Art of living
Art of living is a term that I use, a literal incorrect translation of my native French which typically is translated in English to lifestyle (the correct appellation). But I keep at that phrase because to me, it is a more profound term that more accurately describes how we should live, how we should make it an art to make our life a more human experience rather than a process equivalent to “I need to eat, so I eat something, anything”. In fact there is a quote from Victor Hugo about art that always has me thinking about art of living instead of art in its traditional sense: art is the the human soul’s reflection when struck by beauty’s splendour. That is the way that we feel when we experience something so exceptional, often made with intention.
Defining Art of Living
Art of living is all the things that we sometimes forget about or take for granted but make our life this beautiful fresco: the place that we go to enjoy a coffee, the florist that we stop by for its beautiful masterful compositions, our bakery, the gallery that we regularly stop by to see the new photographs but the gallerist too, etc. The places that we choose and how we curate them amongst the plethora of options available make up our art of living. Making it an art is investing in the creation process of a life that puts beauty and quality at the centre, but also the possibility for strong emotions.
That is the reason why I founded Aara, because I wanted to share with people the places that work very hard at maximising those 3 magic ingredients; to ensure that the limited amount of time and resources that we have are only spent on the best restaurants, concept stores, hotels, and the many other categories of places and concepts that make up Aara’s curation.
In other words, Aara is the first Art of Living Curator, emerging as a unique but so important trend in a time when consumers are starting to see the downsides of mass market. Consumers no longer want to settle for basic or even subpar experiences and that is why we see the multiplication of concepts all trying to woo the guests at once.
A contagious spirit
Players no longer are single service providers such as a coffee shop only, but a coffee shop and record store, or a coffee shop and a fashion store, such as Aime Leon Dore in London. Our favourite example of the moment is Dover Street Market’s new concept in Paris with an experience which resembles more that of a museum/gallery than that of a store.
That is no wonder fashion brands all have invested in their “lifestyle” segment: such as Saint Laurent with its Art Gallery and Concept Store or LVMH in hotels such as eponymous Louis Vuitton Hotel on the Champs-Élysées and Cheval Blanc. These are a few examples in a new world of limitless possibilities.
So what does it mean for us as consumers and guests?
Boundaries between hospitality and creative and digital industries are becoming blurrier and blurrier which is a good thing since it opens up the possibility of offering an ever richer, original and impactful guest experience. It also means that concept creators have more freedom to explore than ever before: we have moved from concepts being misunderstood to sought after.
It is also a good competitive force to push art of living providers to become better and better, since guests have more transparent access to information, thus creating a race to the top for hotels, restaurants, fashion brands etc. It is no longer enough to have a restaurant with a view but mediocre food or a sports club with incredible premises but bad service. And Aara is devoted to manifesting that better vision.
Photos by Dover Street Market & Saint Laurent
