My managing editor and I were having a conversation the other day and he told me about a run in he had had with an old friend. After catching up and exchanging news, he gave her a copy of Bespoke and went on his merry way. A few days later the friend called him up to rant about how irresponsible she thought the magazine was and how appalled she was that he was working for such a publication.
Personally, I wasn’t at all surprised at her populist rage. In this economic environment, people are more conscious of the zeitgeist – conscious of the mood of the moment. But many are failing to recognise how luxury industries have enriched society, not just economically, but also intellectually, technologically and culturally.
Even in our region, perception of frugality has become important. The reality is that we Arabs were never going to change our lifestyles, but perhaps in these tougher times we have preferred to show that we were sharing the pain in some way. That discretion is really the result of good manners. Why should we ever feel ashamed?
Bespoke is a luxury brand and we’re proud of it. Throughout history luxury companies have been trailblazers. The higher cost of their products and services enables them to invest in exploring new ideas and directions; it enables them to establish the standards that guide other types of businesses in their development and growth. Luxury brands are, by definition, leaders and they will continue to bring tremendous value to society.
Within the pages of this issue you will discover many such leaders. People like the Bassil El-Baz who, at the age of just 34, has successfully established the largest petrochemical facility in Africa. Then there’s Alexander Asseily, of Jawbone fame, who beat all the big tech players in developing NoiseAssassin, his proprietary technology that became the first of its kind in the world. And then there’s the most quintessential luxury brand of them all – Rolls-Royce – who has demonstrated that even in tough times you can still increase sales. At the end of the day excellence is a rare thing. But let’s not forget that it’s also something worth celebrating.
