I think after last week, we can officially say we’re living in the experience economy.

I read somewhere on the internet that the cost of living — plus the general sense of global uncertainty — has basically killed the dream of owning real estate for Gen Z and millennials. And honestly? I couldn’t agree more. If every day feels like the world might end (which it kind of does), then it makes total sense that Gen Z and millennials (myself included) are choosing to live fully. We’re here to experience as much as we can.

My prediction? More and more businesses will need to layer in experiential elements. And we’ll start seeing entire business models built at the intersection of product and experience. This week’s newsletter is about exactly that.

Caught my eye

Found photos of the newly opened Magda Butrym store in NYC on Instagram and immediately got stuck staring at these crochet details. Obsessed.

This lamp isn’t just stunning — it’s also the most expensive Frank Lloyd Wright design ever sold, fetching $7.5M at Sotheby’s last week.

This week’s deep-dive

Trends — what’s bubbling underneath the headlines

• We are living in the experience economy
  Airbnb relaunched “Experiences” with a serious upgrade: celeb-hosted events, local services, and curated activities like hot spring tours and niche wellness bookings. It's the brand’s quiet shift from accommodation to lifestyle OS. Some analysts are quite sceptical, but the good news is, Airbnb Services are bookable by non-guests.

• More on experiences

  Louis Vuitton is creating a culinary community of top chefs, which will organise pop-up events primarily in Asia to establish a deeper connection with the brand. And yes, nothing beats food as a sensory medium that taps into memory, emotion, and culture. We don’t know what to expect yet — but pretty certainly, “No eating the monogram!”

• Luxury is declining
  Bain updated its outlook for the year, and it’s not looking great. The luxury industry won’t survive without the U.S. or China. It’s time to get even more creative — in both aesthetics and business.

• On the point of creativity
  I used to think that creative directors were the ones who made or broke fashion houses — until stylists started getting more visibility. Here’s a great (but rather lengthy) interview with Lotta Volkova, the stylist behind Miu Miu — the brand that grew by 97% in 2024 — and whom we can thank for the layered tops, socks and heels and messy hair trends. She talks about how she works with Miuccia Prada and the origins of her creativity.

• How the wealth is moving around
  Milan is becoming the new London, thanks to Italy’s €200K flat tax for new residents. This is how it works: eligible individuals pay a flat €200,000 per year on all foreign-sourced income, regardless of the amount. Wealthy families (= finance executives from Goldman, CVC, Cinven, etc.) are already relocating. After the wave of members’ club openings in Milan, should we now expect a Zuma opening in 2026?

• Portugal: fashion’s new hospitality playground?
  Last year it was Christian Louboutin with that insanely chic hotel in Melides. Now Missoni — they just announced a branded residential project in Portugal. The property will include a PGA championship golf course, a health club, two swimming pools, tennis and padel courts, a restaurant, children's play areas, and a reception desk open 24 hours a day. Fashion x real estate in Portugal might just be having a moment.

• And here’s another fashion-meets-hospitality moment — this one’s is really “outside the box”

  Nobu Hotel Barcelona teamed up with fashion rental platform Trent, so guests can borrow high-end pieces from cool, independent designers during their stay. It’s perfect if you care about the fashion and the planet, you’re traveling with little luggage but still want to look good.

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

• SKIMS, Kim Kardashian’s $4B brand is opening on Regent Street in 2026. A massive leap for a DTC startup, but maybe also a sign of slowing e-com growth? What’s old (physical stores) is new again.

• Carlyle intends to sell Twinset. Twinset is an Italian brand that Carlyle first invested in back in 2012, eventually increasing its stake to 100% by 2017 (valued at $300–350 million at the time, with revenue of €231 million). The latest available data for the company is from 2023—then, revenue was €200 million. Two years ago, I assumed the brand might be worth $500 million, but we lived in a completely different higher-multiple world.

• Burberry is cutting 20% of its workforce in what looks like an attempt to manufacture scarcity — including eliminating night shifts in some UK factories and cutting HQ roles. But so far, to me it feels more like limiting inventory than creating desire.

Results in 30 sec (or less)

Framework of the week

Viral coefficient: the math behind going viral — not just in SaaS, but in any mass-market product or even content.

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!

• Starting 12.05.25 | Ibiza - Jacquemus pop-up and beach club 

• 13.05.-24.05.25 | Cannes - Nespresso La Plage pop-up

• 15.05.-19.05.25 | New York – The Smoothie by Marc Jacobs

• 17.05.-26.05.25 | Seoul - Karl Lagerfeld immersive pop-up

• Until 25.05.25 | Paris - Cafe Kitsune pop-up

• Until mid-October 2025 | Paris – Lacoste and Shangri-la summer experience

• Ongoing | Berlin - Polaroids by Helmut Newton exhibition

• Ongoing | Saint-Tropez - Louis Vuitton summer restaurant

Next steps

Please feel free to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you!

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