Luxury Renaissance: Why the Industry Isn't in Crisis

About this episode

Luxury isn’t in a simple downturn. It’s moving into a new era, and the old growth model is starting to work against the very things luxury is meant to protect: craft, trust, exclusivity, and meaning.In this episode, host Emilia Simonin speaks with Éric Briones (CEO of Journal du Luxe, co-founder of the Paris School of Luxury, and co-author of Luxe Renaissance) about why the current luxury “crisis” is systemic, not cyclical. We discuss what happened post-COVID, why price-led value has triggered backlash across both affluent and ultra-rich clients, and why the industry needs to shift from desirability to resonance.If you work in luxury marketing, brand strategy, consumer insights, client experience, CRM, or luxury retail, this conversation offers a clear framework for understanding what’s changing now, and what luxury may need to protect next.Inside this episode:Why this luxury crisis is internal and systemic, not an external shockPost-COVID “XXL demand”, price inflation, and the value-for-money backlashWhy both affluent and ultra-rich clients can end up feeling excludedMeasuring resonance: aesthetics, store experience, value for money, cultural relevanceTransformative luxury: the shift from having to being (and why longevity matters)Post-Western luxury: how supply and cultural authority are shifting beyond EuropeAI in luxury: where it should stay invisible, and why it’s explosive in creativitySustainability as value: why mastering the value chain becomes part of perceived quality CHAPTER MARKERS:00:00 Introduction01:33 Why luxury’s crisis is systemic02:36 Post-COVID demand surge04:42 Affluent clients priced out05:19 Ubiquity kills exclusivity07:59 Defining “resonance” in luxury09:26 The Bottega spirit in luxury14:47 Longevity and self-optimisation18:41 Applying transformation to marketing20:19 Post-Western luxury power shift25:11 Cultural appropriation vs collaboration26:15 AI in luxury: where to draw lines38:09 Sustainability as value for moneyLINKS:Luxe Renaissance – 6 voies pour transformer le luxe (Dunod):https://www.dunod.com/entreprise-et-economie/luxe-renaissance-6-voies-pour-transformer-luxeAmazon France listing: https://www.amazon.fr/Luxe-Renaissance-voies-pour-transformer/dp/2100892487Join the course waitlist https://www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlistNewsletter: www.luxeconsumeriq.com/newsletterYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@luxeconsumeriq