The Luxury Edit

In the inaugural episode of the Unfiltered series on The Luxury Edit podcast, Christophe Caïs, Founder and CEO of CXG, sits down with Frédéric de Narp, co-founder of LUXIMPACT and former Global CEO of Harry Winston and Bally. Together, they explore Frédéric's conviction that luxury is an industry of civilisation, one that exists to protect artistic crafts, heritage, and the symbols that give life meaning. The conversation moves through luxury's shift from possession to transmission to contribution, the rise of Chinese brands, and why intuition still matters in an age of data and AI.

In this episode of Unpacked, Silvia Coleman, Head of Market Intelligence & Strategic Growth at CXG, is joined by Alina Roytberg, Co-Founder of The Maker and Co-Founder & Brand Director at Fresh, and Rose Pilato, Chief Marketing Officer of The Maker and former Global Director of Communications at Fresh.

Together, they trace the full arc of building two category-defining brands, from Fresh's founding on a $10,000 loan and a five-dollar bar of soap, through its acquisition by LVMH, to launching The Maker as a fragrance, beauty, and hospitality brand built around a single idea: that luxury doesn't have to choose between beauty and meaning. They dig into what it actually takes to scale a founder-led brand without losing its DNA, how to tell the difference between a partner who amplifies your story and one who dilutes it, why "the edit" (doing less, better) is one of the hardest and most valuable lessons in beauty, and how The Maker turned a boutique hotel into the physical home of a fragrance house rather than just an origin story.

The conversation also touches on:

• Choosing the right growth partner: lessons from LVMH and Tribute Ventures
• The tension between DTC and wholesale, and who really owns the customer relationship

• Why good product tied with experience— not just marketing — is what actually builds community

• Resilience over playbooks: why there's no single right way to build a lasting brand

Clément Barthélémy, EVP of Measurement at CXG, sits down with Maryam Djavadi, Vice President of Business Excellence at Porsche, to explore how one of the world's most iconic automotive brands is rethinking customer experience in a rapidly evolving luxury landscape.

Drawing on her unique perspective across both fashion and automotive, Maryam shares how luxury principles can be translated into an industry historically shaped by engineering, product performance, and dealership networks. Together, they discuss how automotive brands can build stronger emotional connections, elevate retail experiences, and adapt to the changing expectations of tomorrow’s luxury consumers.

The conversation covers:

• What fashion and automotive can learn from each other when it comes to customer experience
• Bringing a luxury mindset into a traditionally engineering-driven industry
• Measuring emotional engagement, loyalty, and customer satisfaction beyond traditional KPIs
• Attracting a new generation of luxury automotive clients with evolving expectations and lifestyles
• Transforming dealerships from transactional environments into experiential destinations
• The future skills, mindsets, and capabilities required to deliver exceptional automotive experiences
• How electrification is reshaping the customer journey beyond the vehicle itself
• Building a clienteling culture that strengthens relationships long before and long after purchase
• The growing role of community in luxury automotive engagement
• A vision for automotive customer experience in 2040, and the transformative role of AI and data

In this episode of The Luxury Edit, Silvia Coleman, VP of Market Intelligence & Strategic Growth at CXG, sits down with Christophe Caïs, Founder & CEO of CXG, a global customer experience powerhouse serving over 220 luxury Maisons across 85 countries, to celebrate 20 years of redefining what excellence looks like in luxury retail.

Together, they trace the remarkable journey from a France-based fashion brand to a CX consultancy, and ultimately to the unified global firm CXG is today. From bold bets made during a pandemic to building an 85,000-person evaluator network, this conversation is as much a founder's story as it is a masterclass in luxury strategy.

The conversation also touches on:

• How slowing down the sale (11–20 minute interactions vs. under 10) drives a 40% purchase intent uplift

• The tension between hyper-personalization and the discretion that defines luxury.

• CXG's new Retail Performance at Scale initiative and why it's set to become a game-changing conversion tool.

• What Gen Z and Millennials really want from luxury, and the blind spots legacy brands still haven't fixed.

In this episode of Unpacked, Silvia Coleman, VP of Market Intelligence & Strategic Growth at CXG, is joined by Michael Zakkour, Founder & CEO of 5 New Digital, Managing Director at SellSide Group M&A, bestselling author, and globally recognized strategist in digital commerce and consumer behavior.

Together, they explore how premium and luxury DTC brands can scale without losing what matters most: experiential relevance. From the dangers of over-investing in flashy tech to the “experiential blind spot” that quietly bleeds revenue, they dive into the moment where digital growth meets luxury CX principles, where ecosystems replace channels, and “points of service” evolve into points of experience.

The conversation also touches on:

• The shift from omnichannel to experiential habitats.

• Why physical retail becomes a customer acquisition engine

• Transferable CX lessons from China and Asia

• The Triangle Business Model: content, community, and commerce

• The paradox of “slow luxury”

• Balancing immersive tech with high-touch human service

In this first episode of our Decoding CX series, Clement Barthelemy, EVP of Measurement at CXG, sits down with Gaelle Devins, Chief Customer Officer & Executive Board Member at Breitling, and author of Flow Leadership: Unleash the Power of People, Purpose, and Performance.

Together, they explore what modern leadership looks like in the evolving world of luxury retail, where client excellence and team empowerment must move hand in hand. The conversation dives into what truly drives engagement on the sales floor, the critical role of store managers, and the shifts needed to build organizations that put people —both clients and teams—at the heart of performance.

They also discuss:

• Why leadership in luxury retail demands both empathy and accountability.

• How brands can translate customer feedback into measurable growth and stronger internal culture.

• Why traditional KPIs overlook what really matters — people engagement — and how to bring it to the forefront.

What if the future of luxury leadership isn’t about keeping up with tech, but about doubling down on human connection?

As the luxury industry navigates AI, automation, and rapid transformation, one question rises to the top: How do we lead with purpose when everything is evolving? In this episode, Silvia Coleman, VP of Market Intelligence & Strategic Growth at CXG, sits down with Ron Thurston—two-time #1 bestselling author, keynote speaker, and one of retail’s most respected voices to unpack what it truly means to lead and thrive in the age of disruption.

With 30+ years of experience at Apple, Gap, Saint Laurent, and more, Ron brings powerful insights from the frontlines of luxury retail and a bold message: the future belongs to leaders who know how to connect, inspire, and build real relationships.

Together, they explored:

• Why human connection will define the next era of luxury experiences.

• How to attract, grow, and retain top retail talent in an evolving market.

• What leadership looks like when systems fall short and purpose takes over.

• The role of emotional intelligence and authenticity in high-performance teams.

• How to future-proof your career and your business by leading with pride.

• In a world driven by tech, this episode serves as a reminder that the human touch remains luxury’s greatest asset.

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