That world of luxury extends beyond the M25. The capital’s boutiques are stocked with the craft of the rest of the country, from Speyside whisky to Welsh wool. One of the luxury market’s great advantages is that, just like the Underground, its different elements work together so beautifully. It is heartening to see that continuing, and there seems ever more an appreciation that the skill of our chefs, for example, is arguably vital for the success of our museums, the quality of our manufacturers across the country as important for the combined success of the market as the grandest of our hotels.
Of course, life is not always as easy as we’d like it to be. The global reset in the luxury market has left its mark. And, in a particularly egregious example of Britain’s tall poppy syndrome, the UK continues to fight with one arm behind its back thanks to economically illogical VAT policies, unnecessarily slowing a sector that is a genuine world leader. Our competitor cities are not hiding their lights under bushels.
But London, and the UK, endures, and there is much to be optimistic about. Many of the grandest dames of London luxury are looking better than ever, and each week a new restaurant or bar becomes the latest ‘have you been yet?’ destination. A new generation of makers, designers and entrepreneurs, both those born on these shores and those who have chosen to make the UK their home, are building the next great luxury brands, standing on the shoulders of the giants that still bestride the streets of Mayfair and St James’s. Should you ever need a pick-me-up, look to Walpole’s Brands of Tomorrow programme and see the creative vision and energy fizzing through London and the country at large.
What we must all do now – though it goes against a certain kind of British sensibility – is walk a little taller and speak a little louder about our extraordinary luxury sector. For a rainy island in the North Atlantic we do alright for ourselves; our per capita contribution to the trends and fashions of global culture must surely be second to none. Let us tell the world once more that we do it better than anyone else – and invite the world to see it first-hand.
