Sir Terence Conran once said, “The designer’s job is to imagine the world not how it is, but how it should be.” While this could apply to design anywhere in the world, it’s a philosophy that seems particularly pertinent right now for British design – and especially British design within our homegrown luxury sector. Conran’s power and creativity was not just that he masterminded a new way of living that resonated with his fellow Brits, but one that found an appreciative audience beyond our shores. While daily reminders of his genius can still be seen passing by The Conran Shop or visiting the Design Museum (which he founded in 1989), his international appeal is embodied spiritually by the fact that his first professional work was seen back in 1951 at the Festival of Britain – an outward-facing, optimistic demonstration of how design could improve people’s lives after the devastation of World War Two.
This positive attitude that design can improve and elevate our everyday experiences has arguably always been a propelling force for all British luxury brands: the most comfortable ride, the most complex whisky, the most delightful hotel stay. Whether it’s exceptional customer service, a once-in-a-lifetime experience or a product that brings its user joy and utility, there’s something about the design process among luxury brands here in the UK that’s leading the world. That’s why on the following pages, for our ‘British by Design’ issue of the Book of British Luxury, you’ll find a series of essays penned by some of the UK’s leading luxury commentators exploring the bold design headwinds that are blowing through our sector and making waves in international waters.
This starts with the issue’s first port of call: five exceptional columnists musing on what design means in Britain today. We start with Walpole CEO Helen Brocklebank speaking about why, in volatile times, the secret superpower of our sector is that luxury brands – by the nature of the products they make or services they provide – are designed to stand the test of time. Lauded landscape gardener Jo Thompson (who won her 10th RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal in 2025) speaks about why sustainability and romance are the cornerstones of modern homegrown garden design. Harper’s Bazaar’s Helena Lee asks what luxury brands can learn from the British culturemakers currently making a splash on the global stage. Legendary tastemaker Tony Chambers explores the key characteristics of modern British design via a conversation with one of the UK’s equally legendary design forces, Tom Dixon. And the ever-fashionable Jeremy Langmead, our nation’s aesthete-in-chief, shares his guide to the very best – and very worst – aspects of our country’s design penchants (apologies in advance to readers who own a kitchen island).
Our features section takes a closer look at the notable trends emerging here in Britain and setting the course of the global luxury sector. One of the key talking points at the Walpole British Luxury Summit 2025 was a discussion about the emergence of a new force in brand building: experiential luxury – the use of sound, smell and tactility to connect with consumers long-term. From bespoke scents to curated soundtracks, journalist Jonathan Bell explores the new ways luxury brands are lodging themselves in the minds (and noses) of their customers. Speaking of memorable moments, Esquire contributor Max Olesker takes a deep dive into how our finest hotels and residences are designing unforgettable experiences for their most discerning guests (and even their dogs). Elsewhere, interior design authority Busola Evans checks in at some of the UK’s most delectably decorated hospitality venues to report on the design cues defining Britishness in the eyes of international visitors circa now.
Another highlight of our Summit in 2025 was the conversation between Condé Nast Traveller’s Divia Thani and Indian couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee, speaking about the increasing importance of the South Asian customer to luxury. That’s why, in this issue, we asked Kshitij Kankaria, Editor of Mumbai-based magazine Dirty, to tell us more about the British brands currently having a moment in India – and why what they’re doing is connecting with luxury consumers there.
