Precious Luxuries

What is luxury? To each his or own answer: a rare essence, a precious jewel, a cashmere sweater… or just time for yourself, to do as you please. In this special issue, osMoz proposes a selection of fragrances and other luxuriously precious items.

	Luxury is something that people fantasize about. But it’s actually a hard idea to define. We usually say that luxury is what’s rare and expensive. Yes, but… not necessarily. Chanel N°5 - a creation that will be 90 years old in 2011 - is probably the world’s best-selling perfume. Another archetype of luxury, Louis Vuitton’s monogrammed bags are also incredible international best-sellers. So luxury isn’t systematically tied to the idea of rarity! Same goes for the price. Spending time with those you love doesn’t come with a price tag. But in this day and age, just being able to do that is often seen as true luxury. And the success of spas is an illustration of the idea of ‘sacred time’.

When it comes to perfume – a product universally associated with the idea of luxury, the luxury can come from different aspects. It could be from the use of rare ingredients, like in Givenchy’s “vintage” scents; or from the choice of sumptuous bottles, like Lalique’s crystal collectibles; or from a numbered, limited edition, an idea that can be found in the world of Art, for engravings.
In the past few years, luxury has also gone back to the idea of craftsmanship. The financial crisis and a sense of the loss of values due to globalization have both contributed to a renewed focus on the human element in the idea of luxury. Fashion, fragrance and bottle designers are all artists contributing to perfume’s luxurious character. The stuff of dreams...