Sofia Richie Grainge, unofficial poster child for Quiet Luxury, actually didn’t mean to start the trend at all

Quiet Luxury. Stealth Wealth. Whatever you call it, it’s undeniably been THE trend of 2023.

Stealth Wealth / Quiet Luxury is the art of dressing expensively, without shouting about it.

In a nutshell, the whole point of the aesthetic revolves around replacing trendy items or flashy items for a minimalist wardrobe staples which exudes effortless elegance.

For some, the look comes naturally.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s skiing court case was a masterclass in Stealth Wealth dressing, with the Goop founder rocking neutrals and minimalist colours, including a timeless forest green coat.

And then there’s Victoria Beckham, who has nailed the art of dressing down while keeping the style stakes high.  Her latest monochrome look, on the surface, might seem bordering on plain – a black tank top and white trousers – but Posh knows how to perfectly tailor the pieces to fit perfectly.

While many other public figures join in on the trend, you might think it makes sense to eschew trends that you might live to regret one day.

And the good news is you don’t even need the budget of, say, a Victoria Beckham to really nail the look – there are plenty of affordable quiet luxury brands out there.

It’s certainly taking over, but how did it all start?

According to Google Trends data released earlier this month, searches for “quiet luxury” soared over the past year by a staggering 614% - and the biggest increase came around the time of Sofia Richie’s wedding to music executive, Elliot Grainge.

Sofia’s wedding basically ushered in the dawn of quiet luxury – but it was never planned.

As the accidental fashion icon graces the cover of Who What Wear, she revealed that, actually, quiet luxury was never the vibe she was chasing.

The daughter of Lionel Richie revealed that the aesthetic she's been carefully curating over the past three years isn't the one for which she has become the poster child. In her own words, Sofia explains, “Quiet luxury, the term, it sounds really nice, so I'm not knocking it.”

But she adds, when she and her designers met, “Our word was ‘timeless.’”

“I really tuned into myself and asked, ‘What am I wearing when I feel my most powerful self?’”

And the end result was “More sophisticated, timeless attire.”

The explosion of the Stealth Wealth trend just happened following something of a perfect storm – and Anna Wintour might actually be partially responsible.

Proving she still has her finger firmly on the pulse of trends, the editor of Vogue decided to give Sofia Richie’s wedding a bigger write-up than initially planned.

What was supposed to be a relatively small article became a big feature, after the legendary editor was impressed with Sofia’s wedding looks and detailing.  

@sofiarichiegrainge

GRWM to run errands 🎀

♬ Borderline - Tame Impala

The wedding became a sensation, being shared across social media, with people enchanted by the timelessness of Sofia’s look.

Capitalising off the interest, Sofia begun posting more regularly on TikTok, showing people how she gets her outfits and makeup looks together.

Her following swiftly leapt to over 3 million followers, and Quiet Luxury became 2023’s must-have look, amassing over 214 million views on TikTok alone.