It’s Sunday and I’m writing this from Shenzhen, China.
Being here feels a bit like stepping into the future for a moment. Food is delivered by drones. Driverless taxis are nothing special. And people pay for things with the palm of their hand — no cards, no phones. It’s a strange contrast: a country with over five thousand years of history and tradition, yet running on technology that feels a decade (or two) ahead. And at the same time, it’s unexpectedly cut off from the world I’m used to. Google Maps, ChatGPT, TikTok — the three apps I rely on the most — don’t work here. Fashion is a contrast, too. While the West is busy revisiting the past — 70s, 80s, 90s, etc — Chinese designers seem focused on the future. I’ve seen so much experimentation: new materials, innovative production methods, 3D printing, etc. It’s exciting, and also refreshing, to see fashion that’s not rooted in nostalgia but pushing forward.

Caught my eye

ANNAKIKI is one of the futuristic Chinese fashion brands I came across on my trip to Asia

Trends — what’s bubbling underneath the headlines

• eBay’s 2025 Luxury Winners

  eBay’s 2025 Watchlist report puts Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada at the top of the global ranking by both search volume and listings. Louis Vuitton alone sees over 13 items listed per minute, with millions LV, Gucci, Prada items circulating on the platform this year. The report also tracks which labels gained the most value on the secondary market: LUAR led with a +270% price increase, while brands like Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta and Loewe recorded strong double-digit gains. Beyond volume, search spikes for vintage Céline, classic Burberry and early-2000s Fendi show a continued appetite for archival luxury.

• LVMH leads the art race

  A new Bernstein report breaks down what many in the industry have sensed: LVMH is far ahead of its peers in the luxury-meets-art space, with the most extensive network of cultural partnerships, artist collaborations and institutional projects across the group. In a world where information moves instantly and Zara can replicate a runway look within days, product exclusivity has lost some of its defensive power. The hard-to-copy part of luxury now sits in associations, cultural context and the emotional territory a brand occupies — and LVMH seems to understand that better than anyone.

Business moves, big numbers & “wait, what?”

• Alibaba shows where commerce is headed. Alibaba posted quarterly revenue above expectations, supported by strong gains in “instant retail” — its one-hour delivery services like Ele.me and Taocaicai that lifted engagement across its shopping apps. Its cloud division also reported solid growth, driven by rising demand for AI-related services. Taken together, the results point to a broader shift that may reach Europe too: commerce increasingly shaped by fast fulfilment on the front end and AI infrastructure on the back end.

• Ferragamo’s hotels go on the Grand Tour. Ferragamo’s hotel group, the Lungarno Collection, is gearing up for expansion. The plan is to grow the Portrait brand beyond Florence, Rome and Milan — creating a network of hotels across Italy’s most culturally significant cities, referred to as a “Grand Tour.”

  It’s hospitality as brand strategy: with Italy’s tourism booming again and travellers seeking more local, experience-led stays, the Ferragamo family is betting on a refined, Italian-rooted alternative to global luxury chains.

• Kering is rebuilding the pipeline. The new “House of Dreams” investment arm is framed as a way to reduce dependence on Gucci, but it also fits a wider Pinault pattern. Through Artemis, the family has already backed next-generation businesses like Birkenstock, Vinted, CAA and Art Basel. Now that logic is moving inside the group: supporting emerging brands earlier, instead of waiting for them to mature.

  The seems to be right, too. Independent retailers that once discovered and amplified young designers — Ssense, Matches, Farfetch — have either disappeared or are struggling. With those platforms fading, there’s no clear system for discovering and nurturing new talent.

  If executed well, House of Dreams could fill that gap by identifying culturally relevant, high-identity labels and giving them capital, structure and scale. and maybe it even points to a shift in luxury business — from acquiring established houses to creating the conditions for the next ones to emerge.

Wish I were there - pop-ups,  collabs, etc.

Pencil in, book the ticket, or just follow on social media — choose your option and let’s discuss afterwards!

• 05.12.-07.12.25 | Miami - Art Basel

• Ongoing | Singapore - Audi x Burnt Ends Bakery pop-up

• Until 03.05.25 | Paris - Dior by Alaïa exhibition

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