Mariella’s experience is wide: she has written, researched, edited and produced content that covers everything from fashion to feminism, travel to tech, and women to weed. Having worked in the fashion space for over ten years, she now focuses her energy on positive change, whether consulting and strategising for her femtech-inclined clients or reporting on women’s health. She has been published in the likes of Bustle, DAZED MEDIA, The Spaces, and 

, while also creating content for Appear Here, On, MATCHES, and Ounass. You can also find culture/consumer insight articles with her byline on LS:N Global, Canvas8 and BEAUTYMATTER —for the US, UK, and Middle Eastern markets. 

In a hyper-connected world, it feels like everything previously ‘insider’ is more available than ever: from behind-the-scenes access to the lives of public figures to travel experiences immersing people into worlds previously deemed unattainable. But while people embrace this community-based inclusivity and unprecedented access to their icons, they still yearn for touches of exclusivity to define their status.

As the age-old understanding of exclusivity is eroded, people are redefining status for themselves using a broad range of factors beyond solely economic ones. This new iteration of status is often based around increasingly niche and local signifiers – from luxury dupes to the rise of members clubs and closed-community spaces based on shared interests. Status is becoming a mode of belonging and connection with like-minded people.

People are erecting walls of their exclusive communities, relying on more subtle markers of identity. This is apparent with middle-class people fetishising working-class aesthetics, athletes turning to niche sports like padel, and social media groups organising around niche interests – spawning companies. As status-defined micro-trends on social media accelerate, brands face a challenge to keep up. If previously certain legacy items were automatically associated with exclusivity, now people are much more trusting of the UGC-defined vision of what status means. More than ever, speed, knowledge, inventiveness, and being plugged into the community determine what – and who – is in.

Insider Status

Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience. 

Personal Worlds

Victoria Townsend was a Bahrain TV newsreader before moving to Paris to cover watches for leading Middle East business publications. She has written for numerous watch publications including Haute Time, GMT Middle East (English edition), FHH Journal, International Watch Review, and Lifetime.

United States

United Kingdom

Watches and jewellery

Style

The New York Times

Statista

DMARGE

Interview with Victoria Townsend conducted by the author

Deloitte

Vogue Business

Bloomberg

Millenary Watches

The Wall Street Journal

Hypebeast

Gear Patrol

Forbes

Rolex is offering a collection of ‘off-catalogue’ watches made using the same high-quality materials and craftsmanship that the brand is known for but with designs personalised for customers. As luxury timepieces attract more interest, Rolex is showing how to speak to a new consumer base.