What's Really Happening in Luxury Right Now

About this episode

The episode discusses the current state of the luxury industry amidst geopolitical and technological challenges.

For the global luxury industry, the last two years have been defined by a prolonged period of meagre growth, macro-uncertainty, and a slow recovery in the critical Chinese market. But as we move further into 2026, the strategic imperative has shifted. It is no longer enough to simply wait for the cycle to turn; leadership now requires navigating a rapidly-changing environment where geopolitical volatility and technological disruption have become the baseline. In this episode of The BoF Podcast, Jonathan Wingfield, editor-in-chief of System Magazine joins Imran Amed and Luca Solca , managing director and global head of luxury goods at Bernstein , for their regular seasonal conversation on the state of the industry.  They analyse this new industry paradigm through two distinct lenses: the clinical, data-driven reality of the equity markets, and the visceral, creative pulse of culture. They examining the collapse of the old narrative within luxury, why brand heat has become a lazy currency, and why the real threat of AI isn't the technology itself, but the professionals who master it first. Key Insights: The luxury recovery of early 2026 has been derailed by yet another…

People in this episode

Host: Imran Amed

Guests: Jonathan Wingfield, Luca Solca

Topics covered

• luxury industry
• geopolitical volatility
• technological disruption
• market analysis
• brand strategy
• AI in luxury

Keywords

• luxury growth
• Chinese market
• market recovery
• AI threat
• brand heat
• equity markets

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: System Magazine, Bernstein, LVMH

More episodes of The Business of Fashion Podcast

• Anoushka Shankar: Creativity Is an Act of Hope · June 12, 2026 · 24 min
• Fashion's Ozempic Reckoning · June 10, 2026 · 31 min
• Conner Ives is Building a Business With Instinct · June 5, 2026 · 54 min
• Carlos Nazario: The Kid From Queens Who Changed Fashion Imagery · May 29, 2026 · 1h 19m
• Leena Nair and Matthieu Blazy on Creativity and the Power of the Human Hand · May 22, 2026 · 51 min
• Inside The Swatch X Audemars Piguet Global Frenzy · May 20, 2026 · 22 min