What The Luxe

Matter Of Form
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What makes something worth more than the sum of its parts? Why do certain brands command belief whilst others struggle for attention? What does 'luxury' even mean? What qualifies? Investigating the minds, mechanics and mythologies of modern luxury, What The Luxe is a series of conversations with the founders, directors and creatives behind modern marques. Together, we unpack the psychology of value, the business of brand, and the spirit that drives today's best-in-class. Expect founding stories, bold positioning calls, and the messy truths behind polished brands. Because whether it's craft, commerce, psychology or lore—all roads lead to value. A weekly podcast from Matter Of Form. Hosted by Anant Sharma & Fred Moore.

  1. What The Luxe Christmas Special

    24/12/2025

    What The Luxe Christmas Special

    For the first time since episode one, What The Luxe brings its two hosts together at the same table. In this end-of-year Christmas episode, Anant Sharma and Fred Moore step away from the usual guest format to reflect on the past year of conversations. They talk candidly about what we've heard throughout 2025, from the patterns to the anomalies, the anecdotes and the insights. Moving easily between the podcast, the studio, and the wider world around us, the two cover topics including experience, taste, leadership, travel, and the shifting signals of value across luxury. A deliberately unstructured episode to close out the year, before attention turns to what comes next.

    35 min
  2. S5E31: Modern Patronage at the Royal Academy of Arts with Stacey Langham, Head of Corporate & Luxury Partnerships

    17/12/2025

    S5E31: Modern Patronage at the Royal Academy of Arts with Stacey Langham, Head of Corporate & Luxury Partnerships

    In this episode of What The Luxe, Anant Sharma speaks with Stacey Langham, Head of Corporate & Luxury Partnerships at the Royal Academy of Arts, about how culture, commerce and philanthropy intersect when relationships are built for the long term. Stacey shares her journey from magazine publishing into the cultural sector, and how that perspective shapes the way she builds partnerships at the RA — not as sponsorships, but as collaborations rooted in shared values, creative ambition and cultural resonance. The conversation explores the Royal Academy's unique model: a fiercely independent institution with no public funding, home to the UK's only tuition-free postgraduate art programme, supported entirely through philanthropy and partnership. Together they discuss how luxury brands act as modern patrons and the responsibility that comes with cultural capital. A thoughtful look at how institutions with deep history can remain relevant — without compromising their values.

    37 min
  3. S5E30: Slowing Fashion Down with Oliver Spencer

    15/12/2025

    S5E30: Slowing Fashion Down with Oliver Spencer

    In this episode of What The Luxe, host Anant Sharma sits down with Oliver Spencer, founder of the eponymous menswear label and formalwear brand Favourbrook, to explore a career built on patience, craft and a quiet resistance to fashion's obsession with scale. From selling hand-painted waistcoats off a wheelbarrow on Portobello Road to building two enduring British brands, Oliver shares why he never followed the traditional Savile Row path — and why he continues to make a significant proportion of his collections in England, even when the economics point elsewhere Together, they discuss: • Why true luxury is rarity, craft and design — not availability • The difference between fashion, styling and genuine garment design • What the industry gets wrong about growth, scale and "success" • Why small is becoming beautiful again in business and culture • The role of shopkeeping, community and the High Street in modern luxury • How Oliver's latest venture, Secret Trips, connects clothing, travel and a more considered way of living A thoughtful, unfiltered conversation about slowing down in a world that moves too fast — and building brands with integrity, longevity and soul.

    38 min
  4. S5E29: Professor Charles Spence on The Psychology Behind Pleasure, Perception and Luxury

    09/12/2025

    S5E29: Professor Charles Spence on The Psychology Behind Pleasure, Perception and Luxury

    Professor Charles Spence has built one of the most influential bodies of research in modern psychology, reframing how the world understands taste, pleasure and perception. As Head of Oxford's Crossmodal Research Laboratory, his work has shown that nothing we experience is ever singular: sound alters flavour, colour reshapes expectation, weight changes perceived quality. These ideas have travelled from the lab into Michelin-starred kitchens, automotive design studios and the playbooks of global luxury brands. In this episode, Charles sits down with host Anant Sharma to unpack the sensory mechanics behind value and delight. They discuss why our brains misattribute pleasure, how scent exerts power while rarely receiving credit, and why experiences like dining in the dark reveal the limits of removing visual cues. They move through the frontier of multisensory design—from biophilic environments to emotional "arc-shaping" in restaurants—and what it means for hospitality, retail and experience creators seeking to build something memorable. A conversation about perception as a design material, the invisible cues that change behaviour, and why the future of luxury will depend less on what brands show and more on how they make people feel.

    47 min
  5. S5E28: Building for the Affluent Explorer: Inside Aqua Expeditions with Founder & CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro

    02/12/2025

    S5E28: Building for the Affluent Explorer: Inside Aqua Expeditions with Founder & CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro

    In this episode, What The Luxe dives into the world of Aqua Expeditions with its Founder & CEO, Francesco Galli Zugaro. Raised across 16 countries and driven by an innate spirit of exploration, Francesco has spent nearly two decades crafting highly intimate, design-led journeys for what he calls the affluent explorer — guests who crave authenticity, comfort and adventure in some of the world's most fragile ecosystems. Host Fred Moore explores how Aqua began with a single 12-cabin ship on the Peruvian Amazon and grew into a fleet spanning Indonesia, the Mekong, the Galápagos and soon East Africa and the Arctic. Francesco shares the realities behind that growth: the logistical improbability of building ships in remote regions, the family dynamics woven into the brand, and why Aqua will never chase scale for its own sake. Together they unpack: • The origins of Aqua's small-ship philosophy and why intimacy beats scale • Designing for high-touch luxury — from world-class dining to near 1:1 staff ratios • Creating moments of wonder for guests who are used to the exceptional • The rising appetite for multi-generational and younger expedition travellers • Conservation partnerships and operating responsibly in fragile ecosystems • Aqua's next chapter, including new routes and new vessels A rich conversation about adventure, restraint, craftsmanship and the discipline required to build a brand that stays true to its values.

    42 min
  6. S5E27: A New Pace of Travel with Belmond's Senior VP of Global Brand, Marketing and Communications, Arnaud Champenois

    25/11/2025

    S5E27: A New Pace of Travel with Belmond's Senior VP of Global Brand, Marketing and Communications, Arnaud Champenois

    Belmond has spent decades redefining the romance of travel—inviting guests to slow down, savour time and inhabit destinations rather than pass through them. Across 43 properties in 24 countries, the brand has become synonymous with slow luxury. Arnaud Champenois, Senior VP of Global Brand, Marketing and Communications, is the architect of that vision, balancing Belmond's storied heritage with the cultural shifts reshaping modern travel. In this episode, Arnaud sits down with Anant Sharma to discuss what slow luxury actually means in practice. They explore Belmond's property-first approach, the creative risks behind reimagining icons like the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, and how partnerships with figures such as Wes Anderson are reframing the brand for a new generation. A conversation about slowness as strategy, the craft behind hospitality, and why the journey can still matter more than the destination.

    38 min
  7. S5E26: Rituals of Listening with Grace Lo, President & Head of Global Marketing at KEF Audio Group

    17/11/2025

    S5E26: Rituals of Listening with Grace Lo, President & Head of Global Marketing at KEF Audio Group

    For over 60 years, KEF has redefined what it means to listen—turning sound into sculpture and engineering into art. Under the leadership of Grace Lo, the brand continues to push boundaries in both technology and design, shaping the future of high-fidelity audio for a new generation. In this episode, Grace joins Anant Sharma to explore what luxury means when it comes to sound. They discuss the founding spirit of Raymond Cooke, the shift from passive to active systems, and why the ritual of listening—whether that's filling a room with music or the deliberate act of putting a record on—matters more than ever in a headphone-dominated world.

    37 min
  8. S5E25: Mia Reay on Defiance of Trend & English Eccentricity

    06/11/2025

    S5E25: Mia Reay on Defiance of Trend & English Eccentricity

    Each of Mia Reay's wallpapers begins as a painting - layered with history, character, and a quiet defiance of trend. Inspired by centuries of craftsmanship, from Islamic ceramics to Swedish palaces, her designs bring storytelling back to interiors with a distinctly English eccentricity. In conversation with Fred Moore, Mia shares the accidental origins of her brand, her belief that true luxury is measured in time and craft, and why she designs for beauty that lasts, not trends that fade. A celebration of imagination, patience, and the enduring power of the handmade.

    29 min
Elenco completo (68)

Descrizione

What makes something worth more than the sum of its parts? Why do certain brands command belief whilst others struggle for attention? What does 'luxury' even mean? What qualifies? Investigating the minds, mechanics and mythologies of modern luxury, What The Luxe is a series of conversations with the founders, directors and creatives behind modern marques. Together, we unpack the psychology of value, the business of brand, and the spirit that drives today's best-in-class. Expect founding stories, bold positioning calls, and the messy truths behind polished brands. Because whether it's craft, commerce, psychology or lore—all roads lead to value. A weekly podcast from Matter Of Form. Hosted by Anant Sharma & Fred Moore.

Informazioni

  • Creatore
    Matter Of Form
  • Anni di attività
    2022 - 2025
  • Puntate
    68
  • Classificazione
    Contenuti adatti a tutti
  • Copyright
    © 2022
  • Sito web del podcast
    What The Luxe

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