Luxury has always been about signalling. But what it signals, and how, is evolving. We’re entering the post-quiet luxury era.

Where once consumers looked for smooth surfaces, flawless finishes, and high-gloss design, they now look for the opposite. Texture. Variation. Marks of the maker.

In food, drink, and travel, imperfection has become one of the clearest signals of modern premium. A sign that something has been made, not manufactured. These are not accidents. They are design choices. And they tell a different kind of story that’s rooted in realness, not refinement.

Ipsos Global Trends 2024 reports that 64% of consumers now prefer brands that feel “more human” and less corporate. The rise of craft culture, coupled with social media’s appetite for aesthetic imperfection, has changed the codes of quality.

Perfection can now feel sterile. Predictable. Even suspicious. By contrast, imperfection suggests care, intention, and individuality.

For brands, this presents a challenge. Clean, consistent aesthetics are efficient, but they are no longer the only benchmark of credibility. In fact, they can signal detachment.

There is growing demand for products and experiences that feel unpolished in the right way. That might mean embracing regionality, working with raw materials, or allowing visible variation in production. It could also mean showing the human hands behind the process, not just the final product.

This is not about abandoning quality. It is about widening its definition.

Modern premium is no longer flawless, it’s expressive. And for brands that get this right, the result is not just appeal, it’s loyalty.