Beyond Luxury

Carlota Rodben
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

Whether you’re a leader in luxury, aspiring to become one, or simply curious about where the industry is heading, this is for you. Luxury is a €1.5 trillion industry built on mystery, discretion, and access. It’s also undergoing one of its biggest transformations. Each week, we sit down with the people shaping its future to have the conversations that rarely happen in public. Beyond PR talking points, we explore the talent crisis, AI, culture, business, and the elephants in the room. Hosted by Carlota Rodben, founder of Beyond Luxury Group, 2x author, and former Head of Innovation at Chanel.

  1. 1d ago

    #51 She Built Assouline From a Paris Basement Into a Global Luxury Icon | Martine Assouline, Co-Founder of Assouline

    A luxury publishing co-founder on why a physical book beats fast information every time. Martine Assouline co-founded Assouline in 1994 with her husband Prosper, starting the house from the basement of their Paris apartment with a first book on La Colombe d'Or, the hotel in the South of France they treated as a second home. Thirty years later, Assouline publishes across seven countries, holds the only trunk partnership Goyard has ever created with an outside brand, and counts Roger Federer among the subjects who trusted the house with his visual biography. Their son Alexandre now runs the company as president. In this episode, Martine walks through how an Assouline book actually gets made, from a title on surrealism she had to kill over copyright costs to the discipline she calls "eating culture." She talks taste, AI, succession, craftsmanship, and what luxury will mean by the time water becomes the real currency. Beyond Luxury brings together the founders, executives and cultural voices shaping the future of luxury, exploring brand innovation, consumer behavior, craftsmanship and where the luxury industry is headed next. 00:03:48 How images, not text, built Assouline's entire style 00:06:22 The book that started in a basement: La Colombe d'Or 00:14:56 Making the Roger Federer book 00:19:23 The surrealism book she had to kill over copyright costs 00:21:07 Why she calls ChatGPT and Google easy fast food 00:25:48 Why she tells her team to eat culture 00:32:28 Bergdorf Goodman's gift floor and Goyard's first-ever partnership 00:48:52 What is luxury? Her answer from a Rochas interview forty years ago 00:55:28 Three words for the luxury industry today Subscribe for new conversations with the people shaping the future of luxury, every week.  Follow us on : Substack → https://beyondluxury.substack.com/ Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/ Podcast Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/ Carlota's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/ Podcast Tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast Beyond Luxury LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/ Carlota's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/ Website → https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree → https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group

    #51 She Built Assouline From a Paris Basement Into a Global Luxury Icon | Martine Assouline, Co-Founder of Assouline

  2. Sep 1

    #50 From 10 years at Nike to Le Coq Sportif: How He Reads Culture Before It Goes Mainstream|Pascal Monfort, Founder of REC and Chief Creative Officer of Le Coq Sportif

    The culture strategist who reads what consumers want before it goes mainstream. Pascal Monfort explains why good taste, not follower counts, is becoming one of luxury’s greatest competitive advantages. Pascal Monfort is the founder of REC, the Paris-based cultural foresight and strategy agency built around its Research, Experts, Consumers methodology, with work spanning luxury, fashion and sport for brands including Lacoste and GANT. He spent nearly 10 years at Nike working across consumer culture and innovation, was Art Director at Issey Miyake, founded Ephemera, the Paris bookshop dedicated to rare fashion documents, and teaches the history and sociology of fashion. In 2026, Pascal was named Chief Creative Officer of Le Coq Sportif, where he is helping lead the next chapter of the historic French sportswear brand founded in 1882. In this episode of Beyond Luxury, Pascal breaks down the REC method and his consumer pyramid, from “seeker heads” to early adopters, and explains why he needs only 24 of the right people to crack a strategic question. We discuss: • How to identify cultural shifts before they go mainstream• Why 24 carefully selected people can reveal more than thousands of data points • The difference between creating culture and buying visibility• Why follower counts are a poor proxy for cultural influence• What Lacoste, Prada and GANT understand about cultural relevance • How Nike taught Pascal to read consumers and subcultures• Why human taste still matters in an algorithmic world• Why good taste is expertise, not decoration • What it takes to rebuild an iconic heritage brand like Le Coq Sportif Beyond Luxury explores the forces reshaping the global luxury industry through conversations with the people building what comes next. Hosted by Carlota Rodben, the podcast brings together leaders across luxury, fashion, hospitality, technology, culture and innovation to understand changing consumer behaviour, brand strategy and the future of luxury. Subscribe for new conversations with the people shaping the future of luxury, every week.  Follow us on : Substack → https://beyondluxury.substack.com/ Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/ Podcast Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/ Carlota's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/ Podcast Tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast Beyond Luxury LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/ Carlota's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/ Website → https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree → https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group Subscribe for new conversations with the people shaping the future of luxury, every week.

  3. Aug 18

    #49 Miami Is the Fastest-Growing Luxury City in America. She's Building the Infrastructure to Save It | Anya Freeman, Founder & CEO of Kind Designs

    A former litigator is 3D printing living seawalls that protect billions in Miami luxury real estate and rebuild marine life at the same time. Anya Freeman, founder and CEO of Kind Designs, has raised 22 million dollars, works with the Ritz-Carlton, the Mandarin Oriental and the Fontainebleau, and signed a contract with the US Navy, all from a factory on the Miami River. Beyond Luxury is a podcast delivering luxury industry insights across fashion, beauty and hospitality, with expert perspectives on brand innovation, consumer behavior and the future of luxury. This episode covers luxury real estate, sustainability without the green premium, product-led growth, craftsmanship, coastal infrastructure and what it takes to build a category-defining brand as a first-time founder. New episodes of Beyond Luxury drop weekly. Follow for more conversations with the founders and experts shaping the luxury industry. Read the deeper analysis on our Substack, Top Voices, linked in the show notes. Timestamps 00:00  Why Miami's luxury boom has a coastline problem 04:32  From litigator to seawall founder 05:50  Ukraine to Maine to Miami, the immigrant path 07:09  The flooding that started Kind Designs 11:46  How a lawyer rewrites the building code 17:38  Raising 22 million dollars and why Florida investors said yes 20:35  Being the only woman in seawall construction 27:54  What luxury developers actually want in a seawall 29:20  Turning the seawall into public art 34:11  The US Navy contract and a printer that ships anywhere 39:56  2030: the first female unicorn in Miami 48:02  What luxury means to her 57:42  The one thing you need to make it: grit Subscribe for new conversations with the people shaping the future of luxury, every week. Subscribe for new conversations with the people shaping the future of luxury, every week. Follow us on : Substack → https://beyondluxury.substack.com/ Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/ Podcast Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/ Carlota's Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/ Podcast Tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast Beyond Luxury LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/ Carlota's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/ Website → https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree → ⁠https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group⁠

    #49 Miami Is the Fastest-Growing Luxury City in America. She's Building the Infrastructure to Save It | Anya Freeman, Founder & CEO of Kind Designs

  4. Aug 4

    #48 How Luxury Brands Win the Creator Economy with YouTube's Creator Lead and Meta's Former Head of Luxury | Ina Fuchs & Morin Oluwole

    Eighty percent of luxury discovery now starts on digital, so how do luxury brands stay desirable on platforms they cannot control? YouTube's Creator Community Partnerships Lead, Ina Fuchs, and former Meta Global Head of Luxury and Board Member of Biologique Recherche, Breitling, and Rituals, Morin Oluwole, break down the creator economy reshaping luxury, fashion, beauty and hospitality marketing. Recorded LIVE at Cannes Lions, this episode of Beyond Luxury covers creator communities, influencer strategy, brand storytelling, generative AI in luxury content, and the measurement gap in the creator economy. Expect specifics on Coach, Hermès, Dior and Jacquemus, on why community beats follower count, and on how brands protect brand DNA while giving creators real creative freedom. Beyond Luxury delivers luxury industry insights across fashion, beauty and hospitality, with expert perspectives on brand innovation, consumer behavior, craftsmanship and product-led growth. New episodes of Beyond Luxury drop weekly. Follow for more conversations with the founders and experts shaping the luxury industry. Read the deeper analysis on our Substack, Top Voices, linked in the show notes. Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Ina Fuchs and Morin Oluwole 04:46 Why 80% of luxury discovery now starts on digital 10:10 The fear of losing brand DNA to creators 13:19 Why followers are the wrong metric, and the Coach book charm campaign 16:28 Playing with brand codes: Hermès and Dior x Jisoo 18:58 The problem with the word “control” 21:10 Jacquemus and the bags rolling down the street 26:03 Brands as creators, and the hero-hub-hygiene framework 28:41 The measurement gap and the reality inside the boardroom 37:30 Heritage, desirability and generative AI 42:25 The twelve-month playbook for brands Subscribe for new conversations with the people shaping the future of luxury, every week! Follow us on :⁠⁠⁠ Substack →⁠ https://beyondluxury.substack.com/ Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/ Podcast Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/ Carlota's Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/ Podcast Tiktok →⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast Beyond Luxury LinkedIn →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/⁠ Carlota's LinkedIn → ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/⁠ Website →⁠ https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree →⁠ https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group

    #48 How Luxury Brands Win the Creator Economy with YouTube's Creator Lead and Meta's Former Head of Luxury | Ina Fuchs & Morin Oluwole

  5. Jul 21

    #47 From Developing the Aman Beverly Hills to Defining Taste in Luxury Hospitality | Nadine Choe, Founder of The Stanza

    Luxury hospitality is being reshaped by an $80 trillion wealth transfer, and Nadine Choe explains exactly who wins. Founder of the Milan-based media platform The Stanza, Nadine structured over $7b in development capital for hotel projects, including One Beverly Hills, a project flagged by Aman Hotel & Residences. She reads the industry through both the capital stack and the craftsmanship, a combination almost no one else brings. The Beyond Luxury Podcast covers the future of luxury across fashion, beauty and hospitality, with expert conversations on brand innovation, consumer behavior and where the industry is headed next. This episode gets into product-led growth in hospitality, luxury branding, craftsmanship, patient capital, members clubs, and why flawless service is becoming the real luxury as AI reshapes travel. New episodes of Beyond Luxury drop weekly. Follow for more conversations with the founders and experts shaping the luxury industry. Read the deeper analysis on our Substack, Top Voices, linked in the show notes. Timestamps- 00:00 Why luxury clients now collect experiences over objects 04:30 From underwriting billion-dollar hotels to building The Stanza 07:47 The $80 trillion wealth transfer and why luxury groups moved into hotels 14:20 Why a $300 room and a $10,000 room both call themselves luxury 17:00 Her real definition of luxury: removing every decision 18:19 Passalacqua, patient capital and the Dyson detail that gives it away 22:39 Why so many new hotels look exactly the same 27:00 How capital structure decides which hotels have taste 41:48 What makes a members club last instead of fade 50:30 How AI will split lifestyle and ultra-luxury hospitality 55:07 The one skill anyone entering hospitality has to have Subscribe for new conversations with the people shaping the future of luxury, every week! Follow us on :⁠⁠⁠ Substack →⁠ https://beyondluxury.substack.com/Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/ Podcast Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/Carlota's Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/Podcast Tiktok →⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast Beyond Luxury LinkedIn →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/⁠Carlota's LinkedIn → ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/⁠Website →⁠ https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree →⁠ https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group

    #47 From Developing the Aman Beverly Hills to Defining Taste in Luxury Hospitality | Nadine Choe, Founder of The Stanza

  6. Jul 8

    #46 He Had $12,000 and a Lucky Pineapple. Now Royalty Wears His Shoes | Edgardo Osorio, Founder & Creative Director of Aquazzura

    An independent luxury brand founder on why comfort, craftsmanship and staying private beat every conglomerate playbook. Edgardo Osorio is the founder and creative director of Aquazzura, a Florence-based luxury footwear and lifestyle brand recognized for its gold pineapple detail. In this episode of Beyond Luxury, a podcast covering luxury industry insights, brand innovation and consumer trends across fashion, beauty and hospitality, Edgardo shares how he built Aquazzura into a globally recognized independent luxury brand, sold in 58 countries, without ever taking on a conglomerate or outside investor. He talks about product-led growth, luxury branding strategy, staying close to craftsmanship, and what real luxury means to him today. New episodes of Beyond Luxury drop weekly. Follow for more conversations with the founders and experts shaping the luxury industry. Read the deeper analysis on our Substack, Top Voices, linked in the show notes. Timestamps: • 0:00 Intro • 4:18 How thirteen weddings led to a shoe brand • 13:19 Starting out at fifteen in Bogotá • 20:39 The story behind the gold pineapple • 31:27 Why independence means saying no to shareholders• 42:54 The copycat crisis that forced Aquazzura to diversify • 53:48 What luxury actually means to him • 57:16 Where the industry is headed next Follow us on :⁠⁠⁠ Substack →⁠ https://beyondluxury.substack.com/Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/ Podcast Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/Carlota's Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/Podcast Tiktok →⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast Beyond Luxury LinkedIn →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/⁠Carlota's LinkedIn → ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/⁠Website →⁠ https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree →⁠ https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group

    #46 He Had $12,000 and a Lucky Pineapple. Now Royalty Wears His Shoes | Edgardo Osorio, Founder & Creative Director of Aquazzura

  7. Jun 23

    #45 She Sold Out Candles With No Marketing Budget. Then Bottega Veneta Called | Daniella Nicola, Founder of Kensington Copy

    Daniella Nicola, founder of luxury copywriting consultancy Kensington Copy, breaks down the psychology behind why luxury brands actually sell desire, not product. Her proprietary framework, Dream Awareness, maps exactly how luxury consumers make buying decisions, and in this episode she explains it in detail for the first time. She started by writing under a pseudonym from a 9-to-5. A stranger tattooed her words on their shoulder. Two candle launches sold out with no marketing budget, no audience, and no business experience. Daniella now works with luxury brands across fragrance, fashion, and lifestyle, including Bottega Veneta, applying the same principles of brand strategy and copywriting that built her own business from nothing. In this episode she breaks down the self-concept theory that explains why luxury sells desire and not product; her MVP framework for writing luxury copy that moves culture, Mythology, Vocabulary, Pictorial language, and why she has never explained it publicly before this; why advertising as a private club is the most powerful luxury marketing strategy most companies are not using consistently; the difference between premium buyers and luxury buyers and why the same message will not work on both; and what AI actually means for the future of strategic copywriting. Timestamps: 0:00 — Why real luxury sells desire, not product 2:30 — From IP law to poetry to selling out a candle launch 8:00 — The self-concept theory and the psychology of desire 13:30 — The MVP framework (Mythology, Vocabulary, Pictorial language) 18:00 — How to tell a story in two sentences 24:00 — Advertising as a private club: seduction versus pitching 30:00 — The copywriting funnel: tension, trust, and avoiding post-purchase regret 39:00 — Dream Awareness: premium buyers versus luxury buyers 46:00 — AI and the future of strategic copywriting 47:00 — Rapid fire: three words to describe the industry Follow us on :⁠⁠⁠ Substack →⁠ https://beyondluxury.substack.com/ Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/  Podcast Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/ Carlota's Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/ Podcast Tiktok →⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast  Beyond Luxury LinkedIn →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/⁠ Carlota's LinkedIn → ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/⁠ Website →⁠ https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree →⁠ https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group ShopMy →⁠ https://shopmy.us/carlotarodben/my-latest-finds Get Your Books:  Beauty As It Is →⁠ https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/164137313X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0 Beyond Luxury: The Promise of Emotion →⁠ https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Luxury-Promise-Carlota-Rodben-ebook/dp/B0CJ2WBMWP ⁠Beyond Luxury Group⁠ is a strategic advisory and new media group, guiding leaders towards the future of luxury and beyond. We work with top fashion/accessories, beauty/wellness, and hospitality/longevity brands to accelerate meaningful, future-proof growth. Get in touch to find out how we can support your business. ⁠Carlota Rodben⁠ is CEO and Founder of⁠ Beyond Luxury Group⁠, best-selling author, former Head of Innovation at Chanel, and host of the⁠ Beyond Luxury⁠ Podcast, ranked top 10% globally on Spotify podcasts.

    #45 She Sold Out Candles With No Marketing Budget. Then Bottega Veneta Called | Daniella Nicola, Founder of Kensington Copy

  8. Jun 9

    #44 He Built the Louis Vuitton x F1 Visibility. Now He's Saying What No One Inside Luxury Will | Martin Mangez-Casey

    Former Global VP of Digital Communications, Strategic Planning and Brand Experience at Louis Vuitton, Martin Mangez-Casey is the architect behind the Louis Vuitton x Formula One partnership, one of the most talked-about brand moments of the last decade. Now running strategy for one of Hollywood's most prominent family portfolios, he has the kind of distance that makes an honest diagnosis possible. And he is using it. In this episode we go deep on what luxury brands are genuinely getting wrong, what the rare few getting it right are doing differently, and why the talent crisis in this industry is far more structural than anyone inside it wants to admit. We also get into why entertainment is becoming the only operating model that matters, what Chanel's Shanghai library reveals about long-game brand thinking, and why the first 100 days of any senior leader in luxury can define everything that follows. This is one of the most candid conversations we have had on the podcast. The kind that only happens behind closed doors. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction: luxury's identity crisis and the "fashiontainment" shift 01:50 — Martin Casey: career path and following curiosity 03:45 — Behind the scenes: how LVMH x Formula One actually happened 08:00 — Why brands fail in sport partnerships and the green light mistake 13:30 — Creating culture vs. renting attention 15:20 — Chanel's Shanghai library and why it is smarter than a boutique 16:20 — ASAP Rocky, Chanel, and what the backlash really revealed 19:30 — Entertainment as the new operating model: Drive to Survive and 22 Montaigne 24:45 — Brand purpose: what Louis Vuitton got right and where others are lost 28:00 — The Chanel crossbody bag and wearing female freedom without knowing it 30:25 — Why luxury Maisons keep losing the talent they most want 34:00 — The playground problem: cross-industry hiring and why it keeps failing 43:50 — Hollywood family portfolios: speed, directness, and no fake calendar blocks 47:55 — Rapid fire: greed, speed, lack of serviceIf this conversation gave you something to think about, subscribe and follow the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Follow us on :⁠⁠⁠ Substack →⁠ https://beyondluxury.substack.com/ Editorial Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.media/  Podcast Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/beyondluxury.podcast/ Carlota's Instagram →⁠ https://www.instagram.com/carlotarodben/ Podcast Tiktok →⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondluxury.podcast  Beyond Luxury LinkedIn →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyondluxurygroup/⁠ Carlota's LinkedIn → ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlotarodben/⁠ Website →⁠ https://beyondluxury.group/ LinkTree →⁠ https://linktr.ee/beyondluxury.group ShopMy →⁠ https://shopmy.us/carlotarodben/my-latest-finds Get Your Books:  Beauty As It Is →⁠ https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/164137313X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0 Beyond Luxury: The Promise of Emotion →⁠ https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Luxury-Promise-Carlota-Rodben-ebook/dp/B0CJ2WBMWP ⁠Beyond Luxury Group⁠ is a strategic advisory and new media group, guiding leaders towards the future of luxury and beyond. We work with top fashion/accessories, beauty/wellness, and hospitality/longevity brands to accelerate meaningful, future-proof growth. Get in touch to find out how we can support your business.⁠Carlota Rodben⁠ is CEO and Founder of⁠ Beyond Luxury Group⁠, best-selling author, former Head of Innovation at Chanel, and host of the⁠ Beyond Luxury⁠ Podcast, ranked top 10% globally on Spotify podcasts.

    #44 He Built the Louis Vuitton x F1 Visibility. Now He's Saying What No One Inside Luxury Will | Martin Mangez-Casey
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Whether you’re a leader in luxury, aspiring to become one, or simply curious about where the industry is heading, this is for you. Luxury is a €1.5 trillion industry built on mystery, discretion, and access. It’s also undergoing one of its biggest transformations. Each week, we sit down with the people shaping its future to have the conversations that rarely happen in public. Beyond PR talking points, we explore the talent crisis, AI, culture, business, and the elephants in the room. Hosted by Carlota Rodben, founder of Beyond Luxury Group, 2x author, and former Head of Innovation at Chanel.

Information

  • Creator
    Carlota Rodben
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Carlota Rodben
  • Show Website
    Beyond Luxury

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