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Inside Luxury

Inside Luxury

Industry veteran Daniel Langer dissects the nature of luxury in his regular column

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Billy McFarland, promoter of the failed Fyre Festival in the Bahamas, leaves court after pleading guilty to fraud charges, March 6, 2018, in New York. Photo: @DuffaBoiii/X

Fame and celebrity

What has Billy McFarland been up to since the Fyre Festival flop?

Despite serving 4 years in prison, McFarland recently announced a second instalment of the now-infamous event of 2017, but will it even happen?

18 Apr 2024 - 10:16AM

Lifting the lid on Hong Kong’s exclusive watch hang-out The Lavish Attic

26 Dec 2023 - 12:00PM

Cometh the hour: 4 Chinese luxury watchmakers celebrating local craftsmanship

11 Jul 2023 - 8:00AM

Opinion | How do you turn an NFT into a luxury good? Lessons from Tiffany and Dictador

The American jeweller gives a metaverse masterclass in creating extreme value and encouraging desirability among the target market of millennials

23 Aug 2022 - 5:33PM

Tiffany & Co.’s limited-edition NFTiff pendant was offered exclusively to CryptoPunk owners. Photo: @TiffanyAndCo/Twitter

Opinion | Can Mercedes-Benz really call itself ‘haute voiture’?

There may be a waiting list for G-Wagon SUVs and excitement around concepts like the Vision EQXX as well as classic old models at auction, but does the brand experience really match its ambition?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:34PM

Opinion | Is Instagram dying? New features and too many ads are alienating Gen Z

Users are up in arms over new TikTok-inspired features flooding their newsfeeds with unwanted content – can IG bounce back, or is its digital zeitgeist moment over?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:35PM

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Opinion | Why Gucci’s controversial Year of the Tiger campaign hit the mark for Gen Z

Luxury fashion brands now offer wearables and streetwear, and are into NFTs, crypto and the blockchain, but are they lacking imagination and inspiration?

10 Feb 2022 - 5:07PM

Teatime with tigers: one of the images from Gucci’s Lunar New Year 2022 collection. Photo: Gucci

Opinion | Are luxury brands ready for the new metaverse marketplace?

Facebook’s rebrand to Meta and Microsoft’s purchase of video game company Activision Blizzard brings virtual and physical worlds closer, but can the likes of Louis Vuitton and Dior take advantage?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:37PM

Opinion | Why Mercedes-Benz EQXX could be the brand’s most important car in history

Tesla could become the largest car company in the world, showing how electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to take over petrol cars – and then Mercedes-Benz unveiled the EQXX concept …

7 Jan 2022 - 3:00PM

Automotive industry

Opinion | What BMW’s Concept XM says about luxury car brands in an electric world

Clearly all-electric is the way to go these days, so why did the German luxury carmaker not pick up on lessons from the likes of Tesla and Rivian – and how may Apple be the brand to profit most?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:39PM

Why did German luxury carmaker BMW not learn from Tesla and Rivian and go all-electric with its latest Concept XM project? Photo: @bmw/Instagram

Opinion | The one thing luxury hotels and restaurants always get wrong

Despite expensive real estate investment, quality food and stunning decor, many high-end hospitality brands still fail to deliver a memorable experience – so how can they set themselves apart?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:40PM

Who doesn’t love a luxury hotel breakfast? Photo: Freepik.com

Opinion | Why isn’t the redesigned 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL electric?

The V8-powered Mercedes-AMG SL is a much-improved car, but it’s a missed opportunity to place the luxury brand back at the top of innovation and luxury

23 Aug 2022 - 5:41PM

Opinion | Why today’s luxury brands may not survive the decade of Gen Z

Some companies’ failure to adapt to the needs of digitally-savvy Gen Z consumers – who are not as interested in them as older generations – could cost them their future

23 Aug 2022 - 5:42PM

Opinion | How BMW and Mercedes-Benz rediscovered their luxurious roots

Formerly undisputed industry leaders, the auto brands made some questionable decisions to keep up with their competitors … but are they finally back on top?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:43PM

How have established luxury car brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW remained competitive today? Photos: @MB_Museum, @carwowuk/Twitter

Opinion | Hollywood glamour? More like Hallyu glamour – luxury brands turn to K-pop

For Gen Z, the stars of K-pop idols burn more brightly than those of legacy Hollywood actors, as Korea’s top bands like BTS and Blackpink collaborate with the world’s biggest fashion houses

23 Aug 2022 - 5:44PM

Blackpink’s Jennie is a successful ambassador for Chanel who, like many other luxury brands, now find K-pop’s allure much brighter than that of legacy Hollywood stars. Photo: @jennierubyjane/Instagram

Opinion | A Lamborghini landmark twice over – the Countach, 50 years on

Futuristic and wedge-shaped, the 1971 Countach was a sensation – now the brand has reimagined the car, keeping the overall look while adding an electric motor to the V-12 to give it even more oomph

23 Aug 2022 - 5:45PM

Opinion | Simply electric: Mercedes is bringing sexy back with the EQS

Comfortable complacency is out as the need for sustainability shocks the industry into answering Tesla’s challenge – and the German carmaker’s first response is a strong one

23 Aug 2022 - 5:46PM

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Luxury Spend It

Opinion | How well are luxury travel brands adapting to new protocols?

Fashion brands might have innovated with new pandemic-era strategies, but luxury hotels, restaurants and travel are falling behind

23 Aug 2022 - 5:47PM

A luxury hotel room at the Harbour View in Hong Kong. Photo: Four Seasons

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Opinion | Olympics 2020: can sports’ oldest brand survive the Covid-19 furore?

With 85 per cent of locals ‘concerned’ about staging the spectacle amid surging Covid-19 cases, it’s time to ask if this is the best course of action for the ‘world’s first luxury brand’

23 Aug 2022 - 5:48PM

Millionaires and billionaires

Opinion | Is space the next frontier of luxury? Bezos, Musk and Branson seem to think so

Billionaires look to the stars for the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime experience: Blue Origins will launch on July 20 while Virgin Galactic has already blasted off

23 Aug 2022 - 5:48PM

Opinion | How to put the ‘luxury’ in luxury hotel … hint: it's not about fluffy towels

Luxury hotel brands everywhere face the same issue – how to stand out when everyone has a spa, a choice of restaurants and vast, well appointed rooms?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:49PM

What makes this luxury experience stand out from any other? The Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong. Photo: @shangrilahotels/ Instagram

Opinion | Harley at a crossroads: can America’s beloved motorbike brand go electric?

The brand relies too much on tradition and sells too many models in too many countries – so who will buy a Harley-Davidson if all bikes go electric and none have that telltale noise and throb?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:50PM

Opinion | Are these luxury brand collaborations truly disruptive, or just a gimmick?

Brand collabs are the defining fashion trend of the moment – just look at Gucci x Disney, Dior x Nike and Hermès x Apple – but how much lasting value are they really creating?

23 Aug 2022 - 5:51PM

Opinion | Does Gen Z spell the end of luxury or will brands take up the challenge?

The young are less anti-brand than anti-boredom: if brands show they share their concerns and are prepared to experiment and entertain, loyalty will follow

23 Aug 2022 - 5:52PM

Opinion | Hainan Island: the duty-free paradise you may never have heard of

China’s southerly holiday island aims to clean up in the luxury sector as the country’s Gen Z fly in to spend big, enjoying new regulations that let each local visitor stock up on up to US$15,000 of tax-free goods

23 Aug 2022 - 5:53PM

Haikou City is the capital of Hainan province, a free zone and major tourism destination that aims to displace international destinations as the luxury goods marketplace of the world. Photo: Shutterstock

Opinion | Why a phone case can cost more than an iPhone – and is it worth the splurge?

You’d think a Dior phone accessory costing almost twice as much as an iPhone would cause an uproar – but to luxury consumers, the price tag is well worth it

23 Aug 2022 - 5:53PM

Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro and Louis Vuitton’s iPhone case. Photos: @andreacervone/Instagram, Louis Vuitton

Opinion | Are Hermès and Louis Vuitton actually priced too cheaply?

Even big-name brands may be losing out on millions or even billions of dollars of potential revenue – for some brands that may cost them their very existence

23 Aug 2022 - 5:54PM

Opinion | Art Basel Hong Kong: where luxury and culture collide

Brands from Rolls-Royce to Hermès are finding inventive ways to work with artists and crossover into the art world – an immersive way to interact with culturally smart Gen Z

23 Aug 2022 - 5:55PM

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