Above, right ► Hand-painted plates at Wedgwood: Each highly decorated plate can take up 36 hours of handcraft by several craftsmen at Wedgwood's Barlaston factory in Stoke-on-Trent.
Opposite, Clockwise from top ► Master glass-blower Michael Ruh designs and crafts his luxury glassware from his South London studio.
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► the tea leaves. This isn’t about fame. Nor is it about craft. It’s not
even about creativity. For it's all these things and more. In many ways the most useful word is authenticity; you know it when you see it. Affluent consumers have become immensely more sophisticated at making these judgments and this is playing out around the world in a powerful projection of knowledge, selfexpression and values. And while the continued growth in wealth could be said to be a universal global trend, clearly those able to afford luxury are by no means a monolith block. But while their interests differ, I believe the considered and self-confident way that they will spend and express their point of view increasingly unites them. And is here to stay. This is fundamentally changing the outlook for not just for the luxury sector but all businesses who depend on the consumer, from fast-moving consumer goods behemoths to adventure holiday boutiques, from online platforms to Michelin-starred restaurants. To this list I would add museums and the visual and performing arts, who also compete for footfall and attention. For this is as much a cultural as a commercial phenomenon. Indeed, once one starts to join the dots, it’s not too much of a leap to see the relevance for cities, governments and nations, too. Bringing this back to where we started, my view is that the craft renaissance is important. Both to British luxury and the sector as a whole. But less because of the renewed interest in how things are made but as a symptom of a more thoughtful, open-minded and knowledgeable consumer mindset, in which the established players are scrutinised and expected to live up to more, while there is an increased desire to find out about and champion less-well-known talent. Looked at this way, while the disruption heading our way from artificial intelligence and the like is real, probably the more telling shift is going to come from how human beings have been changing (aided and amplified by new technologies). A valuable reminder that the best long-term hedge and repository of value remains a sustainable brand franchise based on a consumer’s love and respect. The other reason I find the interest in craft so heartening, is that it’s one of a number of straws in the wind that something I call ‘mass discernment’ may one day be possible. The place that comes closest to this now is Japan, where appreciation of beauty and quality is widely based. To some this may sound nightmarish but to me it’s a natural evolution that at its best will promote higher standards of creativity and transparency, as well as spread prosperity and shared values. In this scenario, a luxury brand who tries to boast about ersatz craftsmanship looks just as silly as a politician pedalling fake news.
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the V&A.
Method's Callum Robinson manufactures bespoke objects for brands such as Burberry, Aesop, Vacheron Constantin and Bentley. Isatu Hyde makes wheelthrown homewares using British stoneware clays and hand-mixed glazes.
Walpole British Luxury
Paper sculptor Zoe Bradley's stunning handmade chandelier displayed at London's Burlington Arcade.
