LUXURY OF
TOMORROW
We love cashmere. It is light to wear, soft to touch, and expensive to buy. It is versatile from season to season, being warm and cosy in the winter and surprisingly cool and lightweight in summer. Wearing cashmere is one of life's ultimate pleasures and luxuries.
Pyjama Room sells the most wonderful cashmere pieces and is one of the eight small companies recently chosen as Brands of Tomorrow by Walpole, a non-profit-making organisation that represents the British luxury industry.
Pyjama Room is a luxury loungewear brand selling uber-chic clothing for women who like to lounge is style. It was founded in London in 2007 by Emma Howarth and Clare Hornby who met when they were both working in advertising. The girls spotted a gap in the market for elegant yet comfortable clothing to relax in. By ANNA HALSALL
“There is something embarrassing about spending money on mindless, flashy things,” says John Ayton in interview for The Times. John launched (and recently sold) Links of London and is the brain behind and chairman of Brands of Tomorrow, which offers business advice and mentoring to winners. “There’s a move towards Granny’s values,” he continues.
Granny values? It might sound confusing, but John definitely knows the distiction between trend and quality. Before the recession, we lost a sober approach to shopping. Everything became souless, global, based on a hype and fads.
Not only marketers predicted the new trend to stay local. Andrew Tuck, the editor of the trend and design publication Monocle, says that certain things need to change and staying local is one of them. “People are starting to wonder what exactly they were paying for with the big price tags,” he says. “Reclaiming local links is one of the corrections we need.”
"Going local" is about keeping identity and soul. Little Venice Cake Company, one of the comanies chosen by Walpole, can be exactly what the new luxury is about. Business at Little Venice is going great, with sales in the first two quarters of 2009 up 50 per cent, despite the fact that a birthday cake will cost you around £250.
Britt Lintner, another young entrepreneur chosen by Walpole, launched her business in 2006 and has rapidly been building a reputation and devoted clientelle through word-of-mouth, trunk shows, corporate events and private appointments at her atelier in Holland Park.
Britt's business model was simple. Her perfectly cut suits made women feel beautiful, professional yet sexy, trunk shows were fun and women loved it! Britt realised that shopping should't be impersonnal, it should be joyful and fun, something what business women would enjoy.
Things changed and today's luxury stopped being about keeping up with the world of celebrities. It became about improving our home life, investing in quality and ourselves. As Michael Burke, the president and CEO of Fendi said: "Luxury is not about instant gratification — one should aspire to it"
We surely aspire to lounge on a sofa wrapped in super soft cashmere, eat one of the delicious Little Venice cakes and still being able to squeeze into a Britt Lintner fabulous dress... x
Brands of Tomorrow:
1. Britt Lintner Womenswear
www.brittlintner.com
2. Little Venice Cake Company
www.lvcc.co.uk
3. Pyjama Room Loungewear
www.pyjamaroom.com
4. Mungo and Maud
Available from www.mungoandmaud.com
5. Caramel Baby and Child
Available from www.caramel-shop.co.uk
6. Lodger Footwear
Available from www.lodgerfootwear.com
7.Orlebar Brown swim shorts
www.orlebarbrown.com
8.Gentlemen’s Tonic traditional barbershop
www.gentlemenstonic.com