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Rarity Without Exclusivity
NEWSLETTER
8/13/20261 min read
Historically, fashion has relied on scarcity to make a piece feel special. A designer handbag, a brand with a limited drop, or even laws making it illegal for certain people to wear certain styles.
I abhor this framework for fashion. This idea that for one person to feel fashionable, another has to feel excluded.
The rub is that rarity DOES make something feel more special. We have all experienced that. But, exclusivity is not the only way for something to feel unique.
Custom pieces are rare. One of a kind - the most rare you can get. But they are rare because you are personalizing to a single person. It’s focused on maximizing one person’s experience, rather than taking an opportunity away from someone else.
One of the most special pieces of art in my home is a piece painted for me by my grandmother. It’s a beautiful mermaid reaching for coins as she swims. This painting has very little monetary value to the rest of the world, and I bet you no one is feeling excluded that it’s not up on their living room wall, yet it is incredibly special and personal to me.
If you think about some of the most special items in your home, are they high end pieces based on exclusivity or are they more emotional items based on personalization?
