The 2023 Clair Report

The Art of Quiet Luxury

By The Rebag Team, Dec. 13, 2023

The 2023 Clair Report: The Art of Quiet Luxury

The prevailing trend of 2023 was undoubtedly “quiet luxury,” which prioritizes understated elegance over ostentation. Brands like Loewe, The Row, and Bottega Veneta, offering logoless, meticulously crafted designs, have flourished, boasting impressive 60%, 59%, and 52% value retention this year, respectively.

The Top Quiet Luxury Brands

Loewe

Established in 1846, Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe gained contemporary acclaim under the creative direction of Jonathan Anderson, who joined in 2013. Known for avant-garde designs and expert craftsmanship, Loewe seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, offering an array of exceptional leather goods, among other categories. The brand’s Basket tote was one of the most-desired summer bags of the year, and the innovative Puzzle, introduced in 2014 and reinvented as the Puzzle Edge in early fall, remains a top pick.

The Row

Renowned for minimalist luxury, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s brand, The Row, epitomizes sophisticated elegance. Launched in 2006, the fashion house’s impeccably crafted, timeless handbags are a clear favorite among fashion editors and ‘It’ girls alike. Gigi Hadid is regularly spotted with the minimalist N/S Park Tote, while Elsa Hosk and Kendall Jenner are known to favor the Half Moon Shoulder Bag.

Bottega Veneta

Almost two years into Matthieu Blazy’s role as Bottega Veneta’s creative director, handbags introduced during the tenure of his predecessor, Daniel Lee, such as the BV Jodie Hobo and the Cassette Chain Crossbody Bag, continue to exhibit strong resale performance. Additionally, the Box Knot Clutch, discontinued in 2019 after Thomas Maier’s departure, has seen a resurgence this year, possibly due to the introduction of Blazy’s Knot in 2022, which clearly takes inspiration from the Box Knot.

The Value of Quiet Luxury Styles Within Heritage Brands

To dive further into the quiet luxury trend, we explored two legacy brands, Gucci and Celine, comparing quiet styles against their counterparts at each label. The Gucci GG Marmont Flap bag, for example, holds a higher average value retention if crafted in leather versus embroidered velvet. Similarly at Celine, Heidi Slimane’s Triomphe holds an average value retention of 68% in smooth calfskin, compared to the same model in printed coated canvas (originally designed in 1972 by founder Celine Vipiana and reintroduced by Slimane), which retains an average of 45% of its retail value.