Want to really blend in with old money, or the ultra-rich? Forget the Prada and Luis Vuitton and Gucci apparel. Those are more likely to mark you as a try-hard, rather than someone with the cultural sophistication to appreciate true artisans. The upper crust of society has always sought to differentiate itself from bourgeois tastes, and the coded lux brands they use are one form of this:
Before we get into this, a word on economic versus cultural capital
There’s economic capital, which is the money you have, and cultural capital, which is the cultural sophistication you exude.
Simply put, someone steeped in upper class norms – like, say, someone from the British Royal Family – can come off as classier than most of us, even if they were stony broke, in pyjamas, and wearing mismatched crocs.
They know how to speak, how to behave, and they have the right frames of reference (e.g., they can hold their own in a discussion on atonality in Tristan and Isolde, whereas the rest of us would need a year in a university to grasp the first five minutes of that conversation).
On the flip side, you have people who have the economic capital, without the cultural capital. These are the ones who have the money but not the snooty upper-class behaviour to go with it; and they love brands.
By cladding themselves head-to-toe in Fendi or Prada or whatever, they’re under the impression that they’re climbing up the social ladder. In reality, they just look desperate and aspirational to the ultra-rich (who see it as a sign of insecurity).
As a brand is increasingly adopted by these “new money” types, it’s increasingly held in disdain by the established ultra-wealthy. And it’s not just clothes by the way – consider how the Mona Lisa is viewed with increasing derision, because it’s so lauded by the middle and upper-middle class.
So if you don’t want to end up screaming that you’re a try-hard or actually an outsider, go for coded luxury instead. These are brands used by the ultra-wealthy, who recognise them on one another:
(And if the average person on the street doesn’t notice, they don’t care. Because it’s about how the people in their relevant circles view them)
1. Brunello Cuccinelli
A designer-philosopher, Brunello Cuccinelli (whose label has the same name) has interests in architecture, music, literature, etc. on top of just fashion. This Italian billionaire grew up in poverty in rural Perugia, Italy, and dropped out of engineering school to take up philosophy on his own.
(Thus single-handedly disproving everything STEM-obsessed Singaporean parents imagine will lead to success).
He’s most famous for the fact that his products have no logo, which is probably why you’ve never seen or heard of it. It’s probably also why you think Mark Zuckerberg’s t-shirt is something you could buy in an HDB shop for $3, rather than being Cuccinelli products that cost US$300 each.
There’s a Cuccinelli store in Marina Bay Sands; you just need to get over the fact that you’ll be spending huge amounts on something with no branding. But hey, the people who matter will recognise it right?
2. Morreale Paris’ Le Monde Sur Mesur
Jean-Pierre-Gabriele Morreale is perfumer, film producer, and designer of Italian – Belgian – French origin. Great. You already know everything from this guy is going to cost your children’s inheritance, thanks to the distinction of coming from not one but three countries famous for overpricing everything.
Now you are a single-digit millionaire yeah? I hope so, because your entire net worth may be around the price one bottle from this line can fetch. Getting a perfume from this line is a customised experience, where they’ll work directly with you, and the price supposedly reaches up to US$1.5 million.
You’ll impress even your ultra-rich associates, clients, etc. when they ask you about that scent you’re wearing, and your answer is basically “I commissioned an entire high-end French fashion label to make it for just me.”
3. Delvaux
Around since 1829, Delvaux is a Belgian leather goods brand that’s widely considered one of the best in the world (among those who know them, that is). There’s a definite “old money” appeal to the brand, since it predates even the foundation of Belgium itself by one year.
In fact the founder, Charles Delvaux, held the first patent for a leather handbag which was filed in 1908. So as far as avant-garde goes, this brand was ahead of literally every fashion label in terms of its bags.
Delvaux only puts out two collections per year, and is best known for its bags despite other products like scarves, jewellery, etc. The leather house’s customers include a long list of celebrities and old money types, from Rihanna to Naomi Campbell to European royal families.
I don’t think there’s an outlet in Singapore though, so your best bet is to hunt down a store in Japan.
4. Brioni
Another old-worldly, old-money type label, Brioni was the first fashion house to stage a menswear runway show. You may not think that’s a big deal but this was back in 1952, when masculinity and gender roles were so entrenched, families probably demanded their male babies eat steak.
Brioni grew into a major fashion during the Peacock Revolution of the 1960s to 70s, when societies finally decided it was okay for men to use bright colours without the wrath of their God ending their world. Since then, Brioni has constantly re-invented itself, and is known for needing 200 tailors and quality control staff for every made-to-measure suit. Which more or less explains their prices, because have you considered how many people 200 is? That’s practically an SAF infantry company. Brioni needs as many people for one suit as SAF would need to invade a small town.
Brioni used to have a store in Singapore, but it’s not around anymore; probably on account of people not wanting to remortgage their condo to afford one outfit. Maybe take a trip to Rome to get fitted.
Other coded lux stuff
I’ve only put up the better-known labels in this category. The truly coded lux stuff is often bespoke; made for a wealthy client by an old man name Giuseppe in a cottage in the Ardennes for one client every five years, or something of the sort.
But you know what? It’s worth it in a practical sense too. I hate to be crass, but sometimes, you just need to convince others you’re part of the club to get their trust. It can be business, it can be social; but it’s a reason to buy a brand besides the basic stuff put on every other MBS mannequin.
We’ll look more into this in future, so follow Single Digit Millionaire for updates on the lives and issues of Singapore’s most sandwiched social class.
