BASQUE LUXURY FIRM: ADURIZ

Much has been said about the idea of luxury. More than twenty years ago, in a prologue I wrote, I argued that one of the keys to understanding the concept lies in attaining what we lack. The greatest luxury is not necessarily material in nature: it is the fulfillment of a basic need turned desire. Health for the ill. Freedom for those who have lost it. If you don’t believe me, just ask anyone who has suffered from the loss of a loved one. Beyond these truths, I have come to believe over the years that the pinnacle of exceptionality lies in individual aspirations. Attending the Bayreuth Festival or a Champions League final —both experiences beyond the reach of most— may be either a delight or a punishment, depending on one’s taste. Today, the subtler forms of luxury —understood as experience and simplicity— are often enjoyed without the appreciation they deserve. We only become aware of their true value once they are gone. I realized this when, during a trip, I was assigned security personnel: it was then that I understood how fortunate we are to walk our streets freely in the early hours of the morning. And yet, there exists an even higher dimension of luxury: the one revealed in the purest expression of human artistic ability. That is why a book, a work of art, a watch or piece of jewelry, a night in an extraordinary hotel, the uncorking of a unique wine, and a memorable meal all have the power to stir the depths of memory and shape our most lasting recollections. Those are all things, incidentally, that can be found quite naturally in the Basque Country. That was perfectly understood by Gaston Bachelard, who said that “the conquest of the superfluous gives us a greater spiritual excitement than the conquest of the necessary.” For, as he wrote, “man is a creation of desire, not a creation of need.” There isn’t much more to add.

Andoni Luis Aduriz

Chef