Matthieu Blazy - Designer, Creative Director of Chanel

[Snejana Onopka]

the bags look like freebies from sephora. the output so far did nothing to elevate the brand's image, it is resonating with the online younger audiences tho (i wonder if it will translate into sales).

i wish fashion ppl would let go of this obsession with jimmy neutron's mom type of hairdos. but perhaps these greasy little silly hairdos work well with the current output: flat, goofy, caricatural

 

[Demna]

 

[Caffeine]

Law & Order SVU?

 

[susseinmcswanny]

I feel luddite-ish saying it but visiting Paris and seeing how much France cares about the history of art and food etc etc makes Chanel look so bleak. A federally regulated discipline guys…

 

[couturefan]

I knew they were gonna dress Rosalia when Blazy commented on her ig account praising her new music.

 

[fenty]

what happened to fashion...?

 

[Avonlea]

The same thing that happened to cinema, music, television and literature. We live in an era of intellectual laziness and stupidity fuelled by social media. Now with AI it's only going to get worse. It just reflects the times we live in. I would like to see a renaissance, but looking at the younger generations, I don't have much hope.

 

[Lola701]

what happened to fashion...?

I was thinking about that after processing the state of TFS where literally every thread that is updated is about people having negative critics to offer (me included).
Are we simply getting old? Is there a generation gap? Is it simply a reflection of the time? Or are people simply too infused with nostalgia…
Maybe it’s all and above.

But I also think that we live in a era where fashion is not part of culture but has become culture with a capital C.

We live in a era where we are bombarded with images, bombarded with information, bombarded with products, bombarded with stuff. At the same time, culturally, everything is a reference of everything.
In cinema, everything is either a sequel or a remake. In music, there are formulas of artists that seems quite redundant. In Art, contemporary Art and the limits of abstraction are more and more diluted because the conversation is about the prices of the pieces.

And suddenly, the fashion industry, where all those creative industry meets seems totally devoid of purpose.

What do people want from fashion? What do people need from fashion? Are people expecting too much from fashion?

I think that the fact that every outfit worn by a celebrity of Blazy’s debut collection gets to be posted here is telling of our disfunctional relationship with fashion.

Fashion hit different at the time when people didn’t know much about it.

This is the evolution of life and fashion has to evolve. That doesn’t mean that we have to approve of everything.

But it’s never fair to compare a past that was so different.

And as a final point, I have never lived an era when people were totally in love with the fashion of the moment. I loved working in fashion and living through fashion in the 00’s early 10’s but there were already people comparing to fashion in the 90’s and 80’s. It was probably over-romanticized but so little documented that I was ok believing that fantasy.

 

[brandon J pierre]

I was thinking about that after processing the state of TFS where literally every thread that is updated is about people having negative critics to offer (me included).
Are we simply getting old? Is there a generation gap? Is it simply a reflection of the time? Or are people simply too infused with nostalgia…
Maybe it’s all and above.

But I also think that we live in a era where fashion is not part of culture but has become culture with a capital C.

We live in a era where we are bombarded with images, bombarded with information, bombarded with products, bombarded with stuff. At the same time, culturally, everything is a reference of everything.
In cinema, everything is either a sequel or a remake. In music, there are formulas of artists that seems quite redundant. In Art, contemporary Art and the limits of abstraction are more and more diluted because the conversation is about the prices of the pieces.

And suddenly, the fashion industry, where all those creative industry meets seems totally devoid of purpose.

What do people want from fashion? What do people need from fashion? Are people expecting too much from fashion?

I think that the fact that every outfit worn by a celebrity of Blazy’s debut collection gets to be posted here is telling of our disfunctional relationship with fashion.

Fashion hit different at the time when people didn’t know much about it.

This is the evolution of life and fashion has to evolve. That doesn’t mean that we have to approve of everything.

But it’s never fair to compare a past that was so different.

And as a final point, I have never lived an era when people were totally in love with the fashion of the moment. I loved working in fashion and living through fashion in the 00’s early 10’s but there were already people comparing to fashion in the 90’s and 80’s. It was probably over-romanticized but so little documented that I was ok believing that fantasy.

Wonderfully worded to much nostalgia to much comparing, also people are not shopping and fast fashion has come in to its own. Fashion is now like football. Growing up in miami, Florida in the 90s as a black man , no one was into fashion now they all want to no, but they have no interest in the real past and no interest in real creativity. It just for show. The biggest problem with fashion I find is conglomerates and celebrities.

But also, rather we like it or not, really good fashion is behind us just like really good movies are behind us.Just like really good music is behind us. Times has changed and Where they're going no one knows.

 

[Lola701]

Wonderfully worded to much nostalgia to much comparing, also people are not shopping and fast fashion has come in to its own. Fashion is now like football. Growing up in miami, Florida in the 90s as a black man , no one was into fashion now they all want to no, but they have no interest in the real past and no interest in real creativity. It just for show. The biggest problem with fashion I find is conglomerates and celebrities.

But also, rather we like it or not, really good fashion is behind us just like really good movies are behind us.Just like really good music is behind us. Times has changed and Where they're going no one knows.

Thank you.
You know what, I’m not sure that people are that into fashion. I just think that in a era of social media, personal branding, display of wealth (rented or lived), people are more and more about « elevating themselves », dressing up, looking good but not so much about fashion.

People are not interested in fashion. They are interested in themselves and what fashion could do for their lives. You see it for example with what is called « fashion content ». It’s people mostly consuming. They are buying and unboxing. Very few of them talks about the collections. No one is talking about the campaigns. There’s too much talk about the numbers because we shouldn’t care (unless we have stakes in the companies).

It has always been the case to a certain extend but never on that scale and for people who are not related at all to the industry.

I can totally understand the growing up in Florida in the 90s and living fashion as a black man or even as a man, period. Fashion for a longtime was very stigmatized.
People assumed that either you was superficial, stupid or lacked ambition.

For me the biggest shift is social media and celebrity culture. Conglomerates are to blame but for me they have done more damage within the industry.
I have never been impressed by fashion executives. They were mostly terrible when I was in the industry. It has been worse this past decade. No taste, no culture, pure ego, obsessed by their personal greed.
Because of their lack of competence, companies are now consulting with people like McKinsey for the most simple things.

I had a conversation with my nieces and nephews who wants to work in fashion and I said to them that fashion is not an industry where you are trying to fit in. It’s an industry where you belong. Unfortunately, today, too much people are trying to fit in.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

Creativity cannot flourish under external contraints when these are too big.
Look at art in the URSS during Stalin's era. Even if the purpose was not downright evil (to make art understandable for the masses) the result was the almost complete destruction of a generation of artists.

The conglomerates, with their greediness, have turned their houses into sterile soil where no real proposition can be born. They limit themselves to offer products as a result of market trends and categories. What sells and what doesn't. That's all.

But the dacadence of the big names cannot mean that Fashion as a whole is doomed.
Small and medium sized houses might encounter other difficulties, but they know that without real creativity it doesn't make sense to stay in this business.

 

[PDFSD]

More pompoms

be ready more to come 🤭


via @UnboxWithDani

 

[Caffeine]

I was thinking about that after processing the state of TFS where literally every thread that is updated is about people having negative critics to offer (me included).
Are we simply getting old? Is there a generation gap? Is it simply a reflection of the time? Or are people simply too infused with nostalgia…
Maybe it’s all and above.

But I also think that we live in a era where fashion is not part of culture but has become culture with a capital C.

We live in a era where we are bombarded with images, bombarded with information, bombarded with products, bombarded with stuff. At the same time, culturally, everything is a reference of everything.
In cinema, everything is either a sequel or a remake. In music, there are formulas of artists that seems quite redundant. In Art, contemporary Art and the limits of abstraction are more and more diluted because the conversation is about the prices of the pieces.

And suddenly, the fashion industry, where all those creative industry meets seems totally devoid of purpose.

What do people want from fashion? What do people need from fashion? Are people expecting too much from fashion?

I think that the fact that every outfit worn by a celebrity of Blazy’s debut collection gets to be posted here is telling of our disfunctional relationship with fashion.

Fashion hit different at the time when people didn’t know much about it.

This is the evolution of life and fashion has to evolve. That doesn’t mean that we have to approve of everything.

But it’s never fair to compare a past that was so different.

And as a final point, I have never lived an era when people were totally in love with the fashion of the moment. I loved working in fashion and living through fashion in the 00’s early 10’s but there were already people comparing to fashion in the 90’s and 80’s. It was probably over-romanticized but so little documented that I was ok believing that fantasy.

Well put. The way people consume fashion is now also different. Before social media, it was the rich and well to do who purchased the latest and the greatest. People saw some pictures on newspaper, magazines, then online. The mass got inspired and purchased the original or the inspired products.

Now, the fashion houses give celebrities the clothes for free to create a mass marketing campaign, whether the clothes fit or not (because they are free, celebrities are probably not allowed to make alterations in most of the cases).

In other words, what was popular back then reflected the choices of taste markers (or high end consumers). Nowadays, it was a soviet style top-down approach: These are what we offer. They look great, so now you come and buy them.

F that.

p.s. you worked in fashion in a golden era.

 

[psychopsist]

I was thinking about that after processing the state of TFS where literally every thread that is updated is about people having negative critics to offer (me included).
Are we simply getting old? Is there a generation gap? Is it simply a reflection of the time? Or are people simply too infused with nostalgia…
Maybe it’s all and above.

But I also think that we live in a era where fashion is not part of culture but has become culture with a capital C.

We live in a era where we are bombarded with images, bombarded with information, bombarded with products, bombarded with stuff. At the same time, culturally, everything is a reference of everything.
In cinema, everything is either a sequel or a remake. In music, there are formulas of artists that seems quite redundant. In Art, contemporary Art and the limits of abstraction are more and more diluted because the conversation is about the prices of the pieces.

And suddenly, the fashion industry, where all those creative industry meets seems totally devoid of purpose.

What do people want from fashion? What do people need from fashion? Are people expecting too much from fashion?

I think that the fact that every outfit worn by a celebrity of Blazy’s debut collection gets to be posted here is telling of our disfunctional relationship with fashion.

Fashion hit different at the time when people didn’t know much about it.

This is the evolution of life and fashion has to evolve. That doesn’t mean that we have to approve of everything.

But it’s never fair to compare a past that was so different.

And as a final point, I have never lived an era when people were totally in love with the fashion of the moment. I loved working in fashion and living through fashion in the 00’s early 10’s but there were already people comparing to fashion in the 90’s and 80’s. It was probably over-romanticized but so little documented that I was ok believing that fantasy.

I’m young(early 20s) and I’ve often asked myself these questions or similar ones. I often contemplate how tied to my taste/opinions I should be- if someone else likes a collection I don’t, or the other way around, what then?

So for me, the value of TFS is just that: a forum, for organized and elaborate discussions about each show, designer, etc. It’s … enriching, and lacks the noisiness and clutter of social media. I do also use twitter, but it’s more about interacting and relating with my peers, sharing my life and keeping up with pop culture.

Anyways, current fashion and general culture has both good and bad. The bad is the overproduction, the labor exploitation, the relentless consumerism. I often wonder like, where does this all go? Will people still be making haul videos and sharing sponsored links in 2045? How much longer will Instagram and TikTok and even Chanel and Dior themselves be a thing? I really don’t know.

There is good though. Shinji Konishi did a great hairpiece for JT in King Kong Magazine. All Is A Gentle Spring makes great quality clothes in wool and silk and cotton. I enjoy AV’s YSL, I’d love to have some of that jewelry. Anok Yai is so beautiful to me, I’m glad her face is in the game. There are plenty of covers and shoots and red carpet looks I’ve really liked and found fabulous and inspiring. I like Vogue and Firstview for access to collections new and old.

Music taste is highly variable regardless of level of knowledge but it’s certainly one thing that I’m sure will never die. Film and tv on the other hand have only been ‘alive’ for a century. So they are not these things that must exist forever or else human artistry itself would disappear. Neither are runway shows, for that matter, as much as we love them.

That said I also cherish things of the past. A shot of Kiara Kabukuru from Gucci SS97 Campaign is my lockscreen, prob one of my favorite seasons across so many brands. Wakeema Hollis is my profile picture here, another inspiration for me. McQueen and Chanel SS04, YSL SS1980 Couture, Miu Miu FW97, Theyskens ss02, so many shows I love. And my absolute favorite bag is Cavalli Fall 2005. But like, I have photos of Donyale Luna in Paco Rabanne only just after the Civil Rights Act. Patrick Kelly and Halston both died of AIDS in 1990, and Gianni was murdered in 1997. The fallout of 9/11 is what made Patrick v O close his namesake. These were not perfect times, and fashion has always been touched by ‘The Issues.’ Appreciating parts of history is normal but unless anyone has plans to invent time travel, it can’t be returned to. And for most of us, there are things we are glad have passed.

So, here we are. The only way out is through.

 

[Creative]

Wonderfully worded to much nostalgia to much comparing, also people are not shopping and fast fashion has come in to its own. Fashion is now like football. Growing up in miami, Florida in the 90s as a black man , no one was into fashion now they all want to no, but they have no interest in the real past and no interest in real creativity. It just for show. The biggest problem with fashion I find is conglomerates and celebrities.

But also, rather we like it or not, really good fashion is behind us just like really good movies are behind us.Just like really good music is behind us. Times has changed and Where they're going no one knows.

No one is buying fashion? Fashion has never been so big, not even close.

Conglomerates in 2005/2010 were there and fashion was good.

It is a problem of social networks and internet in my opinion. That is why the world is so mediocre, because we love to use social networks.

People that lived before social networks still can be critical, but new generations are f*cked, I’m sorry. They have no brains in their heads and if they do, they have no brain cells.

 

[PDFSD]

No one is buying fashion? Fashion has never been so big, not even close.

Conglomerates in 2005/2010 were there and fashion was good.

It is a problem of social networks and internet in my opinion. That is why the world is so mediocre, because we love to use social networks.

People that lived before social networks still can be critical, but new generations are f*cked, I’m sorry. They have no brains in their heads and if they do, they have no brain cells.

its more this :


Oct 6th 2025

Outside Brown’s Hotel in London, a doorman in a smart coat and top hat escorts guests to their taxis. Inside, the fanciest suite goes for over £6,000 ($8,100) per night. The bar serves delicious cocktails for £26. Judging by the crowded lobby, there is no shortage of visitors happy to pay for that sort of pampering.
There is a divide in the luxury industry today. Economic uncertainty has people spending less on fancy things, like high heels and handbags. Bain, a consultancy, reckons sales of personal luxury goods will fall by 2-5% this year.

Chart: The Economist

Yet the well-off continue to splash out on luxury travel: posh hotels, first-class air fares and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Global spending on luxury hospitality will exceed $390bn in 2028, up from $239bn in 2023, reckons McKinsey, another consultancy (see chart 1).
At the Accor Group, which owns the smart Sofitel chain as well as cut-price Ibis, Sébastien Bazin, the chief executive, aims to expand the share of cashflow coming from the luxury segment from around 35% today to 50% in 2030. Can the boom last?

Analysts expected 2025 to be a terrible year across the travel industry as tighter immigration rules in America, trade wars and geopolitical flux left consumers jittery. But luxury travellers have propped up the market. Revenues per available luxury hotel room have been higher every month than in 2024, according to CoStar, a real-estate data firm; for cheaper rooms they have mostly declined (see chart 2). At Chase Travel, part of JPMorgan Chase, America’s biggest bank, first-class flight bookings jumped by over 20% year on year between June and August. Some 820 private jets will be delivered in 2025, a rise of 7.3%, forecasts IBA, which provides aviation data.
Some luxury-goods firms have caught the trend. Labels including Bulgari and Armani have opened branded hotels. LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton and Fendi, launched a fancy Belmond sleeper train in Britain a few months ago. Its 230-metre, 54-suite Orient Express yacht, built in partnership with Accor, is due to set sail from France next year. Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry have paired with hotel groups to open pop-up stores and beach clubs.

Chart: The Economist
According to Richard Clarke of Bernstein, a broker, the trend is explained by a broader shift in spending from goods to experiences.
Designer clothes and bags are now available worldwide; they are toted by the well-off middle class as well as by the super-rich.
But once-in-a-lifetime holidays, which can cost thousands of pounds per person per day, still feel exclusive.
Social media can be used to show off enviable trips as easily as new outfits.
The risk is that luxury-travel firms make the same mistakes as luxury-goods firms did in the past. Around the turn of the millennium, fashion houses began wooing “aspirational” shoppers (ie, the rich but not filthy rich). That left them vulnerable when the economy turned.
Now luxury-travel firms are at a similar juncture. The share of luxury-hospitality spending coming from the super-rich, worth $30m-plus, is ticking down, finds McKinsey. In a sign that more holiday-makers want to feel fancy, this month EasyJet Holidays, a package-holiday firm linked to a budget airline, launched a luxury offering that includes posh hotels, speedy boarding at airports and “elevated extras” such as Michelin-star dining.

Photograph: Getty Images

Turn left, tuck in, take off Photograph: Getty Images

In pursuit of growth, fashion brands began mass-producing their wares, which polluted their air of exclusivity.
Similarly, analysts are warning of a glut in top-notch hotels. CoStar forecasts the global tally of luxury hotel rooms will climb from 1.8m now to almost 2.2m by 2030, outpacing other segments. In London, Rosewood, Six Senses and Auberge, three leading high-end hospitality firms, are all opening new sites this year. Savills, an estate agent, estimates there are 18,750 luxury hotel rooms in the city and 1,618 in development.
Then there is pricing. After the pandemic, luxury-fashion houses tried to exploit the rush of “revenge spending” by lifting prices.
Fancy hotels are trying something similar. In fact, by CoStar’s estimates in some recent months occupancy rates for luxury rooms were a bit lower than in 2024, but higher rates have kept revenues rising. Federico Marchetti, the former boss of Yoox Net-a-Porter, a luxury e-merchant, has a word of advice for anyone selling to the rich: they don’t like to feel ripped off.

Luxury-travel firms can learn not just from what luxury-goods firms got wrong, but what they have done right. One brand has bucked the recent slump in goods sales: Hermès. The Parisian firm, which is still run by its founder’s family, maintains a long-term perspective.
It produces at relatively small scale, keeps price rises modest and maintains an air of exclusivity.
Some fit that description. Take Rocco Forte Group, which owns Brown’s. It too is still family-run and has just 15 hotels. It has raised room rates of late, but roughly in line with costs. Staff are trained to make guests feel special. The doorman at Brown’s, for example, greets guests by name. At a time when many are questioning what exactly “luxury” is, the personal touch may be the answer. ■

 

[Creative]

its more this :
View attachment 1434129

Oct 6th 2025

Outside Brown’s Hotel in London, a doorman in a smart coat and top hat escorts guests to their taxis. Inside, the fanciest suite goes for over £6,000 ($8,100) per night. The bar serves delicious cocktails for £26. Judging by the crowded lobby, there is no shortage of visitors happy to pay for that sort of pampering.
There is a divide in the luxury industry today. Economic uncertainty has people spending less on fancy things, like high heels and handbags. Bain, a consultancy, reckons sales of personal luxury goods will fall by 2-5% this year.

Chart: The Economist

Yet the well-off continue to splash out on luxury travel: posh hotels, first-class air fares and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Global spending on luxury hospitality will exceed $390bn in 2028, up from $239bn in 2023, reckons McKinsey, another consultancy (see chart 1).
At the Accor Group, which owns the smart Sofitel chain as well as cut-price Ibis, Sébastien Bazin, the chief executive, aims to expand the share of cashflow coming from the luxury segment from around 35% today to 50% in 2030. Can the boom last?

Analysts expected 2025 to be a terrible year across the travel industry as tighter immigration rules in America, trade wars and geopolitical flux left consumers jittery. But luxury travellers have propped up the market. Revenues per available luxury hotel room have been higher every month than in 2024, according to CoStar, a real-estate data firm; for cheaper rooms they have mostly declined (see chart 2). At Chase Travel, part of JPMorgan Chase, America’s biggest bank, first-class flight bookings jumped by over 20% year on year between June and August. Some 820 private jets will be delivered in 2025, a rise of 7.3%, forecasts IBA, which provides aviation data.
Some luxury-goods firms have caught the trend. Labels including Bulgari and Armani have opened branded hotels. LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton and Fendi, launched a fancy Belmond sleeper train in Britain a few months ago. Its 230-metre, 54-suite Orient Express yacht, built in partnership with Accor, is due to set sail from France next year. Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry have paired with hotel groups to open pop-up stores and beach clubs.

Chart: The Economist
According to Richard Clarke of Bernstein, a broker, the trend is explained by a broader shift in spending from goods to experiences.
Designer clothes and bags are now available worldwide; they are toted by the well-off middle class as well as by the super-rich.
But once-in-a-lifetime holidays, which can cost thousands of pounds per person per day, still feel exclusive.
Social media can be used to show off enviable trips as easily as new outfits.
The risk is that luxury-travel firms make the same mistakes as luxury-goods firms did in the past. Around the turn of the millennium, fashion houses began wooing “aspirational” shoppers (ie, the rich but not filthy rich). That left them vulnerable when the economy turned.
Now luxury-travel firms are at a similar juncture. The share of luxury-hospitality spending coming from the super-rich, worth $30m-plus, is ticking down, finds McKinsey. In a sign that more holiday-makers want to feel fancy, this month EasyJet Holidays, a package-holiday firm linked to a budget airline, launched a luxury offering that includes posh hotels, speedy boarding at airports and “elevated extras” such as Michelin-star dining.

Photograph: Getty Images

Turn left, tuck in, take off Photograph: Getty Images

In pursuit of growth, fashion brands began mass-producing their wares, which polluted their air of exclusivity.
Similarly, analysts are warning of a glut in top-notch hotels. CoStar forecasts the global tally of luxury hotel rooms will climb from 1.8m now to almost 2.2m by 2030, outpacing other segments. In London, Rosewood, Six Senses and Auberge, three leading high-end hospitality firms, are all opening new sites this year. Savills, an estate agent, estimates there are 18,750 luxury hotel rooms in the city and 1,618 in development.
Then there is pricing. After the pandemic, luxury-fashion houses tried to exploit the rush of “revenge spending” by lifting prices.
Fancy hotels are trying something similar. In fact, by CoStar’s estimates in some recent months occupancy rates for luxury rooms were a bit lower than in 2024, but higher rates have kept revenues rising. Federico Marchetti, the former boss of Yoox Net-a-Porter, a luxury e-merchant, has a word of advice for anyone selling to the rich: they don’t like to feel ripped off.

Luxury-travel firms can learn not just from what luxury-goods firms got wrong, but what they have done right. One brand has bucked the recent slump in goods sales: Hermès. The Parisian firm, which is still run by its founder’s family, maintains a long-term perspective.
It produces at relatively small scale, keeps price rises modest and maintains an air of exclusivity.
Some fit that description. Take Rocco Forte Group, which owns Brown’s. It too is still family-run and has just 15 hotels. It has raised room rates of late, but roughly in line with costs. Staff are trained to make guests feel special. The doorman at Brown’s, for example, greets guests by name. At a time when many are questioning what exactly “luxury” is, the personal touch may be the answer. ■

Hmm, I don’t think that’s the reason for mediocrity though. It is a trend for sure at the moment, but people still buy a lot, and quite more expensive than ever. There are more millionaires and billionaires than ever, eager to spend their money in absurd things.

Some brands are plus vs LY double digit, it’s a matter of relevance I think. Even when what they offer is sh!tty as f*ck.

And creative directors are simply not good. 15 years there was quality. Now, we simply don’t have talented people working. Maybe it is because people buying don’t appreciate talent and they need cheap merchandise like the one MGC did. But I do think it’s very related to social networks.

Also, people traveling so much is very related to social networks. They have changed everything.

 

[PDFSD]

Hmm, I don’t think that’s the reason for mediocrity though. It is a trend for sure at the moment, but people still buy a lot, and quite more expensive than ever. There are more millionaires and billionaires than ever, eager to spend their money in absurd things.

Some brands are plus vs LY double digit, it’s a matter of relevance I think. Even when what they offer is sh!tty as f*ck.

And creative directors are simply not good. 15 years there was quality. Now, we simply don’t have talented people working. Maybe it is because people buying don’t appreciate talent and they need cheap merchandise like the one MGC did. But I do think it’s very related to social networks.

Also, people traveling so much is very related to social networks. They have changed everything.

oh no it's a layered cake i agree but rising prices and making easy made trendy commercial selling product is not only to blame on lack of creatives/creativity but it's also is a business top down decision.

yes the fashion business grew and wont go so much down to old numbers yet !
but like the article said and more analist see the trend toward longevity and travel and luxury unique service experiences are the next flex spending i see more influencers complains about how luxury feel dead and not inspiring its logic to me as people put so much into its thinking it will solves all their mental problems while it does not.

why YSL new ceo said view days ago their new stores won't be about a transactional business (buy and goodby lol) but making the new stores an experience to be immersed with the clients. what that is we will wait and have to see lol.

new miu miu london store also has a club era floor etc blurring the lines of shopping and hanging out. all sound like old music to me these spaces will be soon like open museums in the stores.

relevance sure and opening more doors to simulate growth on paper. (to only close in 3 years etc )

agree 10000% creative directors are simply not good we have a wave of merch cd ´s eager to please and have top job with no clear or unique vision but hired because they are likeable or easy to work with or had some press because that what's around any way.

Ceo wanting to score a homerun in first year of appointment etc safe betting and lack of taste is rampant.

the mass audience has taking over the taste of luxura because luxury brands want to be mass size brands .
if you want to be big like coca cola you will have to please everyone with a simple concept on repeat.

 

[PDFSD]

WWD

EXCLUSIVE: Why Luxury Brands Can No Longer Afford to Ignore Gen X​

For this demographic entering its peak spending decade, luxury is about personal fulfilment rather than social status, according to an OpinionWay survey for Publicis Luxe.
ByJOELLE DIDERICH

NOVEMBER 19, 2025, 1:00AM​

Many Gen X luxury consumers prize experiences above products. YANA ISKAYEVA/GETTY IMAGES


PARIS — Optimistic, resilient, independent and hedonistic: sandwiched between Baby Boomers and Millennials, Gen X is the generation that luxury brands can no longer afford to ignore, according to a new study published Wednesday.
This cohort, born between 1965 and 1980, is at the peak of its professional achievement and spending power — yet it remains an underexplored demographic.
That’s in part because Gen X has always resisted being labeled and discussed, but this lack of understanding represents a missed opportunity for luxury brands, said Publicis Luxe.

​

The creative agency joined forces with market research firm OpinionWay to do a deep dive into this generation’s relationship with luxury, via a survey of 1,150 people aged 45 to 65 in the top 10 percent of affluent households in France, the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and China.

The report, shared exclusively with WWD, found that with the exception of China, luxury is predominantly perceived as a source of private fulfillment, rather than a marker of social success.

“The study reveals that more than half of Gen Xers in the U.S., UAE and France buy luxury items for personal pleasure, not social recognition — undermining decades of marketing strategy built around exclusive access and conspicuous consumption,” Publicis Luxe said.

Few of the respondents actually identify as Gen X. While 57 percent in the U.S. said they were familiar with the label and could relate to it, the proportion dropped to just 27 percent in China and 32 percent in France.

Contrary to the disaffected characters in Douglas Coupland’s seminal novel “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture” and cult ‘90s movies like “Reality Bites,” the majority of those polled were closer in spirit to the cast of “Friends,” the ultimate Gen X TV show.


Asked to describe themselves, 55 percent in China and 40 percent in the UAE said “optimistic.” In France, the most popular adjective was “curious” and in the U.S., the preferred term was “resilient” — reflecting a generation that has navigated the digital revolution and is comfortable with change.

The findings suggest many of this cohort have grown out of grunge and into a quiet confidence — though they still don’t need status symbols for external approval. Asked what they might have wanted to be in another life, a quarter of respondents in the U.S. and 22 percent in France said they would choose to remain themselves.

Emotionally Engaged​

Joachim Schweier, senior marketing communications manager at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich, said that contrary to younger generations, Gen Xers are discreet but demanding customers, with zero FOMO.

“They don’t compare themselves to others. They’re self-focused,” said Schweier, one of several luxury executives interviewed for the report. “They want spotless quality. They’ll pay for it — but it has to be perfect.”

Perceptions of luxury vary widely across regions. In France, it is closely equated with traditional craftsmanship and heritage, while in the U.S., wellness and experiences are prized above everything. The UAE and China, meanwhile, prioritize material and aesthetic luxury.

While many associate luxury with travel, being free to do what you want and express your opinions is equally important, across all geographic regions.

Preferences for types of luxury vary across countries, with 49 percent of French respondents leaning toward “discreet, exclusive” luxury, while a third of those surveyed in the U.S. favor “sophisticated, timeless luxury.” Bold luxury draws 16 percent in the UAE and China, far above the U.S. (4 percent) and France (8 percent).

A fifth of Emiratis also express a preference for “committed, responsible” luxury — a sharply higher percentage than elsewhere.

Their consumption patterns reflect their aspiration for ethical luxury, with 20 percent regularly purchasing secondhand luxury goods, ahead of China with 11 percent, France with 6 percent, and the U.S. with 4 percent. In China, 48 percent of respondents said they prefer to buy new.

Nicola Lavelle, director of digital marketing and communications for Guerlain in the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa (MEISA) region, described this generation as deeply loyal, emotionally engaged with legacy brands, and highly responsive to personal, humanized luxury experiences.

“We treat them like influencers or brand ambassadors. When you do that, you really get their passion and loyalty,” she said, noting that GenXers account for 85 percent of the beauty brand’s revenues in the region.

While 47 percent of those surveyed in China saw aging as an opportunity, 45 percent in France said they felt more ambivalent — a tendency that also dominated in the U.S. and UAE.

Seeing Green​

But the OpinionWay survey for Publicis Luxe debunked several other stereotypes.

For instance, ecological awareness is high among this generation, particularly in the UAE (94 percent) and China (89 percent) where the vast majority of consumers are ready to pay more for luxury goods and services that align with environmental values.
And while around half of Gen Xers said they are selective in their adoption of new technologies, this varies widely between East and West, suggesting brands need to tailor their social media strategies to local audiences. For instance, 47 percent of respondents in the UAE report being active on TikTok, versus just 15 percent in France.

Another reason to pay closer attention to Gen X’s attitude toward wealth is that this cohort is about to come into a fortune.

In the United States alone, Gen Xers are expected to inherit $39 trillion by 2048, in what has been described as the greatest wealth transfer in history, according to Cerulli Associates, a research firm specializing in asset management and distribution trends.

Asked how they would spend a windfall, only a small proportion would opt for personal luxury items like clothing or cars, with the exception of China, where 40 percent would splash out for themselves. Instead, most would invest the money or spend it on exclusive experiences.

“Now, as Gen X enters its peak spending decade, brands that recognize this shift stand to capture a demographic with both the means and motivation to invest in premium experiences, and which has nothing to prove,” Publicis Luxe said.


“Those that fail to adapt risk losing a generation of high-value customers who view aging as a period of possibility, freedom and self-expression — in other words, the ultimate luxury experience.”

 

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