Luxe Consumer IQ

What separates someone who simply works in luxury from someone who truly belongs in it?

Luxury has its own unwritten rules. From body language and communication to elegance, confidence and the art of exceptional client service, these invisible codes shape how professionals are perceived inside the world’s leading luxury houses.

In this episode, host Emilia Simonin speaks with Cyril Mitilian, former Paris Opera Ballet soloist, who has worked with luxury maisons including Louis Vuitton and Berluti, about what it really takes to embody luxury.

Drawing on his experience in elite ballet and the luxury industry, Cyril explores how discipline, presence, cultural awareness and attention to detail transform ordinary interactions into exceptional luxury experiences.

The conversation also offers a fascinating perspective for professionals from the performing and cultural arts considering a transition into the business of luxury, revealing how skills developed in artistic environments can translate into valuable professional strengths.

Whether you’re building a career in luxury, working in luxury retail, transitioning from the arts or simply looking to elevate your professional presence, this conversation explores the codes that are rarely taught but essential to understand.

(00:00:30) Introduction to Cyril Mitilian

(00:01:39) Unlocking the invisible codes of luxury

(00:03:20) Body language and presence in client service

(00:07:40) Transforming effort into emotion

(00:10:40) Key strengths transferred from ballet to business

(00:12:40) Defining excellence and the collective mindset

(00:18:00) The essence of French elegance

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Brands have more consumer data than ever. So why are so many still “data rich, but insights poor”?

In this episode of the Luxe Consumer IQ podcast, host Emilia Simonin sits down with Tom De Ruyck, Partner at Human8, Vice President at ESOMAR and professor at IÉSEG, whose work spans global brands including L’Oréal and Nike.

Together, they explore what separates marketers who collect data from those who can turn consumer insight into strategy, action and brand growth — and why human understanding becomes even more important as AI reshapes marketing.

From the growing “sea of sameness” threatening brand distinctiveness, to fast and slow culture and the emerging potential of digital twins, Tom shares what modern marketers need to understand to stay close to consumers, make better decisions and build brands that remain distinctive, relevant and memorable.

(00:00) Escaping the sea of sameness

(02:21) Data rich but insights poor

(03:49) The absence of consumer empathy

(06:06) Combining AI with human closeness

(12:10) Prompting and limitations of AI

(19:43) Slow culture versus fast culture

(23:38) What separates strategic marketers

(29:35) Scaling consumer understanding with twins

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Luxury is changing - from what consumers value to where growth is coming from, who gets to define luxury and how AI is reshaping discovery. So what should luxury professionals actually be paying attention to?

In this solo episode of Luxe Consumer IQ, host Emilia Simonin unpacks some of the key ideas behind Luxe Renaissance, co-authored by Eric Briones and Anaïs Duquenne, and connects them with wider consumer and market intelligence to examine four major shifts shaping the future of luxury:

• Price, perceived value and the return to fair value
• Transformative luxury, wellness and longevity
• Post-Western luxury and the rise of new centres of cultural authority
• AI, agentic commerce and the changing luxury discovery journey

The episode explores what these shifts could mean for luxury brands — from changing sources of competition and consumer spending to new growth opportunities — and how luxury professionals can turn market intelligence into better strategic decisions.

If you work in luxury, premium, marketing, insights or strategy, this is a practical guide to understanding some of the forces reshaping the industry — and what they could mean for your work.

(00:00) Unpacking the big shifts in luxury

(04:15) Re-evaluating value and restoring brand aura

(07:23) Transformative luxury, wellness, and longevity

(13:10) Post-Western luxury and the rise of local powerhouses

(17:39) Commercial AI and agentic commerce

(22:15) The expanding definition of the luxury premium

(22:45) Introducing Luxe Insights Academy

Luxe Insights Academy: www.luxeconsumeriq.com/programmes | www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlist

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Follow @luxeconsumeriq on social media.

Get the book - Luxe Renaissance:

https://www.dunod.com/entreprise-et-economie/luxe-renaissance-6-voies-pour-transformer-luxe

Episode 23 with Altiant ' What High-Net-Worth Consumers Actually Want from Luxury Brands'

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kjNpQQzO8fA0ihpWL1Iph?si=ce918a30148142ea

Episode 20: 'How Luxury Brands Drive Revenue Growth Without Destroying Desire'

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5yOmss6jV768sFgqiTV7wb?si=0f0f8253a2744655

Episode 17: 'How to Use AI in Luxury Marketing Without Losing the Brand

https://open.spotify.com/episode/65yuVBC8vkUN37lBX0cosy?si=99b7bafd2f36417f

Studying luxury is one thing. Building a career in it is another.

For international graduates in particular, the path into the industry can feel surprisingly opaque. What do luxury maisons actually look for when you don’t yet have years of experience? How do you stand out among equally qualified candidates? And once you’re inside, what does it take to build credibility and progress?

In this episode of Luxe Consumer IQ, I’m joined by Kaela Imani, who studied luxury management across Spain, France, the US and Australia and is now working in sales and communications at L’Objet in Paris.

We have a candid conversation about the transition from studying luxury to working inside the industry — what helped Kaela break in, what surprised her once she did, and the lessons she wishes she had understood earlier.

If you’re an international student, recent graduate, or in the first few years of your luxury career, this episode will give you a clearer view of how to approach those early career decisions, where to focus your effort, and what it really takes to find your place and build momentum in luxury.

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

• Breaking into luxury without a long track record

• What can help you stand out early in your career

• Making the transition from luxury education to industry

• What maisons really look for in emerging talent

• Navigating the unspoken codes of luxury

• Building confidence and credibility when you’re starting out

• The capabilities that can accelerate your progression

• Finding the right place to begin your luxury career

• Navigating an international career in luxury

• What working in luxury in Paris is really like

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Luxury work isn’t glamorous

01:00 Meet Kaela Amani

02:43 Why showing up works

03:42 Instinct vs strategy

05:26 International advantage

06:15 What luxury industry employers value

08:28 Reality vs expectations

09:49 Unspoken codes in luxury

11:18 High expectations culture in luxury

12:05 Public speaking skill gap

16:34 Advice to business school graduates interested in luxury

17:54 Working in Paris

19:12 Day in the life

21:08 Wrap up

LINKS

Join the course waitlist https://www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlist

Newsletter: www.luxeconsumeriq.com/newsletter

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 shock
• Post-COVID “XXL demand”, price inflation, and the value-for-money backlash
• Why both affluent and ultra-rich clients can end up feeling excluded
• Measuring resonance: aesthetics, store experience, value for money, cultural relevance
• Transformative luxury: the shift from having to being (and why longevity matters)
• Post-Western luxury: how supply and cultural authority are shifting beyond Europe
• AI in luxury: where it should stay invisible, and why it’s explosive in creativity
• Sustainability as value: why mastering the value chain becomes part of perceived quality

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Introduction

01:33 Why luxury’s crisis is systemic

02:36 Post-COVID demand surge

04:42 Affluent clients priced out

05:19 Ubiquity kills exclusivity

07:59 Defining “resonance” in luxury

09:26 The Bottega spirit in luxury

14:47 Longevity and self-optimisation

18:41 Applying transformation to marketing

20:19 Post-Western luxury power shift

25:11 Cultural appropriation vs collaboration

26:15 AI in luxury: where to draw lines

38:09 Sustainability as value for money

LINKS:

Luxe Renaissance – 6 voies pour transformer le luxe (Dunod):

https://www.dunod.com/entreprise-et-economie/luxe-renaissance-6-voies-pour-transformer-luxe

Amazon France listing: https://www.amazon.fr/Luxe-Renaissance-voies-pour-transformer/dp/2100892487

Join the course waitlist https://www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlist

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High-net-worth consumers are as diverse in what they value, desire and expect from luxury as any other audience. Understanding those differences is where smarter luxury strategy begins.

In this episode of the Luxe Consumer IQ Podcast, host Emilia Simonin is joined by Chris Wisson and Meryam Schneider from Altiant, a specialist luxury consumer research agency focused on affluent and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). We explore what HNW consumers value today, how motivations and expectations differ across markets and wealth segments, and what these insights mean for the future of luxury marketing, personalisation, AI and client experience.

If you work in luxury marketing, brand strategy, consumer insights, CRM or client experience, this conversation offers a fascinating perspective on the affluent consumer landscape — from segmentation and trust to the emotional experiences shaping luxury desirability.

Inside this episode:

• Why understanding the differences between high-net-worth consumers matters for luxury strategy
• How affluent consumer behaviour differs across wealth tiers, cultures and genders
• The say-do gap in luxury: what sustainability reveals about stated values and actual behaviour
• How luxury brands can build trust and relevance through more meaningful communication
• “Quiet AI” in luxury: using AI personalisation to enhance service without losing the human touch
• The shift from luxury as a product to luxury as a feeling — and the growing importance of emotional outcomes
• How consumer research and affluent insights can inform better strategic decisions

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Introduction

02:00 How to Reach High-Net-Worth Individuals

03:21 Slow Shifts and the Say-Do Gap

05:29 Segmenting Wealth Audiences

07:58 Regional Differences: China vs US

10:30 Personal Service and Quiet AI

14:55 AI Backlash and Creativity

21:29 Signals Marketers Misread

28:28 Ecosystems and Collaborations

36:34 Staying Close to Consumers

41:04 Market Confidence and Value

LINKS:

ATLIANT: https://altiant.com/

Join the course waitlist https://www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlist

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@luxeconsumeriq

You can be brilliant in luxury business and still be invisible. Not because your work isn’t excellent, but because competence alone doesn’t build trust or accelerate your career.

In this episode of the Luxe Consumer IQ Podcast, we break down what actually separates high performers from true leaders in luxury businesses, and why influence is built on a balance most ambitious professionals underplay: competence plus warmth.

Host Emilia Simonin speaks with Celeste Halliday, workplace connections expert, about the trust equation, the self-awareness gap, and the practical behaviours that earn trust, build influence, and make senior stakeholders want to back you. We also explore why relationship skills become more valuable, not less, in an AI-enabled workplace, and how to build presence in high-expectation environments.

Inside this episode:

• Why competence isn’t enough to build trust in luxury environments
• The trust equation: competence + warmth (and how warmth gets miscalibrated)
• Why relationships are the real career accelerator (managing up, across, and down)
• The self-awareness gap: why most leaders overestimate how they’re landing
• How to become “connect-withable” without becoming beige
• A practical influence shift: stop asking “what can I get?” and start with “what do they need?”
• The internal consultant mindset that changes how senior leaders respond to you
• Presence in senior rooms: clarity, conviction, connection (and why connection comes first)
• Why CEOs hate escalations without solutions (and what to do instead)
• The human skills that will matter most as AI reshapes work (focus, critical thinking, connection)

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Luxury Leadership & Trust: Why High Performers Stall

00:48 Meet Celeste Halliday

01:14 High Performer vs Leader

02:16 The Real Driver of Career Growth

04:41 Influence Without Authority

06:01 Influence in Luxury: Navigating High-Standard Rooms

10:19 Presence Without Performance

15:16 Clarity, Conviction, Connection: The Presence Framework

17:57 Speaking the Language of Leaders

19:23 CEO Bugbears: What Senior Leaders Can’t Stand

20:33 Human Skills in the AI Age: What Tech Can’t Replace

26:22 Fixing Difficult Relationships: Resetting Trust Fast

33:36 Reading Power, Status, and Subtext

36:46 Read the Room: Signals, Stakes, and Social IQ

44:47 Healthy Culture Signals

46:10 Get Noticed as a Leader: Visibility Without Self-Promo

49:53 Positivity & Warmth: The Underrated Trust Multiplier

53:20 Use AI as a Coach: Practising Conversations & Feedback

54:57 Power Can Reduce Empathy

58:05 Gratitude & Kindness: The Competitive Edge in Luxury

59:19 Luxury Pitfalls & Imposter Syndrome

01:01:38 Wrap Up: Key Takeaways + Resources

LINKS:

Celeste Halliday

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Podcast

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Luxury pricing isn’t simply about increasing margins. It’s about protecting the desirability that gives brands pricing power in the first place. So why do some luxury brands strengthen demand through pricing, while others erode trust and long-term brand equity?

In this episode, Daimien Aimon, a revenue growth management expert and former LVMH leader, explains why price is far more than a commercial decision in luxury—it’s part of the product itself.

Drawing on his experience leading revenue growth management for global luxury brands, Daimien explains how luxury marketers can build pricing power, protect brand equity and make better commercial decisions without compromising desirability. We explore the role of consumer psychology, pricing strategy, promotions, distribution control and retailer partnerships in creating sustainable long-term growth.

We explore the risks of accessible luxury growth strategies, why luxury brands need more data-driven partnerships with retailers, and how financial acumen and P&L literacy are becoming essential capabilities for modern marketing teams.

For brand managers, commercial directors, marketing professionals, and luxury strategists, this conversation offers a practical perspective on modern revenue growth management, price elasticity, distribution control, and the future of sustainable luxury growth.

Inside this episode:

• Why price is part of the product—and how it shapes consumer perception, craftsmanship and brand equity
• Why pricing power depends on desirability, not simply higher prices
• The risks of accessible luxury and how brands can grow without diluting the master brand
• How retailer data, price elasticity and revenue growth management improve pricing strategy
• Why commercial acumen, P&L literacy and cross-functional collaboration are becoming essential skills for luxury marketers

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Introduction

00:40 Meaning of the Price

01:39 Luxury Pricing vs Consumer Goods

03:03 Creating Desirability Repeatedly

04:24 Accessible Luxury Growth Traps

06:06 Full Price Sell Through Signals

10:57 Retailer Data & Price Elasticity

13:01 Pay for Performance Partnerships

14:45 Earning Repeat Pricing Power

17:40 Commercial Acumen & P&L Literacy

21:00 Post-COVID Price Adjustments for Luxury

23:35 Cosmetics Industry Disruptor Shifts

25:42 Growth Quality vs Growth Speed

28:19 Market Volatility vs Intuition

32:56 Amazon E-Commerce in Luxury

Topics covered: #LuxuryMarketing #PricingPower #RevenueGrowthManagement #LuxuryStrategy #BrandEquity #DataDrivenMarketing #DaimienAimon

LINKS:

Join the course waitlist https://www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlist

Newsletter: www.luxeconsumeriq.com/newsletter

Most luxury professionals think they need more research. In reality, they often need to make better use of the intelligence that already exists.

In this solo episode of Luxe Consumer IQ, I break down how luxury strategists use secondary research to understand affluent consumers, identify growth opportunities, and build stronger brand strategies — often before spending a single dollar on primary research.

You’ll learn how to find credible luxury market insight without commissioning a new study, buying expensive subscriptions, or relying on opinions in the room.

You’ll learn what secondary research actually is, why it matters in luxury strategy, and how to use existing intelligence to quantify opportunity, ground your brand plan, and remove guesswork. This is the work behind strong market analysis, smarter consumer insight, and decision-ready strategy.

I also share a practical framework I used inside global luxury organisations to organise market intelligence, evaluate opportunities, and build stronger brand plans. Along the way, we explore some of the most valuable secondary research sources available to luxury marketers — and how to combine them with internal data to develop a deeper understanding of consumers, markets, and growth opportunities.

If you’re early in your luxury career, or you’re building a brand plan without access to a large research budget, this episode will help you think more strategically about the information already available to you — and how to use it with greater confidence.

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Secondary Research for Luxury Strategy

01:29 Define Secondary Research (Free Sources)

03:02 Three-Layer Luxury Insight Framework

03:45 Wealth Reports: Knight Frank, UBS

05:43 Luxury Category Trends: Bain Altagamma

07:40 Affluent Consumer Research: GLAM Monitor

09:48 CRM Data: Behaviour Beats Attitudes

10:49 How to Use Secondary Research

11:46 Luxury Strategy Homework Exercise

Topics covered: Luxury Strategy, Luxury Consumer Insights, Luxury Market Research, Luxury Marketing, Affluent Consumers, High-Net-Worth Consumers (HNWIs), Consumer Behaviour, Brand Strategy, Market Intelligence, Secondary Research.

LINKS:

Join the course waitlist https://www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlist

Newsletter: www.luxeconsumeriq.com/newsletter

Africa may be luxury’s biggest long-term growth opportunity. So why do so many global brands still approach it as a single market?

In this episode, Aimee Kellen, Regional Marketing Director at Moët Hennessy Middle East & Africa, explains what international luxury houses often misunderstand about growth, cultural nuance, and consumer behaviour across Africa’s rapidly evolving luxury landscape.

Drawing on her experience across emerging markets, Aimee unpacks why traditional data segmentation models often fail in regions with highly localised cultural dynamics, and how luxury brands can scale internationally without diluting their heritage or brand equity.

We explore the operational realities of managing visibility across 54 distinct nations, why communal status and shared experiences shape the African luxury consumer differently from Western markets, and how premium brands can build lasting relevance through local fluency, human connection, and culturally intelligent storytelling.

For brand managers, regional directors, marketing professionals, and luxury strategists, this conversation offers a practical perspective on modern luxury brand strategy, emerging markets, consumer insights, and the future of prestige growth across Africa.

Inside this episode:

• Why some of the world’s biggest global luxury brands still misunderstand growth across the luxury market in Africa

• The hidden risk of treating 54 distinct markets as a single African luxury consumer

• Why status, visibility, and communal experiences operate differently across African luxury culture

• How brands stay close to consumers when traditional data infrastructure and quantitative metrics are limited

• How global luxury houses balance local fluency without compromising heritage or luxury brand strategy

CHAPTER MARKERS:

00:00 Africa Luxury Market Scale

00:33 Aimee Kellen Career Journey

01:48 Africa Wealth Growth Reality

02:45 Entrepreneurship & Wealth Creation

03:57 Regional Luxury & Tourism Shifts

05:16 54-Country Luxury Reality

06:47 Global Consistency vs Local Fluency

08:35 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards

11:02 Luxury Market Entry Strategy

13:16 What Luxury Means in Africa

15:47 Communal Luxury vs Private Indulgence

17:10 Experiential Luxury & Event Scale

19:39 Luxury Craftsmanship & Education

20:31 Middle East vs Africa Luxury

21:23 Marketing When Traditional Data Fails

23:00 Local Ecosystem Partnerships

24:49 Parachuting vs Local Fluency

26:52 Product Intrinsics vs Packaging

27:36 Experiential Shifts & Digital Fatigue

30:52 Status Signals & Shared Dining

33:01 Managing Multi-Market Volatility

34:53 Middle East Geopolitical Impact

35:54 Global Impact of African Culture

37:12 Luxury Career Advice & DNA

40:29 Rigor & Patience in Luxury

LINKS:

Join the course waitlist https://www.luxeconsumeriq.com/waitlist

Newsletter: www.luxeconsumeriq.com/newsletter