Luxury is a multi-layered cake — and every layer has its own taste.

Over the past 15 years, my understanding of luxury has transformed significantly.

At the beginning of my journey, I perceived luxury as something fundamental, monolithic, and unified. There seemed to be clear symbols, universal attributes, and a shared understanding of what could be called luxury.

However, years of working within the industry showed me something completely different: luxury is a deeply individual and fragmented concept. For every person, it means something unique.

Luxury is like a multi-layered cake shaped by geography, culture, history, ethnic context, and personal experience.

Across different eras, cultures, and regions of the world, the meaning of luxury constantly evolves. What is luxury for one person may simply be a lifestyle — or even a basic necessity — for another.

Perfume was once considered a true luxury; today, it is accessible to almost everyone.
In many Asian countries, seafood is everyday food, while in Europe, it is often perceived as a gastronomic luxury.

For parts of the Asian market, Mercedes-Benz represents status and luxury, while in Eastern Europe, it has become a symbol of the middle class and standard consumption. Some people fly business class and see it as a privilege, while others choose only first class — not as luxury, but as an efficient way to preserve their most valuable resources: time and energy.

The cake is one, but the layers are many. And on every layer lives a different understanding of what luxury truly is.

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