Renowned perfume publisher Federic Malle had this to say about luxury.
“The word luxury has been used too often to define things that aren’t luxurious. Luxury is the work of a great mind. It is hard work. It is perfection”.
Federic is from a famous perfume family empire with links to works for Christian Dior and more. He was born into luxury. I agree with Federic’s assertion of luxury? Let me tell you a short story.
In my late teens, I wanted more than the pocket money my Mom and Dad gave me, so I figured I could do art and sell; paintings to be precise. So I started first by painting sketches made by my Daddy that go back to his days at the prestigious University of Science & Tech, Kumasi, Ghana. I was especially intrigued by his abstract sketches which were inspired by Ghanaian Adinkra symbolism.
In about 8 weeks, I had 10 beautiful paintings with sizes ranging from 36cm to 42cm. Exposed to the art industry, I knew where to go to sell them. And using my pocket money for transportation I left home one day for Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.
Sparked up in high spirit I walked into each gallery in the area with hope of making a sale, but gallery after gallery, I was turned down. With nothing to lose I would set out from home again, heading in another direction of highbrow Lagos where I knew some established galleries dotted the area. Again, I was turned down. However, something I hadn’t bargained for was already happening to me.
I saw things non of my contemporaries have ever seen. In these galleries, I was sucked into a hallucinatory realm of seeing the mind of the artists whose works were on display and it was nothing short of greatness. I saw the exquisiteness of art, the grandeur, the hard work, different styles, the perfection, and the value; from price to the calibre of people who patronised it.
When you see the Gucci, Fendi, Apple, HP, B&O, Land Rover, or Starbucks #logo; do you see luxury? Could there be something that you do not know?
