This Week's Obsession: From Status to Self-Expression in 2025

Luxury has always evolved in response to culture, economy, and aspiration. In 2025, it is undergoing one of its most important shifts in decades. Where luxury was once about exclusivity and status, today it is about self-expression, values, and investment logic. According to Altiant’s Luxury Insights 2025, 40% of affluent consumers see luxury as part of their daily lives, while half view it as a way to express their personality.

This transformation matters — not only for the brands themselves, but for how we, as consumers, access and enjoy luxury. It’s also why More Luxury Club (MLC), with its circular co-ownership model, is so timely.

1. From “status symbols” to “identity statements”

For much of the 20th century, luxury was defined by status signalling. Carrying a Hermès Birkin, wearing a Rolex, or driving a Ferrari communicated wealth and access to closed circles. While those signals remain powerful, they are no longer enough on their own.

Altiant finds that self-expression ranks as the single most important driver when choosing luxury, even above reliability, exclusivity, or trendiness.
McKinsey echoes this in its 2025 outlook: younger consumers, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, want luxury that reflects their identity, not just their net worth.
BCG adds that luxury is becoming more tribal and community-based, where belonging to the right “taste community” carries more weight than simply owning the logo.

In practice, this means a Chanel flap bag might still be coveted, but it’s chosen for how it integrates into personal style, not only for its recognisability.

2. Timeless icons vs. trend-driven purchases

Altiant highlights that consumers are split between timeless and trendy luxury (42% vs. 44%). Buyers want the best of both worlds: iconic staples that hold value, and playful pieces that refresh wardrobes seasonally.

The investment case is clear:

Rebag’s 2024 Clair Report shows Hermès bags can exceed 100% resale value retention, while Chanel and Louis Vuitton average above 85%. These are financial assets as much as fashion statements.
At the same time, social media and celebrity culture drive appetite for trend-based micro-icons like Jacquemus’s Le Chiquito or Bottega Veneta’s Jodie Mini. These may not retain value long-term, but they fuel identity and community expression.

This duality has made consumers more portfolio-minded. They want to mix permanent investments with trend-led experiments.

3. New wealth, new attitudes

One of the biggest shifts Altiant records is between established vs. new wealth: 57% of respondents lean towards new wealth values, rising to 66% in China. New wealth is often more curious, digitally fluent, and experimental.

This means luxury consumption is:

Less tied to heritage alone — brands must combine craftsmanship with innovation.
More open to access models — rentals, resale, and now co-ownership feel natural.
Digitally integrated — where social validation (Instagram, TikTok, Xiaohongshu) is part of the luxury experience.

4. Experiences and community as part of value

Altiant’s respondents highlight exclusivity of experience and cultural knowledge as important alongside the products themselves. This supports a McKinsey finding that next-generation VICs (“very important clients”) crave community, storytelling, and behind-the-scenes access.

London exemplifies this trend. Despite challenges such as the removal of VAT-free shopping for tourists, Bond Street and Knightsbridge remain global luxury hubs — not just for products but for experiential retail spaces. Flagship stores are being redesigned as lifestyle stages, blending cafés, art installations, and personalisation studios.

5. Why co-ownership fits this moment

Against this backdrop, More Luxury Club is not just a service — it is a response to how perceptions of luxury are changing.

Self-expression without overcommitment: Members can curate identities across multiple houses, styles, and seasons — without tying up thousands of pounds in a single bag.
Community at the core: Unlike solitary ownership, MLC formalises a trusted community where members share not only products but also values, events, and experiences.
Smart luxury = value retained: By focusing on iconic investment pieces and offering white-glove care, MLC ensures members both enjoy and preserve value.
Circular by design: The model extends product life, avoids duplication, and aligns perfectly with the 75% of affluent consumers ready to invest in sustainability.

Conclusion: Luxury as a shared language
Luxury is no longer about what you can afford but how you curate your identity. It is becoming a shared language of values, culture, and smart investment.

For today’s discerning consumer, More Luxury Club offers a way to enjoy luxury that reflects this evolution:

expressive,
community-driven,
financially intelligent, and
sustainable.

In short: the very definition of smart luxury.

Love It or Hate It: The Super Saturated Trend

Love it:
Fall is usually a season of muted palettes and cosy neutrals, but this year the runways are turning up the volume. Think technicolor dreams: vibrant canary, electric magenta, deep cobalt, and rich emerald — shades designed to pop against grey skies and city streets. It’s bold, it’s joyful, and it breaks the monotony of seasonal dressing. For those who embrace fashion as self-expression, this is the perfect chance to make a statement that lasts well beyond autumn.

Hate it:
Of course, not everyone wants to look like a walking Pantone chart. Super saturated hues can feel overpowering, difficult to style, and risky to invest in — especially when you’ve built a wardrobe on timeless classics. Head-to-toe brights can quickly veer into costume territory, leaving some wondering if they’ll regret their purchase once the colour rush fades.

Our take:
At More Luxury Club, we see this trend as the perfect opportunity for co-ownership. Take the Prada Medium Carey Leather Bag — in its jewel-toned finishes, it embodies the vibrancy of super saturated while carrying Prada’s signature sophistication. Through co-ownership, you can enjoy this radiant piece in your wardrobe when the season calls for colour, and seamlessly rotate back to timeless classics when it doesn’t — no compromise, no waste.

Designer Spotlight: Why The Attico is on our radar, and should be on yours

The Brand
Founded in Milan in 2016 by street-style stars Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini, The Attico has quickly carved a space as one of fashion’s most directional labels. With its unapologetic glamour, sharp tailoring, and bold colours, the brand embodies a modern Italian maximalism that resonates with the new luxury consumer. While best known for partywear and sculptural heels, The Attico’s bags have become cult favourites, celebrated for their architectural shapes and distinctive, vibrant palettes.

The Bags
The Attico’s handbags are designed for statement-making. Highlights include:

Venus Bag – a slouched clutch with a sharp triangular profile, embodying effortless evening glamour.
Devon Bag – structured, boxy, and modern, it channels the brand’s love of geometry and bold minimalism.
12.5 Bag – sleek lines, oversized buckles, and eye-popping colours make this a standout for the super saturated trend.

These are not “quiet luxury” pieces — they are icons for those who want to express individuality and stand apart.

Sustainability Credentials
Though rooted in high-octane glamour, The Attico is responding to the industry’s sustainability challenge. The brand has:

Introduced eco-conscious fabrications in select collections, including recycled polyesters and responsibly sourced leathers.
Committed to “Made in Italy” craftsmanship, ensuring production is localised, which reduces carbon impact and sustains artisanal know-how.
Partnered with resale and rental platforms to extend the lifecycle of their pieces, acknowledging the importance of circularity in modern luxury.

Why It Matters for More Luxury Club
The Attico’s bags epitomise the shift luxury buyers want: bold, self-expressive designs with a growing sustainability ethos. These pieces, while trend-forward, are best enjoyed through co-ownership, where members can indulge in seasonal statements without the long-term risk of owning pieces that might feel too bold tomorrow.

In More Luxury Club’s ecosystem, The Attico finds its perfect home: a place where its vibrant creativity shines, responsibly and sustainably.