Design and taste are often spoken about as if they're the same thing — but Stephen Bayley has spent a lifetime arguing that they're not. In this episode of What The Luxe, host Anant Sharma sits down with the critic, author and founding director of the Design Museum to explore the uneasy, often misunderstood relationship between design, taste and luxury. From his early encounters with architecture in Liverpool to making design a public conversation through the Boilerhouse project at the V&A, Bayley reflects on how design gained cultural authority — and how it may have lost its nerve. The conversation ranges across everyday objects, cities, cars and consumer culture, questioning when design became a proxy for preference, how taste was commodified, and why objects are never neutral. Bayley offers a sharp critique of consensus thinking, nostalgia and the dilution of judgement — arguing that caring about the material world is not elitist, but essential. A wide-ranging, philosophical discussion about meaning, value and why understanding the things we live with still matters.

In this episode of What The Luxe, host Fred Moore speaks with Crispin Somerville, Managing Director of El Pastor, Quo Vadis & The Drop, about a journey that spans MTV, music and television, Mexico City nightlife, and ultimately some of London's most culturally significant restaurants. Crispin reflects on how time spent immersed in Mexico's food and hospitality culture reshaped his understanding of generosity, conviviality and transportive experience — lessons that continue to inform how he builds restaurants today. Together they explore why authenticity is a slippery concept, why great hospitality resists formula, and how restaurants succeed when they prioritise atmosphere, trust and human connection over scale. The conversation also touches on independence, regeneration, talent and why neighbourhoods like Soho and King's Cross thrive when restaurants are treated as cultural anchors rather than footfall machines. A thoughtful look at hospitality as a social act — and why the places we gather still matter.

In this episode of What The Luxe, Anant Sharma sits down with Maz Farrelly, the former television executive behind some of the most-watched formats in the world, to unpack what luxury brands can learn from the mechanics of mass entertainment.

From producing global television hits to advising leaders and brands today via MazSpeaksGlobal.com, Maz argues that attention is never owed — it's earned. Drawing on decades spent building shows that people actively choose to watch, she explores how desire, illusion, and respect for the audience are just as critical in brand-building as they are in television.

Maz brings a truly international perspective to the conversation, drawing on her extensive work across Australia, the U.K., Singapore, and the USA. Together, they discuss why "boring is disrespectful," why hope is not a strategy, and how brands can create moments people actually care about — without shouting, diluting their values, or chasing trends.

This is a sharp, entertaining conversation about attention as currency, popular culture as a teacher, and why luxury can't afford to ignore how people really engage.

For the first time since episode one, What The Luxe brings its two hosts together at the same table. In this end-of-year Christmas episode, Anant Sharma and Fred Moore step away from the usual guest format to reflect on the past year of conversations. They talk candidly about what we've heard throughout 2025, from the patterns to the anomalies, the anecdotes and the insights. Moving easily between the podcast, the studio, and the wider world around us, the two cover topics including experience, taste, leadership, travel, and the shifting signals of value across luxury. A deliberately unstructured episode to close out the year, before attention turns to what comes next.

In this episode of What The Luxe, Anant Sharma speaks with Stacey Langham, Head of Corporate & Luxury Partnerships at the Royal Academy of Arts, about how culture, commerce and philanthropy intersect when relationships are built for the long term. Stacey shares her journey from magazine publishing into the cultural sector, and how that perspective shapes the way she builds partnerships at the RA — not as sponsorships, but as collaborations rooted in shared values, creative ambition and cultural resonance. The conversation explores the Royal Academy's unique model: a fiercely independent institution with no public funding, home to the UK's only tuition-free postgraduate art programme, supported entirely through philanthropy and partnership. Together they discuss how luxury brands act as modern patrons and the responsibility that comes with cultural capital. A thoughtful look at how institutions with deep history can remain relevant — without compromising their values.

In this episode of What The Luxe, host Anant Sharma sits down with Oliver Spencer, founder of the eponymous menswear label and formalwear brand Favourbrook, to explore a career built on patience, craft and a quiet resistance to fashion's obsession with scale. From selling hand-painted waistcoats off a wheelbarrow on Portobello Road to building two enduring British brands, Oliver shares why he never followed the traditional Savile Row path — and why he continues to make a significant proportion of his collections in England, even when the economics point elsewhere Together, they discuss: • Why true luxury is rarity, craft and design — not availability • The difference between fashion, styling and genuine garment design • What the industry gets wrong about growth, scale and "success" • Why small is becoming beautiful again in business and culture • The role of shopkeeping, community and the High Street in modern luxury • How Oliver's latest venture, Secret Trips, connects clothing, travel and a more considered way of living A thoughtful, unfiltered conversation about slowing down in a world that moves too fast — and building brands with integrity, longevity and soul.

Professor Charles Spence has built one of the most influential bodies of research in modern psychology, reframing how the world understands taste, pleasure and perception. As Head of Oxford's Crossmodal Research Laboratory, his work has shown that nothing we experience is ever singular: sound alters flavour, colour reshapes expectation, weight changes perceived quality. These ideas have travelled from the lab into Michelin-starred kitchens, automotive design studios and the playbooks of global luxury brands. In this episode, Charles sits down with host Anant Sharma to unpack the sensory mechanics behind value and delight. They discuss why our brains misattribute pleasure, how scent exerts power while rarely receiving credit, and why experiences like dining in the dark reveal the limits of removing visual cues. They move through the frontier of multisensory design—from biophilic environments to emotional "arc-shaping" in restaurants—and what it means for hospitality, retail and experience creators seeking to build something memorable. A conversation about perception as a design material, the invisible cues that change behaviour, and why the future of luxury will depend less on what brands show and more on how they make people feel.

In this episode, What The Luxe dives into the world of Aqua Expeditions with its Founder & CEO, Francesco Galli Zugaro. Raised across 16 countries and driven by an innate spirit of exploration, Francesco has spent nearly two decades crafting highly intimate, design-led journeys for what he calls the affluent explorer — guests who crave authenticity, comfort and adventure in some of the world's most fragile ecosystems. Host Fred Moore explores how Aqua began with a single 12-cabin ship on the Peruvian Amazon and grew into a fleet spanning Indonesia, the Mekong, the Galápagos and soon East Africa and the Arctic. Francesco shares the realities behind that growth: the logistical improbability of building ships in remote regions, the family dynamics woven into the brand, and why Aqua will never chase scale for its own sake. Together they unpack: • The origins of Aqua's small-ship philosophy and why intimacy beats scale • Designing for high-touch luxury — from world-class dining to near 1:1 staff ratios • Creating moments of wonder for guests who are used to the exceptional • The rising appetite for multi-generational and younger expedition travellers • Conservation partnerships and operating responsibly in fragile ecosystems • Aqua's next chapter, including new routes and new vessels A rich conversation about adventure, restraint, craftsmanship and the discipline required to build a brand that stays true to its values.