisation available,” she said.
While the panellists talked about how India’s rich culture and heritage had shaped its luxury segment, they also focussed on how story-telling isn’t a strong game here. Chaturvedi said, “‘Make in India” is giving a huge push to our domestic brands which are getting more space to showcase internationally. But similarly, there is also a need to push better story-telling of how these luxury brands and their products enter the market and reach homes.”
He added that there are people who buy organic or ayurveda products produced in India but are hardly aware of them. So it is important to impart knowledge about the products to the consumer rather than just simply romanticising them. “Ayurveda is a luxury product that India has been creating and researching since time immemorial,” emphasised Chaturvedi.
Trying to figure out how the definition of luxury could differ for different people, Makhni asked each panellist to name the most luxurious thing that they owned. “Don’t say that it is your wife or your husband, a lover or your family. It should be an entity, an object, a product,” he said with a laugh. There were answers like a tennis racket, grandmother’s ring, organic farm and jewellery. The segment also talked about India’s strength lying in her ability to draw on its prolific tradition, craftsmanship, culture and heritage.
The symposium comprised four segments and the next one saw a debate on culinary creativity as a signature statement where the group of panellists and food connoisseurs from across the globe were questioned about the steps and creativity that they have applied to broaden their brands outside their respective nations.
It highlighted that even though taste buds across the world are becoming more sophisticated and are constantly craving for extravagant combinations and unexpected flavours, the back-end was yet to evolve. This means that a 360-degree improvement is needed beyond food and beverages in the restaurant. We have to look into packaging, presentation and the atmosphere. These factors could determine the extravagance of an establishment and make for an unforgettable culinary experience and luxury element.
The panel had Carlo Cracco, Italian chef and restaurateur ; Thierry Gardinier, director, Les 110 Taillevent; Stefano Pelle, MD, Ferrero India; Silvia Landucci, Export director, Boscovivo Truffles; Rashmi Uday Singh, author and food critic; Sonal Holland, Master of wine and Andrea Senigaglia, director, Alma.
Sonal highlighted that wine is an agricultural product and not a manufactured one, which makes it a luxury. “Wine is the most civilised beverage and has an enormous capacity to boom through ‘Make in India.’ It’s an agricultural product and not manufactured.” She added that since India has such a rich heritage and culture, with agriculture as its primary source of livelihood, “there’s no reason for us to not make world-class wines. As a master of wine, I want to be a cultural representative of India and to be able to take initiatives that are game-changing.”
She has observed a lot of curiosity among the world about India and a few myths and misconceptions. “Since we also have a large population that follows vegetarianism and teetotalism, people have myths about whether Indians consume alcohol as much as they do. But even then, we are the largest consumers of whisky as we drink 200 million cases annually.”
Talking about what classifies a normal product from a luxurious one, Stefano from Fererro India said, “It is not only the product that makes the difference but also the way it is presented. If we talk about Fererro, its first customer was attracted by the packaging that it had. The taste was identified and popularised much later.”
So what does it take to evolve as a luxury brand? The next set of panellists said that there could be many facets involved to move forward, develop and build a luxury brand. And that the attitude of today’s consumer appears to be more voracious than ever as newer trends have unfolded in the sector over the last decade. And hence, it’s important to understand the secret behind why a luxury brand continues to evolve while others fade away.
However, in the midst of understanding and welcoming luxury, the next segment, talking about the concept of luxury homes, also highlighted that we have started losing respect for our culture and heritage. Be it in the form of our festivals or monuments, Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship as well as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that there is a lot happening everyday that has curbed the respect for these things. “I want to recreate Chandni Chowk in a way that people know more about its history and years of existence. There are a number of monuments in India that have been shut, or are abandoned or less-visited. There should be a way that these monuments also don’t get harmed or lose their historical significance, while at the same time become a part of commercialisation, in a way that government can generate revenue from it. There should be particular schemes for monuments. For instance, old forts can become a place for destination weddings, of course, outside the heritage zone.”
Interior designer Raseel Gujral Ansal believed that, “Luxury is just a perception. Destination weddings have become a growing trend in India. In such a scenario, the brides as well as the guests don’t want to travel with heavy jewellery. Rather they are looking at alternatives. They have started wearing a lot of everyday pearls and stones and collecting a lot of antique jewellery. So it is not possible to define what luxury is. It could be a home for someone, a ring for someone else, food for the poor, or maybe a new laptop for a kid. It could also be a token of love from an ancestor. Luxury is always connected to emotions. Hence, it’s just a perception.”
The symposium concluded that “Luxury is about know-how and the thing itself. It is an ability to tell a story. The important thing is making the customer realise the value of execution. Renaissance is a grand word for luxury.”
