Live from Cannes Lions: Federica Labanca and Vicky Owens on How Luxury Lost 60 Million Customers 🎙️

Luxury has not only lost customers. It may have lost relationships.

The industry’s problem is emotional, not only commercial. Consumers have not necessarily lost spending power, but they are becoming more cautious about where they invest emotionally.

Creators are now part of the marketing engine. They are no longer a nice-to-have or an afterthought. They are shaping taste, trust, community and purchase decisions.

Luxury needs to become more culturally agile. The brands that move too slowly, over-polish everything or refuse to adapt to platform behaviour risk becoming irrelevant.

Personal brands are becoming business infrastructure. For founders, designers and emerging luxury brands, the fastest way to build trust may be through the person behind the product.

Real-life connection is back. After years of mass linking and online-only growth, creators and consumers are craving experiences, dinners, community and physical touchpoints.

The future belongs to brands that can explain themselves simply. If a brand cannot say what makes it different in one sentence, it will struggle to be remembered.