Manufacturers, especially the high-end producers, would like us to believe that it’s possible to get the true luxury experience even from mass-produced goods. But the reality remains that hand-made uniqueness, one-of-a-kind-ness, is the only differentiator. If it’s machined, or made up in quantity, no matter what the price, it’s one step short of luxury.
Look at the work of Dominique Toucheteau, a London-based designer, who hand-wraps, hand-weaves and hand-crafts every piece, the unambiguous intervention of the human hand mingled with classical materials. Take, for example, the black hematite ring which garnered an award at the Goldsmith Hall competition in 2011. The unabashed intersection of old and new world. Perhaps you noticed Dominique displaying her wares at the Origin show in September at Old Spitalfields Market. She is hard to find, in the conventional sense.
The best way to experience luxury is the traditional way, by appointment only in London, where you can get first-hand and early access to the work of a real artist and artisan. Connoisseurship can’t be blind. An email (dominiquetoucheteau
@hotmail.com) in advance of your visit is the only concession to technology you need make. It’s in handling of the real object that the ultimate sensation occurs.—Stanley Moss, Travel Editor
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