Why luxury is winning by leading with craft, escapism and play

The luxury fashion industry is privileged enough to immerse itself in beauty of all kinds. Collections inspired by nature, travel, architecture, people, connection - art, as subjective as it may be, is the essence of it all.

Their deep set roots give these brands the stability to play, to ’surprise and delight’ whilst remaining recognisable.

And it’s craft that invites this sense of play, freedom and escapism. The human touch of a tactile piece keeps us connected to each other and to a consistency that we’re certain of. Craft provides calm. Craft brings us back to the analogue, back to simplicity, back to beauty and art for art's sake. Starting with the maker, handmade craft has room for experimentation and playfulness. Sometimes a serendipitous splash of paint or nudge of the knife can lead to a piece unplanned, something unexpected for both artist and audience.

Craft brings us back to the analogue, back to simplicity, back to beauty and art for art's sake

People need escapism, joy and play. In a tumultuous world we need light relief in order to connect back to ourselves and not be so weighed down by exterior noise and dread.

Above: Szilveszter Makó shot Elle Fanning for Who What Wear earlier this year.

In the same way that dark humour makes us feel guilty for giggling, it breaks the tension between “If we don’t laugh, we’ll cry”, we need this playful detour to keep us sane. When we expect the worst, a jolt of silliness hits like a cold splash of water. We’re not disregarding the heaviness of those who are struggling but merely searching for a dopamine hit amongst the fog. Some light relief.

There’s an innocence to these media that perhaps once served as our main source of entertainment.

Which makes craft a brilliant strategy. Luxury fashion has the challenge of selling garments and handbags at the price of someone’s monthly salary, in a world where broccoli is the price of a bus fare and Sainsbury’s has the audacity to sell a Freddo for 50p. A luxury world in a global cost of living crisis. I think it’s incredibly clever to find something we can all relate to, using craft and creativity in the beautifully unexpected way that makes these luxury brands feel within reach. 

If we can’t relate to the lifestyle, we can relate to the nostalgia, the tactility and the playfulness. Pencil, crayon, paint, paper. There’s an innocence to these media that perhaps once served as our main source of entertainment. The freedom to be passed a pack of pencils and let the imagination run wild.

Above: Burberry gets crafty with these social spots for their iconic trench coat.

Craft welcomes those already initiated as well as those that have always appreciated it from a distance. To someone who doesn’t believe they are inherently creative, craft is impressive. It’s a world unknown and it’s awe-inspiring.

The beauty industry understands this instinctively. With smell for instance - you can’t see a smell so therefore, in theory, you can’t film that smell. Smells can evoke distant memories and emotions, leaving our minds to wander. 

Craft can help the intangible become tangible. It can combine those worlds, bending reality and creating playful visions that take us to that far away place - the senses can be tantalised with imagination and vibrancy.

Craft welcomes those already initiated as well as those that have always appreciated it from a distance.

Above: Director Alix Bortoli explores papercraft and theatre for Ffern.

What I find so brilliant about the influx of craft within fashion and beauty is that it’s a rebellion in a traditional form, it’s an anti-futurist progression, we’re moving forward by going “backwards”. When photographer and art director Szilveszter Makó shot Elle Fanning for Who What Wear earlier this year, he put Fanning inside a handmade paper world and the internet LOVED it. 

Hermés’ celebrating their history of craft with their Drawn to Craft project, collaborating with 50 artists and makers in 2025, is a proud parade of unique illustration and animation artists creating a sense of community and excitement. Burberry embraces stop motion, illustration and sculptures made of dice whilst Ffern have self peeling paper oranges and Loewe have large origami shoes for their collection by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. These are brands with heritage. With years of craftsmanship, legacy, couture and one-of-a-kind making already in their DNA.

Above: Hermés’ celebrating their history of craft with their Drawn to Craft project, collaborating with 50 artists and makers in 2025.

The internet has become a place where each of us are served a different slice of reality. Lost in the algorithmic loop, we are living in alternate universes to each other. In the same way that we escape to nature when the city feels too intense, I believe getting back to craft, to analogue - to play - frame by frame, human error and tactility brings us back to a world we’re familiar with. A world that’s shared. It’s not retro, or old fashioned, it’s real, it’s timeless and it’s highly skilled. 

It shouldn’t take a luxury brand to understand its value, you can’t swing a cat without hitting a brand that wants to build ‘emotional connection,’ yet you don’t get more emotive than watching dedicated craftspeople unravel years of artistic experience before your eyes.