Aesthetic Intelligence

Pauline Brown
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Since 2017, Pauline Brown, former head of LVMH North America and Harvard Business School professor, has been curating conversations at the intersection of creativity, culture and commerce. Produced by SiriusXM, new episodes drop weekly. Curious to learn more? Join Pauline on Substack at @paulinegarrisbrown.

  1. -11 ч

    Inside A. Lange & Söhne: CEO Wilhelm Schmid on Why Mechanical Watches Still Matter

    In this episode, Pauline sits down with Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, one of the world's most revered luxury watch brands, for a fascinating conversation about craftsmanship, history, and the enduring appeal of mechanical timepieces. From the company's founding in 1845 in the Kingdom of Saxony, through its expropriation under communist rule, to its remarkable revival after German reunification, Wilhelm shares the extraordinary story of a brand that has become synonymous with precision, craftsmanship, and timeless design. Together, Pauline and Wilhelm explore how German engineering and aesthetics shaped Lange's distinctive identity and how the brand is drawing a new generation of enthusiasts in search of heritage, authenticity, and meaning. They also discuss the impact of AI on the traditional watch industry, the emotional value of objects made by human hands, and why the best investments in luxury are measured not by financial returns but the joy they bring their owners. The conversation offers a rare look inside one of the world's finest watch manufactures along with insights into how a world-class brand can be revived and sustained in the modern era.

    53 мин.

  2. 21 июн.

    60 And Still Becoming: A Conversation with Dartmouth Classmates

    What happens when a group of college classmates reunites at age 60? In this special episode, Pauline is joined in the studio by three classmates - Perla Delson, Regina Glocker, and Judith Greenberg - for a candid conversation about identity, aging, friendship, and aspiration. Reflecting on four decades of life since graduation, they explore what it means to enter a new chapter. How their perceptions of themselves and others have changed with age? Which dreams they've fulfilled ... and which ones still beckon? How their families, careers, setbacks, and reinventions have shaped the women they are today? Their stories remind us that aging is not simply about growing older. It's also about becoming more fully ourselves.

    53 мин.

  3. 23 мая

    Inside Gstaad Palace: Why Old-World Hospitality Still Matters

    In this episode, Pauline sits down with Andrea Scherz, third generation owner and steward of the legendary Gstaad Palace in Switzerland, for a fascinating conversation about luxury, legacy, and the enduring appeal of old-world hospitality. From the hotel’s origins in the early 1900s to its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic hotels, Andrea shares the remarkable history and philosophy that have shaped the Palace for more than a century. Together, Pauline and Andrea explore what makes experiences feel truly luxurious in today’s world and why timeless elegance and genuine human connection matter more than ever. They discuss how the Gstaad Palace continues to captivate new generations of travelers, how AI and technology are reshaping hospitality behind the scenes, why family run hotels possess advantages that large chains cannot replicate, and why younger generations are increasingly drawn to places with character, history, and soul. The conversation offers a rare glimpse into a world where elegance, storytelling, and human touch still reign supreme.

    51 мин.

  4. 10 мая

    The Evolution of Aesthetic Tastes through Wine & Spirits

    In this episode, Pauline Brown uncorks the fascinating history of wine and spirits through the lens of societal taste and cultural values, tracing how trends in alcohol consumption have mirrored the aspirations, anxieties, identities, and status symbols of each era. From the secrecy and rebellion of Prohibition era speakeasies to today’s highly curated, Instagram worthy cocktail culture, she reveals that what we choose to drink has always been driven by far more than flavor. During the segment, Pauline explores how alcohol evolved from a moral controversy into a symbol of sophistication, performance, wellness, and self expression, reflecting broader shifts in fashion, luxury, media, nightlife, and consumer culture. Why did martinis define the 1950s? How did Absolut Vodka transform packaging into art? And why are younger generations increasingly drawn to nonalcoholic spirits and what Pauline calls “optimized indulgence”? The conversation concludes with reflections on today’s rapidly evolving landscape, one shaped by wellness culture, hyper personalization, mindful consumption, and identity-driven choices, and examines how these forces are redefining nightlife, rituals, and even the meaning of pleasure itself. Blending cultural analysis, trend forecasting, psychology, and historical storytelling, this episode offers a new framework for understanding not only wine and spirits, but the broader evolution of human taste and what it reveals about who we are still becoming.

    53 мин.

  5. 25 апр.

    The Disenchantment of Modern Travel (Part 1 of a 2-Part Series)

    In this episode (the first of a two-part series on travel), Pauline examines how modern travel - once defined by elegance, discovery, and anticipation - has devolved into a series of friction-filled, dehumanizing transactions. She explores the forces driving this decline, including: the financialization of the travel industry, an obsession with price over value, the rise of algorithm-driven processes, and the mounting strain of mass tourism on infrastructure. From crowded airports and invasive security to harsh lighting, industrialized food, and homogenized destinations, nearly every touchpoint seems to have lost its sense of delight. But this segment isn’t just a critique; it’s a call to action. Pauline offers practical, low-lift ways the industry could restore humanity and aesthetic richness to the travel experience. The problem isn’t scale or accessibility; it’s lack of care. With renewed intention, Pauline believes travel can once again become meaningful, memorable, and even magical.

    27 мин.

  6. 25 апр.

    The Re-Enchantment of Travel: The Legacy of César Ritz (Part 2 of 2)

    In Part 2 of this series, Pauline shifts from critique to possibility, exploring how the travel experience might be reinvented. She does so by looking back to one of the original architects of luxury travel, César Ritz, founder of The Ritz-Carlton. At a time when travel feels increasingly transactional and depleted, Mr. Ritz remains a powerful and enduring symbol. Rising from humble beginnings in rural Switzerland, he redefined hospitality in the late 19th century by anticipating guests’ needs and elevating service into an art form. Pauline unpacks what made him exceptional. It was not just attention to detail, but his understanding that luxury, at its core, is about feelings and sensations. From lighting and spatial design to social choreography and personalized touches, every element of his hotels was designed to elicit ease, dignity, and delight. But his story also carries a cautionary note. The same sensitivity and perfectionism that made him a visionary ultimately led to burnout and depression, revealing the human cost of his relentless drive and uncompromising standards. Building on the themes from Part 1, Pauline makes the case that restoring beauty, care, and intentionality to modern travel is not about returning to the past, but about reclaiming what made travel magical in the first place.

    27 мин.

  7. 18 апр.

    The Blobification of Car Design

    In this solo episode, Pauline takes on an unexpected subject: car design. Drawing on her background in ' the Business of Aesthetics' - and her consulting work with major automakers - she explores what she calls the “blobification” of cars: the growing sameness, softness, and visual boredom of today’s vehicles. Pauline argues that cars have lost much of their emotional and cultural expressiveness, becoming increasingly shaped by engineering efficiency, software logic, and global market convergence rather than bold aesthetic vision. Using a sweeping historical lens, Pauline walks listeners through nine eras of automotive design, from the utilitarian machinery of the original Model T to the flamboyant chrome-and-tailfin exuberance of the 1950s, the rebellious muscle cars of the '60s, the anxious downsizing of the '70s, and the rounded “jelly bean” forms that emerged in the '90s and matured into today’s EV minimalism. Along the way, Pauline discusses how car designs mirror the social mood of their time. But this episode is not just a history lesson; it’s a critique. Pauline examines how the industry’s design culture, long dominated by engineering-driven male archetypes, has flattened distinction across brands, countries, and customer groups. She reflects on the shrinking gap between masculine and feminine preferences, the fading of national design identities, and the way cars today feel less like statements of taste and more like standardized software platforms on wheels. Even color, once a vivid marker of individuality, has largely disappeared into a grayscale landscape. At the same time, Pauline offers a vision for what could come next, calling for cars that feel more human, expressive, emotionally resonant, and inspiring.

    53 мин.

  8. 29 мар.

    Barbie and the Making of a Myth: A Conversation with Author Tarpley Hitt

    In this episode, Pauline sits down with Tarpley Hitt, author of Barbie Land: The Unauthorized History, to unpack the cultural staying power of America’s most famous doll. What begins as a conversation about Barbie’s origins leads into a broader discussion about aesthetics, archetypes, and why certain icons endure long after their commercial peak. Together, Pauline and Tarpley explore how Barbie became more than a toy: it's a symbol of commodified femininity, and the enduring power (and contradiction) of myth-making in a consumer-driven world. Tarpley shares the surprising backstory behind Barbie’s creation, including the doll’s roots in a German predecessor and the outsized role of Mattel’s ambitious and controversial leadership. The conversation traces Barbie’s evolution from a highly stylized adult doll into a sprawling lifestyle brand, revealing how much of her success came not from the doll itself, but from the endless world of accessories, identities, and aspirations built around her. The episode also examines how Barbie reflects broader social currents - from feminism and body image to consumer culture and global manufacturing - and they consider why and how she has survived cultural backlash, shifting norms, and changing retail landscapes in a way few other brands have. By the end, the discussion becomes a larger meditation on dolls, projection, aspiration, and identity - why humans have always made miniature versions of themselves, and what those figures reveal about the societies that create them.

    53 мин.
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Since 2017, Pauline Brown, former head of LVMH North America and Harvard Business School professor, has been curating conversations at the intersection of creativity, culture and commerce. Produced by SiriusXM, new episodes drop weekly. Curious to learn more? Join Pauline on Substack at @paulinegarrisbrown.

Информация

  • Автор
    Pauline Brown
  • Годы выхода
    2021 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    85
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © Pauline Brown
  • Сайт подкаста
    Aesthetic Intelligence

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