LUXONOMY prepares an ultra-luxury global edition of the Atlas of Excellence for its 30th anniversary

In 2027, LUXONOMY™ Group will celebrate its 30th anniversary with one of the most ambitious projects in its history: a special ultra-luxury global edition of the LUXONOMY™ Atlas of Excellence, conceived as an extraordinary collector’s object dedicated to the brands, companies, hotels, destinations, institutions, creators and entrepreneurs that represent the highest expressions of excellence in the world. Three decades after the beginning of the LUXONOMY journey in 1997, the Group is preparing an edition designed to transcend conventional luxury publishing. The objective is not to produce another guide, ranking or directory, but to create a physical testimony to the global geography of excellence in 2027: an exceptional volume capable of documenting who, where and what is defining the very highest end of luxury today.

Thirty years of LUXONOMY condensed into one extraordinary object

The LUXONOMY™ Atlas of Excellence – 30th Anniversary Edition is being conceived according to a fundamental principle: the book itself must be worthy of the brands and institutions appearing within it. Its preliminary creative direction explores an imposing black volume with a richly textured cover, gold detailing, exceptional paper, meticulous typography, sophisticated photography, a collector’s presentation case and an aesthetic inspired by private libraries, historic archives, haute joaillerie cases and the great objets d’art created to commemorate exceptional moments. The intention is to create something that feels closer to an heirloom than to a magazine: an object to be displayed in a private residence, presidential suite, family office, superyacht, private jet, flagship boutique, embassy, luxury hotel or executive boardroom and preserved for decades.

At a time when information has become instantaneous, abundant and increasingly ephemeral, LUXONOMY intends to move deliberately in the opposite direction. The anniversary Atlas will celebrate weight, texture, craftsmanship, permanence and scarcity. The feel of the cover, the quality of the binding, the density of the paper, the reproduction of photography, the gold finishes and even the ritual of opening the presentation case will form part of the experience. The result will occupy a territory somewhere between a global atlas, a luxury encyclopaedia, an institutional archive, a private directory and a collectible art book.

The world of ultra-luxury on a global scale

The editorial ambition will be equally exceptional. The anniversary Atlas will explore the new global ecosystem of ultra-luxury through its most influential sectors: haute couture, haute joaillerie, haute horlogerie, exceptional automobiles, superyachts, private aviation, luxury hospitality, gastronomy, private banking, wealth management, art, collectible design, architecture, branded residences, prime real estate, wellness, longevity, private clubs, bespoke travel and extraordinary experiences.

The universe surrounding houses such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, Kiton, Brioni, Zegna, Berluti, Goyard, Moynat, Delvaux, Valextra, The Row, Alaïa, Schiaparelli, Balmain, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Loewe, Celine, Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Stefano Ricci will coexist with the highest expressions of jewellery and watchmaking represented by names such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Graff, Harry Winston, Buccellati, Boucheron, Chaumet, Piaget, Chopard, Fabergé, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Rolex, A. Lange & Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, Blancpain, Girard-Perregaux, F.P. Journe, Greubel Forsey, MB&F, De Bethune and Jacob & Co.

But contemporary ultra-luxury extends far beyond fashion, jewellery and watches. The Atlas will examine the universe represented by Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Pagani, Koenigsegg, McLaren and Maybach, alongside the extraordinary engineering and craftsmanship of superyacht names such as Lürssen, Feadship, Benetti, Riva, Sanlorenzo, Oceanco, Heesen, Amels, Baglietto and Royal Huisman, and the world of private aviation represented by Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Airbus Corporate Jets and Boeing Business Jets. These industries increasingly share the same client: the global ultra-high-net-worth individual whose expectations transcend individual products and extend towards a completely integrated lifestyle.

From legendary hotels to the new temples of hospitality

Hospitality will occupy an essential place in this international cartography. The world’s great hotels have become far more than places to sleep; at their highest level they are cultural institutions, architectural landmarks and private stages upon which generations of global wealth, diplomacy, business and society intersect. The anniversary edition will look towards icons and contemporary benchmarks such as Burj Al Arab, Claridge’s, The Connaught, The Savoy, The Ritz London, The Dorchester, Hôtel de Crillon, Ritz Paris, Le Bristol Paris, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Cheval Blanc Paris, Four Seasons Hotel George V, La Réserve Paris, Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Raffles Singapore, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Atlantis The Royal, Bulgari Resort Dubai and One&Only The Palm.

Alongside these individual icons stands a new generation of global hospitality groups and ultra-luxury concepts including Aman, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood, Six Senses, One&Only, Raffles, Belmond, Oetker Collection, Dorchester Collection, Cheval Blanc, Peninsula Hotels, Capella Hotels and Resorts, Auberge Resorts Collection and Bulgari Hotels & Resorts. From Aman Tokyo and Aman Venice to Cheval Blanc Randheli, Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, Rosewood Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok or Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the geography of hospitality has become one of the clearest manifestations of contemporary luxury.

The private world behind public luxury

One of the defining characteristics of the 30th Anniversary Edition will be its interest in forms of luxury that rarely occupy the mass-media spotlight. At the highest levels of wealth, luxury increasingly becomes invisible. It moves from public consumption towards privacy, access, discretion, security and personalisation. The Atlas will therefore explore the world of family offices, private banks, wealth managers, private clubs, bespoke travel companies, art advisers, estate managers, concierge organisations, architects, interior designers and specialist companies serving UHNW and billionaire clients.

Names such as J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management, UBS Global Wealth Management, Pictet, Lombard Odier, Julius Baer, Rothschild & Co, Edmond de Rothschild and LGT Private Banking represent one side of this discreet ecosystem. At another level sit institutions and places such as The Arts Club, Annabel’s, The Ned, Casa Cipriani, CORE:, San Vicente Bungalows and Soho House, alongside specialist concierge and lifestyle organisations serving clients whose most valuable commodity is increasingly not a physical possession but time.

Luxury real estate will form another major dimension. Four Seasons Private Residences, Aman Residences, Rosewood Residences, Mandarin Oriental Residences, Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bulgari Residences, Six Senses Residences, One&Only Private Homes and branded developments associated with Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin and other exceptional names illustrate how hospitality, automotive design, architecture and residential property are converging into a new global asset class.

A journey through the capitals of global wealth

The Atlas will travel geographically as well as conceptually. Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Florence, Geneva, Zurich, Monaco, Madrid, Marbella, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, Aspen, St. Moritz, Gstaad, Courchevel, Megève, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Capri, Lake Como, Porto Cervo, Mykonos, Santorini, Marrakech, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kyoto, Seoul, Bangkok, Phuket, the Maldives and the Seychelles represent different expressions of an increasingly complex geography of global wealth.

The objective will not be simply to identify where expensive products are sold. The Atlas intends to document the ecosystems where extraordinary hospitality, architecture, retail, gastronomy, private wealth, culture, craftsmanship and experiences converge. The luxury world of 2027 is no longer structured exclusively around traditional European capitals. Dubai, Singapore, Miami, Riyadh, Seoul and other rapidly evolving centres are creating new poles of wealth and influence, while historic destinations such as Paris, London, Geneva, Monaco and Milan continue reinventing themselves.

Excellence, not simply price

The anniversary edition will be governed by selectivity. LUXONOMY does not intend the Atlas to become an indiscriminate catalogue of expensive companies. Ultra-luxury and excellence are not synonyms for price. The fundamental question will be whether a company, institution, destination or individual has established an exceptional standard within its field.

That distinction makes it possible to place very different universes within the same book. Hermès can represent uncompromising craftsmanship and scarcity; Ferrari the intersection of engineering, emotion and controlled exclusivity; Patek Philippe generational permanence; Aman privacy and hospitality stripped of excess; Loro Piana the pursuit of extraordinary materials; Rolls-Royce bespoke personalisation; Graff exceptional gemstones; Lürssen engineering at the scale of floating private worlds; Gulfstream the compression of global distance; and Ritz Paris or Claridge’s the ability to transform service into cultural heritage.

The Atlas will seek precisely those companies that do not merely participate in their industries but help define the standards by which those industries are judged.

Craftsmanship in the age of artificial intelligence

The timing of the project gives the anniversary edition another dimension. By 2027, artificial intelligence will have transformed the creation, discovery and distribution of information. Images, texts, recommendations, itineraries and commercial content can already be produced at unprecedented speed. Over the coming years, abundance will become almost infinite.

That transformation could paradoxically increase the value of everything that cannot easily be replicated.

Craftsmanship. Provenance. Heritage. Human judgement. Exceptional materials. Personal relationships. Physical experiences. Scarcity. Time.

These are precisely the attributes upon which the ultra-luxury economy has historically been built.

The LUXONOMY™ Atlas of Excellence – 30th Anniversary Edition will therefore deliberately combine the future with permanence. The physical edition will serve as the enduring object, while the wider LUXONOMY ecosystem can connect companies, executives, investors and luxury clients through intelligence, data and technology. The book preserves. Technology connects. Human curation decides what deserves to enter the book in the first place.

Beyond brands: the people creating the next era of luxury

The anniversary Atlas will also provide an opportunity to recognise the individuals behind contemporary excellence: founders, owners, CEOs, designers, architects, hoteliers, chefs, master artisans, collectors, investors and visionaries whose decisions are transforming their respective industries.

The luxury economy has always been driven by extraordinary personalities. Behind the global recognition of the great maisons are generations of entrepreneurs and creative leaders capable of protecting heritage while anticipating what comes next. The same phenomenon is occurring today across hospitality, real estate, mobility, gastronomy, wellness, longevity and technology.

The 2027 Atlas will therefore look beyond logos. It will explore the human intelligence behind excellence.

An edition created for exceptional places

Distribution will be inseparable from the positioning of the project. The ambition is not mass circulation. An ultra-luxury Atlas loses part of its identity if it becomes ubiquitous. Its value derives partly from controlled presence: being found in the places where international decision-makers, entrepreneurs, investors, collectors and UHNW individuals actually spend their time.

The anniversary volume is being conceived for environments such as family offices, private banks, luxury hotels, presidential suites, private clubs, superyachts, private aviation terminals, executive offices, embassies, flagship stores, luxury residences, architectural studios and carefully selected institutional libraries.

In conventional publishing, success is measured by the number of people reached. In ultra-luxury, a different equation can apply. One copy encountered by the right person in the right environment may possess more value than thousands of anonymous impressions.

The Atlas is being conceived around precisely that principle.

1997–2027: thirty years observing the transformation of luxury

The anniversary also offers an extraordinary historical perspective. The luxury industry of 1997 bears little resemblance to that of 2027. China had not yet become one of its central markets. Dubai was only beginning its extraordinary transformation. Instagram did not exist. Smartphones did not exist. E-commerce was embryonic. Private aviation, branded residences, superyachts and experiential hospitality operated on very different scales. Artificial intelligence belonged largely to research laboratories rather than executive boardrooms.

Thirty years later, luxury has become a vast interconnected economy spanning fashion, hospitality, mobility, wealth, property, gastronomy, wellness, culture, entertainment and technology. The definition of status itself is changing. Ownership remains important, but time, privacy, health, access, personalisation, discretion and freedom are increasingly becoming the ultimate currencies of wealth.

The anniversary Atlas intends to capture precisely this historic transition.

A collector’s object for the next thirty years

The LUXONOMY™ Atlas of Excellence – 30th Anniversary Edition is ultimately being designed around a simple but demanding idea: creating something worthy of being preserved.

In 2027, LUXONOMY Group will not merely celebrate thirty years since its foundation. It will use that anniversary to create a global portrait of excellence at a fascinating moment in economic and cultural history, bringing together the great maisons of Paris and Milan, the watchmakers of Switzerland, the hotels of London and Dubai, the superyacht builders of Northern Europe and Italy, the private aviation industry, the new luxury capitals of Asia and the Middle East, the world’s most exceptional resorts and residences, and the entrepreneurs and institutions shaping what luxury will mean during the decades ahead.

From Hermès to Ferrari, Patek Philippe to Rolls-Royce, Graff to Cartier, Loro Piana to Brunello Cucinelli, Aman to Four Seasons, Claridge’s to Burj Al Arab, Lürssen to Feadship, Gulfstream to Dassault Falcon, Ritz Paris to Cheval Blanc, Bulgari to Van Cleef & Arpels, the Atlas will seek to construct something rarely attempted on this scale: a global cartography of excellence.

Thirty years after LUXONOMY began its journey, the ambition is no longer simply to observe the luxury industry.

It is to document those who are defining it.

And in an age in which almost everything is designed to disappear rapidly from a screen, the ultimate ambition of the LUXONOMY™ Atlas of Excellence will be radically different:

to create an object that deserves to survive the next thirty years.