Written by Julia Szabo
Produced by Doris Athineos
LIBRA / Sept. 23–Oct. 22
Heritage brands were created for Libras! Take, for example, Loewe, the Spanish luxury leather goods company. Its origins go back to 1846, when Madrid was preparing for the royal wedding of a Libra: Isabella II of Bourbon. Word of Loewe’s excellence—notably in the manufacture of exquisite leather cases—spread quickly. In 1905, the firm became the official supplier to the Spanish Royal Crown, and by 1910, it was renowned as Madrid’s most chic boutique.
With a super-creative, multitalented Libra like Jacques Garcia on board, a heritage brand such as Baker Furniture (founded in 1893 as Cook & Baker) gets a transfusion of aesthetic energy that reconnects it to its redoubtable roots.
Under a Libra native, even a newish label has staying power. Consider Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren. In her native France, actress Catherine Deneuve is a heritage brand herself. A classic Libra, she loves labels, and they love her back. Deneuve has represented Chanel, L’Oreal, and Louis Vuitton.
Stylish Libras adore all the arts, so the ideal afternoon is spent looking at beautiful objects at a museum—where Libras “window-shop” by envisioning how the items might look at home. A perfect destination for Libra is any museum dedicated to a heritage brand, such as the Gucci Museo in Florence or the Musée Baccarat in Baccarat, Meurthe-et-Moselle. Libra’s sweet tooth makes her a sucker for status confections such as macarons by Ladurée (founded in 1862) and Mozartkugel (produced since 1890).
The Other 11 Signs
Libras are not alone in gravitating to labels that convey status and tradition. There’s a heritage brand for every sign of the zodiac.
SCORPIO / Oct. 23–Nov. 21
The zodiac’s most seductive sign likes to spend as much time as possible in bed, and prefers a sturdy, heirloom-quality one made of iron (the Scorpion signature metal) by Charles P. Rogers, founded in 1855.
SAGITTARIUS / Nov. 22–Dec. 21
The ticket may be first-class on a heritage carrier such as Delta (operating since 1924), but the prestige “label” the globetrotting Archer values most of all is an exotic stamp on his passport! (And he’s usually carrying a Moleskine notebook to record his travel impressions.)
CAPRICORN / Dec. 22–Jan. 19
The Goat will flush with excitement at anything embellished with a garnet (Capricorn’s birthstone)—say, anything garnet-like, such as a set of deep red crystal goblets by Waterford, established in 1783, or a bracelet by Buccellati, founded in 1919.
AQUARIUS / Jan. 20–Feb. 18
The Aquarian sensibility of classic yet forward-looking design is easily pleased by a trip to Tiffany & Co., the “stationery and fancy goods emporium” co-founded by Aquarian Lewis Comfort Tiffany in 1837.
PISCES / Feb. 19–March 20
Like the ocean depths, Neptunians are profoundly low-key, so for them a heritage brand is defined by its subtle splendor. Keep your fish in his element at one of the magnificent seaside Aman resorts such as the flagship Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand, built in 1987 on the white sand by the Andaman Sea.
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