23.04.2025

Flex is dead, exclusive access is the true luxury

How true status no longer comes from logos or loud luxury - but from access, exclusivity, and curated experiences. Discover why the modern elite have stopped peacocking and embraced quiet power.

Words: Johan Chua

GC Illustration.

When I was younger, I used to think my status depended on what I wore. The more obvious the logo, the louder the message.

My twenties were an endless parade of monograms: luxury Swiss watch, Louis Vuitton wallets, Versace belts, Dolce & Gabbana sneakers. I wore them like armor in a society where appearances often form impressions faster than actual credentials.

But now, at late 30, having built a comfortable life in business and investments, travelled extensively, and spent time in real rooms of influence, I can tell you this: real gentlemen don’t peacock.

The most polished men I’ve met don’t need to show off. In fact, they often look surprisingly ordinary. No flashy logos. No obvious brands. Their confidence doesn’t stem from their wardrobe. It stems from their exclusive access: to people, to experiences, and to knowledge most will never even hear about.

Kuala Lumpur.

When Everything is Luxury, Nothing is

In Malaysia, especially among the new-wealth, there’s a strange obsession with branded goods. Walk into any high-end restaurant in KL and you’ll spot it: tables filled with people dressed head-to-toe in designer labels, posing before the appetizers arrive. I’m not judging - I’ve been there. But somewhere along the line, luxury became too accessible. Too predictable.

Social media didn’t help. TikTok has practically created an underground economy of dupes - “factory direct” versions of Gucci, Dior, Balenciaga, all promising the same silhouette for a tenth of the price. And honestly? Some of these fakes are hard to spot, even for a trained eye. That’s the problem.

When everyone is wearing "luxury," luxury loses its meaning.

This isn’t just about fashion. It’s about value. And increasingly, the only thing that holds value is what can’t be duplicated: access, experience, and exclusivity.

Whisky tasting in Kyoto.

The Quiet Power of Being in the Right Room

A few years ago, I attended a private whisky tasting in Kyoto. There were only six of us. The invitation came quietly, through a mutual friend who knew I appreciated Japanese single malts. No Instagram photos. No hashtags. But that night, I tasted a 40-year-old cask that had never been bottled commercially. That was an experience no amount of peacocking could buy.

The same principle applies across every facet of man's life. Whether it’s being invited to preview an unreleased timepiece in Geneva, gaining early access to a private fund, or simply dining with blue-bloods whose stories aren’t meant for public consumption - the true flex is in being part of something others don’t even know exists.

This is the direction modern luxury is heading.

Quiet. Curated. Intentional.

And quite frankly, I think is far more satisfying than chasing the latest collab between a fashion house and a pop culture icon.

GC Illustration.

The Gentleman Code Way

You’ll notice a refined community like HBS Alumni Club of Malaysia (HBSACM) or Royal Selangor Club don't plaster their social pages with sponsored posts or influencer gimmicks. That’s by design. Community like this isn’t for everyone. It’s for the man who values substance over attention, elegance over ego. It’s for those of us who have experienced luxury, but no longer need it to define us.

My view is that...a gentleman doesn’t need to declare his status - it reveals itself through how he moves, speaks, and chooses to spend his time. And more often than not, that means moving in circles where everyone is too refined to even ask “what brand is that?”

The most classiest thing I’ve learned? When you stop trying to impress everyone, you start attracting the right people. People who understand the difference between show and substance.

And maybe, just maybe, you find your way into the kind of company that makes logos look like child’s play.

So let me ask you this, gentlemen - when was the last time you were in a room that couldn’t be photographed, with people who didn’t need to be introduced? Or are you still chasing the label, instead of the exclusive invitation?

About the Contributor

Johan Chua is a long student of masculinity, culture and lifestyle and various other subjects. He is interested in how all these things come together to impact our world and us individually.

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Flex is dead, exclusive access is the true luxury

How true status no longer comes from logos or loud luxury - but from access, exclusivity, and curated experiences. Discover why the modern elite have stopped peacocking and embraced quiet power.

Words: Johan Chua

GC Illustration.

When I was younger, I used to think my status depended on what I wore. The more obvious the logo, the louder the message.

My twenties were an endless parade of monograms: luxury Swiss watch, Louis Vuitton wallets, Versace belts, Dolce & Gabbana sneakers. I wore them like armor in a society where appearances often form impressions faster than actual credentials.

But now, at late 30, having built a comfortable life in business and investments, travelled extensively, and spent time in real rooms of influence, I can tell you this: real gentlemen don’t peacock.

Kuala Lumpur.

When Everything is Luxury, Nothing is

When everyone is wearing "luxury," luxury loses its meaning.

This isn’t just about fashion. It’s about value. And increasingly, the only thing that holds value is what can’t be duplicated: access, experience, and exclusivity.

Whisky tasting in Kyoto.

The Quiet Power of Being in the Right Room

This is the direction modern luxury is heading.

Quiet. Curated. Intentional.

And quite frankly, I think is far more satisfying than chasing the latest collab between a fashion house and a pop culture icon.

GC Illustration.

The Gentleman Code Way

My view is that...a gentleman doesn’t need to declare his status - it reveals itself through how he moves, speaks, and chooses to spend his time. And more often than not, that means moving in circles where everyone is too refined to even ask “what brand is that?”

The most classiest thing I’ve learned? When you stop trying to impress everyone, you start attracting the right people. People who understand the difference between show and substance.

And maybe, just maybe, you find your way into the kind of company that makes logos look like child’s play.

So let me ask you this, gentlemen - when was the last time you were in a room that couldn’t be photographed, with people who didn’t need to be introduced? Or are you still chasing the label, instead of the exclusive invitation?

About the Contributor

Johan Chua is a long student of masculinity, culture and lifestyle and various other subjects. He is interested in how all these things come together to impact our world and us individually.

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Please enter invitation code

Request access

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Flex is dead, exclusive access is the true luxury

How true status no longer comes from logos or loud luxury - but from access, exclusivity, and curated experiences. Discover why the modern elite have stopped peacocking and embraced quiet power.

Words: Johan Chua

GC Illustration.

When I was younger, I used to think my status depended on what I wore. The more obvious the logo, the louder the message.

My twenties were an endless parade of monograms: luxury Swiss watch, Louis Vuitton wallets, Versace belts, Dolce & Gabbana sneakers. I wore them like armor in a society where appearances often form impressions faster than actual credentials.

But now, at late 30, having built a comfortable life in business and investments, travelled extensively, and spent time in real rooms of influence, I can tell you this: real gentlemen don’t peacock.

Kuala Lumpur.

When Everything is Luxury, Nothing is

When everyone is wearing "luxury," luxury loses its meaning.

This isn’t just about fashion. It’s about value. And increasingly, the only thing that holds value is what can’t be duplicated: access, experience, and exclusivity.

Whisky tasting in Kyoto.

The Quiet Power of Being in the Right Room

This is the direction modern luxury is heading.

Quiet. Curated. Intentional.

And quite frankly, I think is far more satisfying than chasing the latest collab between a fashion house and a pop culture icon.

GC Illustration.

The Gentleman Code Way

My view is that...a gentleman doesn’t need to declare his status - it reveals itself through how he moves, speaks, and chooses to spend his time. And more often than not, that means moving in circles where everyone is too refined to even ask “what brand is that?”

The most classiest thing I’ve learned? When you stop trying to impress everyone, you start attracting the right people. People who understand the difference between show and substance.

And maybe, just maybe, you find your way into the kind of company that makes logos look like child’s play.

So let me ask you this, gentlemen - when was the last time you were in a room that couldn’t be photographed, with people who didn’t need to be introduced? Or are you still chasing the label, instead of the exclusive invitation?

About the Contributor

Johan Chua is a long student of masculinity, culture and lifestyle and various other subjects. He is interested in how all these things come together to impact our world and us individually.

Related posts