Rise & Fall

Rise & Fall's Rolodex series: a spotlight of people in our community who we believe make modern life better. For our next instalment we sat down with Ria Morgan (Raising SEIS/EIS) and Dave Morgan–Ratcliffe, the couple behind Ria's – a Notting Hill staple celebrated for its deep dish pizza and curated list of natural wines. To read more about why we think Ria and Dave Morgan–Ratcliffe makes modern life better, visit our journal at https://lnkd.in/eTzttKXQ

Introducing our Rolodex series: where we spotlight people in our community who we believe make modern life better. First up is Sooji Im, a De Beauvoir local and founder of be-oom, a London tea brand featuring naturally sourced teas from small Korean farms. To read more about why we think Sooji Im makes modern life better, visit our journal at https://lnkd.in/e6S3-nf3

Introducing our Rolodex series: where we spotlight people in our community who we believe make modern life better. First up is Sooji Im, a De Beauvoir local and founder of be-oom, a London tea brand featuring naturally sourced teas from small Korean farms. To read more about why we think Sooji Im makes modern life better, visit our journal at https://lnkd.in/e6S3-nf3

Voted by British GQ as one of the 'Best Bedding Brands' – there's (almost) no better feeling than waking up on a Sunday in Rise & Fall. https://lnkd.in/e-tTsYj9

There's a deep tension at the core of the human condition.  It’s responsible not only for our greatest achievements but also much of our misery.  From an evolutionary point of view, we’re not optimised for happiness, but survival.  That means we’re rarely contented with what we have.  We strive for more.  The grass is always greener.  If only we had XYZ we could relax.  This is baked into each of us.  It’s great for progressing the species, not so great for individual happiness.  The big luxury brand companies are the undisputed champions of weaponising our desire for more.  They do an incredible job of making us think their overpriced products will make us better people.  We know deep down they won’t, but we are by nature aspirational and they are the masters of aspiration.  Resist. And watch:

How do you define luxury? At Rise & Fall, our view is pretty simple: exceptional design, using only the very best materials and partnering with the best makers in the world, delivering unparalleled quality. Unfortunately, for most traditional luxury brands, it’s less about the product and more about exclusivity and the social signalling that comes with that. The luxury playbook is built around appealing to our ego, making us feel like their products will make us better people or make us belong. It’s equal parts sad and ridiculous. Luxury has been laughing at us for generations, but maybe the tide is starting to go out?

We talk a lot here at riseandfall.co about what "luxury" means in today's world. It should be about beautiful design, finest materials and the best makers in the world. In other words, it should be about the quality of the product.   But, sadly, the legacy luxury brands have made it about more than the product - they've made it about social signalling, about exclusivity through ridiculous prices and about skin-deep beauty. Or, put another way, they've made it about ego; and, friends, ego is the enemy. It gets in the way of almost everything - it stunts personal growth, it fosters narcissism over empathy, it encourages external validation, and limits mindfulness and presence.    Resist the luxury brand siren song. It won’t lead you anywhere interesting. 

"The brand isn’t cutting through." Ouch. Not a great message to receive, but sometimes these moments are necessary in a career. Then followed the emotional journey of extracting this creative from myself. Like pulling my own teeth. I mean… I love luxury. And I’ve worked in luxury most of my career. And I have the utmost respect for luxury’s designers, creators, dreamers, and makers. But something has changed, and it’s gross, and it needs calling out. It’s the off-the-charts use of logos. Intarsia mohair logos, foam-padded logos, embossed logos, lacquered logos, hole-punched logos, broderie anglaise logos — applied to terribly average clothes we’ve seen a million times over. It’s the playground fight to be the most expensive between Chanel and Hermes. It’s the gross TikTok un-boxings. It’s the quiet luxury prices for jumpers still made with acrylic. It’s influencers referring to their “favourite SA.” It’s luxury’s expense filling the pockets of everyone except the people who birth the products. Thankfully, it’s not what we are building at Rise & Fall. Emboldened by our B Corp certification, the indomitable spirit of our founders Jedediah Coleman and William Coulton, their penchant for plucky copy, and fuelled by an unwavering determination to break through barriers, we present LUXURY IS LAUGHING AT YOU.

Do you thrive in creating content that grabs and holds attention? Do you want to spend your time creating social stories that genuinely resonates with people? Do you want your work to make a positive impact in the world? Well well well, it looks like you could very well be our first ever social storyteller. To apply email william@riseandfall.co with your CV and portfolio.

Each piece in our collection takes a classic archetype and updates it for modern life – whether through innovative materials or expert design. Explore our latest Spring—Summer collection at riseandfall.co.⁠