Where luxury meets ASMR

In the Times Luxury world of ASMR you can experience this relaxation every day, whether that’s in a sea of new Loro Piana cashmere being pulled neatly from tissue paper, the spine of a new Smythson notebook being cracked open for the first time, or the ticking of a Bentley indicator. Here you’ll find the sights and sounds of luxury, on demand.

Louis XIII cognac

The king of cognacs is named after a cognac-loving king: Louis XIII, the 17th-century monarch who was the first to recognise the uniqueness of brandies from this area of southwest France. Louis XIII is a blend of the finest brandies, made from grapes grown in the premium region of Grande Champagne, where the metres-deep chalk soil is ideal for vines. Picked at optimum aromatic maturity, the grapes are fermented to produce a wine low in alcohol but high in acidity, which will form the basis of the eau-de-vie that, through lengthy and careful ageing followed by expert blending, will become Louis XIII. Listen to the sound of the brand’s new Infinity Wheel, a contraption that allows the cognac to be poured into the glass decanter an endless number of times in the most sensorially satisfying of ways.
Videography and edit: Jennifer Lafer & Mohsen Rastizadeh

Steinway pianos

Steinway pianos have been synonymous with the highest quality in instrument construction since the company’s inception in 1853. The pianos have been used by everyone from Sergei Rachmaninoff and Cole Porter to Billy Joel. Built to last, some of the earliest Steinway models are still in excellent working condition. The timber used in all Steinway soundboards comes from Sitka spruces from one Alaskan island where the micro-climate creates a unique grain density and direction that contributes to the pianos’ sound quality. The unique construction, including a signature continuous rim, is also integral to the piano’s timbre, which can be enjoyed as one of Steinway’s master tuners makes his expert adjustments.
Videography and edit: Jennifer Lafer & Mohsen Rastizadeh

Bentley’s oysters

Eating oysters can be traced back to the neolithic period. While there’s no evidence to support the claim that they’re an aphrodisiac, oysters are heart-healthy, high in protein and — bonus — they’re involved in carbon capture in the sea. While they can be divisive, devotees are passionate in their defence, insisting that there is nothing quite as fine as a fresh, quality oyster slurped down with a glass of cold champagne. But before the eating, there is the preparation, the opening of the shell to reveal the nacreous treasures within. Bentley’s Oyster Bar in London has been plating them to perfection for the past 100 years and their crack team know all about the delicious sound of an oyster being opened.
Videography and edit: Alicia Leech

Chanel haute couture

Twenty-seven-year-old Gabrielle Chanel launched her fashion house in 1910, and it has since become one of the oldest and largest haute couture houses in operation. Chanel designed her first haute couture collection at her Biarritz atelier, which employed more than 300 workers — many of them seamstresses. These remain an essential part of the haute couture process, with each of the brand’s four ateliers requiring up to 50. The lead seamstress is called a “première”. End to end, creating an haute couture garment can take up to three months, and a complex piece like a wedding dress will be the result of thousands of hours of work, much of it done by these indefatigable and highly skilled individuals. Furthermore, it’s possible that the rhythmic movement of a needle and thread wielded by a professional of this calibre is one of the world’s most soothing activities to watch.
Videography and edit: Jennifer Lafer & Mohsen Rastizadeh

Hermès lipstick

There’s no better feeling than popping open a brand new, perfectly shaped lipstick — other than the satisfying feeling of clicking it shut. And should you be seeking a new lipstick, may we recommend the Rouge Hermès collection by Pierre Hardy? This lipstick is all about form and function. Not only is it highly pigmented, meaning that colours are especially vibrant, but it’s also packed with moisturising elements like antioxidant-rich white mulberry extract. Launched in 2020, Rouge Hermès comes in 24 different shades — in reference to Hermès’s historic Parisian address, 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. The colours are also inspired by the brand’s history. For example, you’ll find that the brick-red of Rouge Amazone is a nod to the colour of the ceremonial harness the brand designed for the white horses of Chinese empress Cixi in 1894. Orange Boîte is based on the colour of the brand’s famous boxes, and Rouge H conjures the deep red created by Hermès for its leather in 1925. The lipstick is packaged up in a sustainable, refillable tube made of three layers of brushed, lacquered and polished metal, with a magnetic lid for that perfectly satisfying click shut.
Videography and edit: Alicia Leech

Läderach chocolate

Founded in the postcard-perfect Swiss canton of Glarus in 1962, Läderach is one of the world’s greatest chocolatiers. The family-owned company has been handed down over three generations, and the head of production and innovation, Elias Läderach, was a winner of the 2018 World Chocolate Masters award in Paris. Läderach chocolates are still made in Glarus, and the cocoa is sourced from 1,400 suppliers across Ghana and South America, with the team working closely with farmers to ensure that all the cocoa is certified by the Rainforest Alliance. You can buy Läderach chocolates at the brand’s flagship store in Regent Street, London, or at its outposts at Harrods and Westfield White City. Many of the company’s chocolates are presented in the form of a large tablet weighing as much as 850g, in flavours including milk chocolate and macadamia, raspberry and blackberry white chocolate, and dark chocolate pistachio. This allows you to have the satisfying feeling of breaking off piece after piece of chocolatey goodness without any boring portion control.
Videography and edit: Alicia Leech

Louis Vuitton jigsaw

Louis Vuitton has been creating some of the world’s most glamorous and ASMR-friendly accessories since the 1800s, and their Vivienne Animation jigsaw puzzle is no exception. Made from 529 pieces, the puzzle depicts a historic Louis Vuitton trunk containing a dollshouse. It comes in a monogram printed box with a plexiglass drawer that has a satisfying glide, but the best part is the feeling of placing the final piece of the puzzle and standing back to admire the fruits of your labour.
Videography and edit: Alicia Leech

Trinity de Cartier ring

The Trinity ring was designed by Louis Cartier, the grandson of the jewellery brand’s founder, Louis-François Cartier, in 1924. He created it to combine three interconnected bands, one each of yellow, rose and white gold, and it became a popular choice for a wedding band. Upon its release Cartier gave the ring to his friend, the poet and surrealist artist Jean Cocteau, who made it his signature accessory — he was known to wear two stacked on his pinky finger. The design went on to be worn by public figures including Princess Diana, Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper. It is characterised by the smooth gliding motion the bands make when rolled over each other, accompanied by a subtle clinking noise, making it an especially ASMR-friendly piece of jewellery.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Petrossian caviar

In 1920, Melkoum and Mouchegh Petrossian opened their first caviar boutique in Paris. The brothers immigrated to the French capital from Armenia and were eager to share the delicacy that their family had been farming in the Caspian Sea for generations. Over 100 years later, the company is still family-owned and continues to practise many of the techniques that set them apart at their inception. Petrossian’s process is unique: its sturgeons age for four to six months, a longer period than with many other caviar producers. This extended process gives the caviar its signature colour, texture and flavour, which is then complemented by a delicate salting process. The brand employs expert “Caviarologists” to help clients find the perfect style of caviar, so they really mean business when it comes to quality.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Dom Pérignon

Named after the French monk who pioneered the champagne-making process in the 17th century, Dom Pérignon has become synonymous with the finest fizz. The champagne blends pinot noir and chardonnay grape varieties and is still made in the former Benedictine abbey where Pérignon himself once lived. Dom Pérignon is vintage, meaning that each bottle contains only grapes that were grown in a single harvest. This gives it a unique flavour that has captivated those drinking it from Louis XIV’s time to today’s most sophisticated wine lovers.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Loro Piana

There is no more luxurious purveyor of cashmere than the experts at Loro Piana. The family began trading wool in the early 1800s and have grown an empire of unrivalled cosiness over the past two centuries, sourcing the finest raw materials from around the world. They know the true meaning of soft and exactly where to find it, whether it’s mohair from baby goats in Mongolia or extra-fine merino wool from New Zealand.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Smythson

For more than 135 years Smythson has been making luxury leather and stationery goods to the highest standards of British craftsmanship. Which might be why Queen Victoria, Vivien Leigh and Katharine Hepburn were such fans. To this day there’s nothing that says “I’m clever, stylish and haven’t quite worked out how to use an online calendar function” like whipping out one of its supple monogrammed leather diaries. Stationery junkies are particularly fond of the tissue-thin featherweight paper, which is half the thickness of normal paper but still able to take old-school ink. Nile blue with gold edging, it’s lovely to look at, and if you flick the pages close to your ear and shut your eyes you can imagine you are in a forest as a light breeze riffles through the leaves.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Tasaki

You can tell a pearl is real by brushing it gently against the front of your tooth: if it feels gritty rather than smooth you know it’s real — an unexpected trick that also happens to be ASMR-friendly. Tasaki has been farming pearls that would pass this test with flying colours in the seas of Kujukushima, Japan, since 1954. Whether it’s a classic string of pearls or a modern interpretation of pearl earrings, Tasaki offers jewellery that’s both aesthetically and sensorially pleasing.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Hermès

The Hermès Kelly bag’s origins can be traced back to 1852, but its moniker comes thanks to the actress Grace Kelly, who popularised the bag after using it to shield her first pregnancy from the paparazzi. What she perhaps did not realise was the instant dopamine hit one can get from the sound of the click of its silver clasps.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Bentley

Operating in the UK since 1919 from its factory in Cheshire, Bentley is synonymous with sensational British design. The company employs over 4,000 people, who make some of the most ASMR-friendly cars in the world. The reassuring tick of the indicator alone is enough to soothe the most anxious of minds.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton began making luggage in 1837 and now his company is famous for creating some of the most covetable and chic travel accessories. The smooth pulling motion of the handle on its wheelie suitcase will take your brain to a better place even in the most stressful airport.
Videography and edit: Emma Ung

Direction: Mona Tehrani
Additional words: Chiara Brown