From its inception, Luster has showcased the other side of luxury, moving away from opulence and appearance and focusing on functionality and aesthetics. Simultaneously, it has become a platform for showcasing Latin American talent in fashion, architecture, art, design, wellness, hospitality, and catering.
Leading this project is architect José Hernández, a Venezuelan based in Miami, who is determined to make luxury an experience full of emotions. Throughout this decade, Luster’s covers have featured notable figures such as writer Elena Poniatowska, sculptor Richard Orlinski, actor Edgar Ramírez, and model Isabela Rangel Grutman.
It was necessary to create a communication project like Luster that would allow cultivating and projecting the image of a Latin American associated with quiet luxury as a philosophy, as an experience. In this sense, I set out through Luster Magazine to transform that popular vision of luxury related to excess and expensiveness. Instead, we set out to stimulate the idea of luxury linked with emotional experience, with the intangible, with that which cannot be bought but can be enjoyed. I can say that I found that inspiration in the sophisticated and tasteful Caracas of my university years. From that time on, the idea of looking for a vehicle for expression was born in me and I found it in Luster Magazine”, Hernandez says.
Through Luster I have had progressive access to many luxury brands that have contributed to giving me a 360 view of it and that positions us as curators, not only about architecture but also about art, products, etc. We have been developing our idea of luxury in collaboration with other important brands and thus we have defined an aesthetic that defines us. For example, in my projects, I have included elements from my interaction with creative professionals and prestigious brands that have expanded my vision and consolidated my idea about luxury. The evolution has been sustained and enriching.
I think quiet luxury is our spearhead. Luxury seen from Luster is an experience; is creating good content; is creating pro-ducts thinking about past cultures. From the cultural mosaic of Latin America, we have been able to understand and visualize luxury uniquely and communicate it as an architect, businessman or developer from a very Luster perspective.
I think it is a very interesting question because today, for me, architecture is a fundamental element to understanding the world and its evolution. When you compare current architecture with the past, you can perceive how a certain material influences the achievement of an artistic, aesthetic effect. I am convinced that at an architectural level, simplicity is very influential and in our Studio, we try to ensure that our materials are selected appropriately in terms of textures and colors. Seek to create an aesthetic balance and connect it naturally with the surrounding elements. For me, silent luxury in my projects is achieved through the management of the natural elements available. Introducing nature into a project is my main challenge. For me, making nature part of my project is true quiet luxury and that is where our philosophy lies.
The Luster experience is based on transmitting emotions from the moment you come into contact with us, through any of our products, architectural projects, or our Luster magazine. For example, in our offices you begin to experience the emotion of luxury through the simplicity and good taste of our spaces and materials used, causing an immediate reaction of pleasure in those who visit us. From there our clients begin to live the Luster experience by connecting us emotionally with what they need and dream. We always seek to make the Luster experience the beginning and goal of all our projects.
