What qualifies as luxury? And no, it isn't about money

Over the last six months, I have probably attended more ‘Luxury Conferences’ than I have had cooked breakfasts.



And at each of these, no matter who the speakers or the attendees, the message seems to be the same. Luxury equals money. Actually make that big money. As in Big Money.



So, we have sundry examples thrown at us to illustrate the point. There is the iconic Hermès handbag with a waiting list as long as Jane Birkin’s legs.



There is the perfectly cut yellow diamond with no visible inclusions, available exclusively from Graff. There is the private jet which comes with a Jacuzzi and power shower, and a four-poster bed in the master bedroom (and if you don’t like the fixtures you can always have them customised to your taste). And so on and on and on.



I watch goggle-eyed at all the high-value items projected on the big screen. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t quiet the little voice inside my head that tells me that this is just conspicuous consumption.



Luxury is an entirely different animal. And while it helps to have money to feed it, there is more to it than just filthy lucre. Or, at least, that’s the way I see it.