Quality of Raw Material
Based on solid research or on unbiased metrics, a product with an Après-Luxe seal must necessarily be very well ranked and have been granted relevant seals and prizes. As an example, we can mention the rare wines of Madame Lalou-Bize Leroy, who simply rejected living off her fame as a Romanée-Conti heiress to dedicate herself to the production of biodynamic wines. Bearing her name, the acclaimed Domaine Leroy wines are produced on a small scale, but have a stratospheric reputation.
Timelessness
Based on the idea of the eternal, of what was important yesterday, still is today and will be tomorrow. Take, for example, the Hasselblad machine, a legend still revered today by photography lovers. The ‘Hassel’ is also renowned for its legendary partnership with NASA, having allowed their cameras to be modified in order to capture images from space and to be taken in missions to the Moon. The quality and timelessness of their lenses and resources, as well as their medium-format cameras, still make a difference today for professionals or amateurs. It is an eternal icon.
Originality and Innovation
The premises of something never before seen or created, which has not been copied from other ideas, is the third filter. The work of Sergio Rodrigues is the pure expression of these premises. It has transformed the language of furniture, rethinking Brazil through design, making use of native woods and promoting Brazil internationally. His Poltrona Mole (‘Soft Armchair’), among other creations that bear his name, is an ode to good taste, originality and innovation.
Local Authenticity or Higher Purpose
We use as a reference the works of photographer Sebastião Salgado. Admired throughout the world, his work stands out from others because it depicts the world of the majority, life, and reality as they are, without disguises. There are no two Sebastião Salgados, and the purpose of his images transcend aesthetics, go beyond a mere captured moment. His work is transformative and original. "I hope the person coming into my exhibitions isn’t the same as he or she walks out", he says.
Fair Value and Cohesive Markup
Especially in a time when brands have lost the sense of pricing, have extrapolated values without offering products that are worth their cost, fair value and cohesive markup encompass one of the most relevant Après-Luxe filters. A dinner at Alain Passard's restaurant L'Arpege clearly illustrates this equation: it isn’t cheap, on the contrary, but it’s worth every penny. Three Michelin stars are not enough to classify the sublime cuisine that he practices, with the exuberance of aromas, flames, colors and flavors of a casserole genius, a master with vegetables, capable of transforming them into delicacies of unique texture and flavor. Proud to grow his own vegetable garden, the chef has recently created a Spring Menu, which seems more like a poetic work at the table, whether because of its delicacy or to the harmonious combination, which is translated into extraordinary, seminal dishes.