Classics become classics by dint of endurance, so it is too early to say that any of the ‘Brands of Tomorrow’, as picked by the FSA of luxury, Walpole, will become classics, but on the basis of their previous picks, you wouldn’t bet against them.
Classics become classics by dint of endurance, so it is too early to say that any of the ‘Brands of Tomorrow’, as picked by the FSA of luxury, Walpole, will become classics, but on the basis of their previous picks, you wouldn’t bet against them.
Announced this morning at Liberty – a store which is a classic in its own right – the eight brands each occupy a niche of the luxury sector with innovation and style. And as John Ayton, co-founder of Links of London and chairman of Walpole Brands of Tomorrow, says, their chance to grow is now: ‘It has been retail hell for the past few months but there is a tremendous sense of opportunity among brands like these. The wealthy are hungry for what is new and innovative.’
The lucky brands, all of which have an annual turnover of between £100,000 and £2 million, are:
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Britt Lintner, a hedge fund manager who also dressed Sarah Brown when the Obamas came to London;
Caramel Baby & Child, Elle Macpherson’s choice of enfant couturier;
Gentlemen’s Tonic, to the Mayfair man what the Bliss Spa is to the Chelsea woman;
Little Venice Cake Company, to the deliciousness of whose cakes we can testify, as can Madonna;
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Lodger Footwear, who combine the science of 3D scanning with the art of old-fashioned leather shoemaking;
Mungo and Maud, for the best-pampered pooch and most-favoured feline in your family;
Orlebar Brown, giving Vilebrequin a run for their money; and
Pyjama Room, pioneers of comfortable, luxury loungewear.
What the brands get out of association with Walpole, whose members include everyone from Alfred Dunhill to Vertu, is a mentor from the luxury industry, who can provide advice on everything from logistics to e-luxury, and regular networking opportunities. And prestige, of course.
Previous Brands of Tomorrow have included cute wallpaper company Timorous Beasties, parfumier Ormonde Jayne, the Bremont Watch Company (profiled in Spear’s recently) and bookmakers Fitzdares, and many have found berths in Harrods, Selfridges and Liberty; former photographer Adam Brown, who is behind Orlebar Brown, is already a bestseller.
For the forward-thinking luxury-lover, there can be no better guide to the future princes (and princesses) of the industry than the Brands of Tomorrow. Who are we to disagree?
