Xandra Falcó, the great lady of Spanish luxury: "we must bet on the crafts of the 21st century"

Xandrafalc ó is a woman who knows the country, and even if she is called Marquise Mirabel, her tone, intimacy and directness, is conveyed in her natural way. The eldest of Carlos Falca's five children, the Marquis of Grinon, nicknamed "The Brave Daughter," had run a family brewery for nearly a decade and a half in the dairy home of Malpica del Tajo (Tolerance). "My father studied the California climate," he recalled, "and he wanted to work for Cabernet Sauvignon, but had to wait until he died frankly because everything was forbidden." Xandra makes extraordinary wines and oils: "It's a special feeling: You take something from a piece of land that you grow, and you turn it into a very complex product. "

En dieciocho meses perdió a su padre, de covid, y a su marido, Jaime de Carvajal, financiero de prestigio que colaboró con el Banco Mundial, debido a un fallo cardiaco. Tras la desaparición del padre de sus tres hijas, dijo que su mundo se volvió “del revés”.“El campo te ayuda a ver las cosas con perspectiva, tienes que asumir el mal tiempo… es lo que hay.¡Bad weather, good face! You are also well aware of the passage of seasons, "said the chairman of Lucky Circle. French mother Francine Giraoud studied in Madrid, Paris and Oxford and lived in London, Washington and Barcelona ("I love this city. Here, we have made many friends, and the foundation has many Catalan companies, such as Natura Biss é, Puig, Macba, Tous and so on. Let's add it up together. There are more things that hold us together than those that separate us, "he said.

Lucky Circle consists of companies in the fields of food, fashion, handicrafts, jewelry, culture or tourism. Falc ó recalls that Spain is the second largest perfume exporter after France. Today, 72% of the world's luxury goods come from Europe, which is expected to reach 1.1 trillion euros by 2021. Relations with foreign markets are one of the priorities of this circle.

' Why did you choose the lucky name?

Nos inspiramos en nombres como el de Jean-Baptiste Colbert [ministro de Estado y Controlador General de las Finanzas de Luis XV]; pensamos en un español inspirador, y yo siempre he sido una gran admiradora de Fortuny. Vivimos incluso en la ca-lle que lleva su nombre. Su trabajo en Venecia, en la Ópera La Fenice… englobaba todos los valores que queríamos comunicar y era un artista moderno.

' What is your strategic plan to continue the work your father started in the circle?

In addition to online sales, I am also responsible for promoting digitalization as an organizational tool. We also focus on sustainability because of superior product durability, as well as promoting and defending advanced craftsmanship. In recent years, the prestige associated with many traditional crafts has been lost, while the foundation of any luxury goods is in the hands of master craftsmen. We must restore them and regain their prestige like Spanish cuisine. Support for artisans is crucial and we are designing a Toledo Advanced Craft Center in the basic culinary center style.

Hay que saber conservar los oficios y a la vez transformarlos, modernizándolos…

Claro, tienen que ser artesanos del siglo XXI. Like hem è s, which ranges from saddles to suitcases and handbags, here are some examples, such as broken galleries, where companies have been able to turn silverware into designs for furniture and articles. Is one of our greatest strengths, in addition, there are many international customers looking for these artisans, so we must know how to connect their world and build a social sustainability network, because the studios in rural Spain are isolated. The function of circles is to connect them with industries. We are now asking for next-generation funding.

Los tesoros de Chaumet, el joyero de Josefina

James Ferragamo, un dandy con gusto inglés y estilo italiano

Ustedes defienden el lujo como experiencia.

Sí. El lujo, hoy, no son bienes, sino experiencias: viajes, gastronomía, decoración y diseño… Las marcas ya no están centradas en el objeto, sino en los valores que representan. Son marcas líderes de opinión que ya no venden tanto un producto concreto como una manera de vivir. We still lag behind our European neighbors, but we are very good at creating experience.

' What is the future development of tourism?

Spain is doing well, and, to this day, we are the second largest tourist destination in Europe-the first is France again-but we lack luxury tourism-the destination leaves the most money, averaging about 15,000 euros per year, instead of bulk tourism (including bracelets). It is important to know that not everyone is looking for the same thing: Millennials want more and more cultural trips; Generations and z, adventure, shopping or sports. . . . . . Therefore, we must realize tailor-made tourism.

At the initiative of one of our partners, Enrique Loewe, we got rae to introduce a fourth definition of luxury in its dictionary. "

' Why do luxury goods continue to present a negative image in Spain?

Los ingleses y los franceses no tienen tanto problema, pero aquí siempre ha tenido unas connotaciones más peyorativas, sí. Por iniciativa de Enrique Loewe, uno de nuestros socios, logramos que la RAE introdujera una nueva acepción de la palabra en su Diccionario, más allá de “la abundancia en el adorno o en comodidades y objetos suntuosos”. Así surgió la cuarta definición: “elevada categoría, excelencia o exquisitez que posee algo por la calidad de las materias primas empleadas en su fabricación, sus altas prestaciones o servicios”. We should be proud of the excellence of unique works and real works of art created by Savoir Faire, which has been passed down from generation to generation.

' What are your personal luxuries?

Spend time with my daughters, quality time; And the word'slow '.