Editorials
March 13, 2026
Brunello Cucinelli store on Sloane Street in London's Knightsbridge. Image credit: William Barton, Shutterstock
By Mickey Alam Khan
For years we’ve heard that the term “luxury” doesn’t stand for what it was intended: exclusive, rare, high quality. Many folks want to dump the word but have no substitute. In reality, luxury has undergone a silent divergence, with three camps catering to distinct audiences.
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","iv":"5f0a033632f514405c68cf0ca4b13cea","s":"dad5205e06c147e3"}
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