January is named for Janus, Roman god of beginnings and endings – this is possibly why we all begin the new year with long lists of resolutions, which quietly come to an end almost as soon as they’re begun. Janus was often depicted as having two faces, one looking back towards the previous year, and one with its gaze firmly fixed ahead on all that’s yet to come. I’m going to drape a Sabina Savage scarf gently over Janus’s backwards looking face – because none of us wants to dwell too much on 2022’s catalogue of gloom – and offer you a few cheering dates for the diary from Walpole’s 2023 calendar. I will write in more detail about what else Walpole has in store for the year, but whilst your diaries are still fresh greenfield sites of opportunity, do pencil these ones in.
On 25th January we will celebrate the annual Walpole Power List. Join us at The Lanesborough – or on our Instagram account – to discover this year’s most influential people in British luxury (you can find out more information about this event here).
In February, we’ll say a fond au revoir to the Walpole Brands of Tomorrow Class of 2022 and usher in the twelve new fledgling luxury brands on our flagship programme of mentoring and masterclasses. They’ll be supported by an amazing roster of mentors from Walpole member brands and by our programme partners, Mishcon de Reya and Moneycorp.
March sees the return of Walpole’s US Trade Mission. The United States of America is the biggest market for luxury goods and the country's customer is crucial to the UK’s £30bn high-end visitor economy, so it’s great to be going back to New York to fly the flag for British luxury. The trip takes place on 6th, 7th and 8th March. Do speak to Charlotte Keesing and Jessica Day if you’d like to join us.
Alternatively, if the Middle East is a key market for you, Charlotte will be joining the Retail Summit in Dubai in the middle of March – do drop her a line for more details on this too.
May is a huge month for the UK, with the King’s Coronation on 6th May. It's a huge one for Walpole too, with the annual Walpole British Luxury Summit, the UK’s biggest luxury thought-leadership event, taking place on Monday 15th May. Held once again at The Londoner in the capital's West End, it promises an incredible line up of exciting speakers, incisive research and peerless networking (last year saw over 300 guests from luxury brands, the industry and beyond). Tickets will go on sale this month, and announcements will be made on the Daily Luxury Digest (our newsletter, that you can subscribe to here), our LinkedIn and our Instagram, so don’t miss out on the early bird prices. The speakers will be announced over the coming weeks but in the meantime, the programme for last year's Walpole British Luxury Summit 2022 will give you a flavour of the quality in store.
The Walpole Book of British Luxury 23/24 will publish on 26th June. Do put the date in your diary so that you can join us to raise a glass to the exceptional talents of the luxury journalists and commentators that contribute to the book, as well as to the unveiling of the latest cover design. If you’d like a copy of the current Walpole Book of British Luxury 22/23 with its beautiful Cole & Son cover, please email Anna Maude.
And, finally, on 13th November, we will once again celebrate the best of the best of British luxury at The Dorchester with the annual Walpole British Luxury Awards. Do have a look at the incredible winners of the 2022 Walpole British Luxury Awards here.
I'm also delighted to announce that, as of 2023, Walpole also has a brand new home in the heart of the Cadogan Estate. I can’t wait to tell you more about the vision for this exciting chapter in Walpole’s 30-year history and about our partnership with Cadogan. The entire team is looking forward to welcoming you at our place very soon.
The past always informs the future. No-one knows that better than those in the luxury sector for whom a storied past is always a springboard for innovative and imaginative activity that will captivate existing and new customers alike. Like Janus, luxury can gaze simultaneously into past and future, taking the best of what’s been to build something beautiful and full of promise. As a new year dawns, it’s good to have so much to look forward to.
Yours sincerely,
Chief Executive, Walpole