Luxury has a new showcase: the Vics are becoming the new ambassadors for fashion houses. While we are usually used to seeing VIPs and influencers on billboards holding the latest hit bag, now we might see unfamiliar faces, belonging to the category of ‘Very Important Client.’

They represent 1% of total buyers, account for 21% of the overall spending in the luxury sector, and have a minimum annual expenditure of 50,000 euros, with an average of 350,000 euros. According to the True-Luxury Global Consumer Insight 2024 report by Boston Consulting Group, they have the power to decisively influence the sales of the most prestigious brands.

And now they are no longer just high spenders, but real cultural and digital actors, interacting with brands not only as customers, but also as ambassadors and co-creators of value. For example, Burberry redefined this concept in its latest campaign, choosing as protagonists a couple of the fashion house’s elderly longtime customers, who wear the brand almost exclusively, deciding to make them their face. And again at the fall-winter 2024-25 Miu Miu fashion show, Miu Miu brought Quin Huilan, a retired Chinese doctor who has taken to local social media to wear a mix of Prada and Miu Miu every day, of which she is a big fan.

So, who are these new faces of fashion?

On one hand, we find the crypto elite and tech entrepreneurs, for whom luxury is an extension of their futuristic vision. On the other hand, there are creatives and art curators, musicians, and cultural influencers, whose symbolic capital is as influential as their economic one. Alongside them, an elite of high-spending millennials and Gen Z emerges, less attracted to mass luxury and more interested in unique experiences, exclusive collaborations, and collectible items. Finally, the new luxury client is a nomad, no longer tied to a single city or flagship store, but constantly on the move between London, Dubai, New York, and Shanghai, in search of increasingly personalized and bespoke luxury.

A phenomenon that comes through customization

Their names mostly remain unknown to the general public, as we’ve seen with Burberry, but they are well known to luxury houses, which offer them a highly exclusive and personalized service. When a client demonstrates consistent loyalty to a brand, accompanied by significant and frequent purchases, the sales staff quickly reports it to headquarters. From that moment on, the brand begins to give them special attention: invitations to exclusive events, including fashion shows, early access to special or limited edition collections, and a direct relationship, made up of bespoke experiences and privileges reserved for a select few.

Indeed, while in the past luxury was measured by access to exclusive and hard-to-obtain products, today the true status symbol is the personalized experience. The luxury houses are redefining the customer journey to meet new expectations, turning the purchase into a highly selective process. This privileged access takes the form of invitations to private dinners with designers, exclusive events in special locations, opportunities to co-create unique pieces, or membership in elite clubs. The very concept of luxury shifts from the object to the lifestyle, with a narrative that values the connection between brand and customer more than the simple economic transaction.

Just think of how Hermès has managed to turn waiting into a privilege, making the journey to obtain a Birkin a true initiation experience, reserved for those who enter into a long-term relationship with the brand. Gucci and Prada are experimenting with new private shopping formats away from traditional stores, while Louis Vuitton has launched ‘LV The List,‘ a club reserved for its Vics offering exclusive experiences and elite networking.

In short, exclusivity is no longer linked only to the price or rarity of an object, but to the ability to create authentic and meaningful connections. The new Vic era marks a shift from ostentatious luxury to lived and shared luxury, where cultural identity matters more than social status.

Article by Giorgia Dallasio
January 31, 2025