Luxury Goods

The idea of buying luxury goods, brings with it the promise of beautifully designed and engineered, durable pieces, which generations of craftsmen have perfected.  

Often luxury brands started life with teams of skilled workers in small workshops, so artisan craftsmanship is central to their identity. Gucci, among other brands, emphasised this in their 90th anniversary advertising campaign, where they featured black and white photos of their workshops from the 1950s, reminding us of the crafting knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

Prada was founded in 1913 by Mario and Martino Prada in Milan, Italy. It started out as a leather goods shop, selling animal goods and imported English steamer trunks and handbags. In 1919 Prada became an official supplier to the Italian royal family; since then Prada has been able to display the House of Savoy coat of arms and knotted rope design in its trademark logo. Fun trivia, the LG “Prada Phone” was the first one to ever be entirely touch screen – 6 months before the iPhone! 

The founder of Bvlgari, Sotirios Voulgaris, was a Greek silversmith and a descendant of family craftsmen. The company’s flagship store was founded in 1905. The letter “v” in the word is actually the Latin “u”; so it is simply pronounced “Bvlgari“.  Some claim, however, that this V in the brand is in fact a nod to the founder’s surname and a way of remembering where they started.  In the 1980s Bvlgari revolutionized the jewellery scene with their creations for the vibrant lifestyle of the modern woman. with the concept of changeable jewellery that would accompany them from morning to night. 

Louis-François Cartier founded Cartier in Paris, France in 1847 when he took over the workshop of his master, Adolphe Picard. In 1874, Louis-François' son Alfred Cartier took over the company and became the first jeweller to successfully use platinum in jewellery-making. ... Platinum's high melting point made it incredibly difficult to work with. 

In 2015, a certain, now Duchess told Hello! magazine about a Cartier watch she had always loved and decided to treat herself to mark a momentous achievement. She revealed,

"I’ve always coveted the Cartier French Tank watch. When I found out Suits had been picked up for our third season—which, at the time, felt like such a milestone—I totally splurged and bought the two-tone version."

It's worth noting that Princess Diana was often seen wearing her own Cartier Tank. Meghan also told Hello! magazine that she had the important purchase engraved with the message, "To M.M. From M.M." and that she instantly had a very special plan of what to do with the watch in the future. As the Duchess revealed in 2015, "I plan to give it to my daughter one day. That’s what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them."  Luxury brands have always attracted the names of top celebrities, in the 50s some of Bulgari’s best-known clients included Elizabeth Taylor, Anna Magnani, Ingrid Bergman and Gina Lollobrigida.

Whatever the occasion, if you are starting your luxury journey or you are lucky enough to be adding to your collection, maybe gifting from me to me or marking a significant occasion in a loved one’s life; buying at auction can offer excellent value for money and if you are patient, you might just discover not only the long coveted piece but the exact item you never knew you needed.