Luxury Unfiltered: The Q1 Number Luxury Will Celebrate Is the One that Should Worry It Most
LVMH posted Q1 revenue of €19.1 bn (≈$20.8 bn), a 5.9% decline, with organic growth of just 1% after a 7% currency drag and a 1% Iran‑conflict impact. Despite the slowdown, the group kept marketing spend at €9.5 bn (≈$10.4 bn), 11.5% of sales, and grew headcount, allowing operating margin to compress to 22% from 23.1%. CEO Bernard Arnault reinforced the strategy with a €1.4 bn (≈$1.5 bn) personal share buy‑back, signaling confidence in long‑term brand investment.
Culture Is Luxury’s Next Competitive Edge
Luxury brands are shifting from product‑centric strategies to culturally rich experiences, using flagship spaces as immersive museums, hospitality hubs, and community venues. The watch sector illustrates this trend, with houses like Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Panerai creating AP Houses, ateliers and access‑led...
Cartier, The King’s Foundation Create Fellowship for Fine Watchmakers
Cartier has partnered with The King’s Foundation to launch a fellowship for emerging watch and jewellery makers. The two‑year program, titled “The King’s Foundation and Cartier: Decorative Métiers d’Art in Watchmaking,” offers five months of training in Scotland followed by...
Gigi Hadid Fronts New Leather Goods Campaign From Miu Miu
Miu Miu has unveiled a new leather‑goods campaign fronted by supermodel Gigi Hadid, showcasing the brand’s latest accessories ahead of its Spring 2024 collection. The campaign emphasizes the use of sustainably sourced Italian leather and is being rolled out across...
Schiaparelli Begins Harrods Takeover
French couture house Schiaparelli has launched a multi‑area takeover at London’s flagship Harrods, revamping window displays and creating pop‑up installations on the first floor. The activation features the brand’s iconic golden key‑hole motif and promotes a new coffee‑table book, "Anglomaniac,"...
Luxury Unfiltered: Kering’s 80pc Opportunity Starts with a Question Most Brands Won’t Ask
Kering currently commands roughly 20% of a $380 billion luxury market, leaving an $305 billion opportunity that CEO Luca de Meo aims to capture. De Meo, who turned around Renault’s €8 billion loss with a purpose‑driven brand story, now wants Kering to redefine the emotional...
Louis Vuitton Adds to Color Blossom Collection
Louis Vuitton has expanded its spring‑time Color Blossom line with a suite of new pastel‑hued pieces, including the Speedy 30 handbag in blush pink and the Neverfull tote in lilac. The additions, priced between $1,200 and $2,500, will hit stores...
Lexus, Artist Alex Alpert to Present Custom IS 350 at EXPO Chicago
Lexus has teamed up with New York‑based illustrator Alex Alpert to create a one‑off, line‑art‑styled IS 350 sedan. The custom vehicle will be unveiled at EXPO Chicago, the city’s premier design and innovation showcase. Alpert’s distinctive sketch aesthetic is applied...
Versace Collaborates with Footwear Brand Onitsuka Tiger
Italian luxury house Versace has announced a partnership with Japanese sneaker maker Onitsuka Tiger to create a co‑branded footwear collection. The line merges Versace's iconic motifs with Onitsuka Tiger's classic silhouette, celebrating the diversity of the human form through bold...
The RealReal Combats AI Fakes in ‘I Am Real’
The RealReal has launched an AI‑generated short film called “I Am Real,” created with advertising agency Team One and director Sebastian Strasser, to spotlight the platform’s authentication guarantee. The film deliberately inserts visual glitches that reveal the limits of generative video tools, ending with...
Cartier Continues ‘Artist Meets Artisan’ Series
Cartier’s decade‑old “Artist meets Artisan” program has moved to its Newbury Street flagship, where the eight‑foot mobile “Aquarium” by Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes will be displayed through May 17, 2026. The kinetic sculpture incorporates diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts and opals, reflecting two years...
Mercedes-Maybach Takes to Driver’s Seat for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’
Mercedes‑Maybach has launched “The Art of Arrival,” a global, 360‑degree campaign tied to the upcoming film *The Devil Wears Prada 2*. The partnership revives a two‑decade‑old product‑placement link, featuring a custom short film and exclusive footage of the new 2026 Maybach S‑Class. The...
Louis Vuitton Names Second Edition Watch Prize Winner
French fashion house Louis Vuitton has revealed the winner of its second annual Watch Prize, a competition designed to spotlight emerging talent in independent horology. The award, presented during a high‑profile event, recognizes a boutique watchmaker whose innovative design aligns...
Audemars Piguet Brings AP House Concept to Miami Beach
Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has opened AP House Miami, a 7,300‑sq‑ft experiential retail space on Miami Beach. Designed with Miami‑based Studio DADO, the venue blends natural materials and bluish tones to echo the brand’s Le Brassus headquarters. The concept features lounges, a mini museum of...
Natural Diamond Council Introduces World Diamond Day
The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) is launching the inaugural World Diamond Day on April 8, 2026, inviting consumers to celebrate natural diamonds through personal stories and social media posts. Participants can use #WorldDiamondDay and #naturaldiamonds across platforms, supported by a dedicated...
