🔮💎 Ending Q3 with a bang #78

Welcome back to What The Luxe, a newsletter packed with
insights & intelligence for luxury, beauty & lifestyle marketers
—written by me, David Klingbeil

Q3 is ending with a bang

I can't believe 2022 is coming to an end and it's been 918 days since the 15 days to slow the spread... The world will be so different by the end of 2022 as it was at the end of 2019...

As everybody's trying to figure out how to make the world a better place, we see more and more brands wanting to play their part. Take the surge in sustainable projects as an example.

Patagonia’s founder has announced he's giving his company away to fight climate change and everybody has started to applaud... But we're not all Patagonia and we should beware of greenwashing...

Hey, friends, we just gave our company to planet Earth. OK, it’s more nuanced than that, but we’re closed today to celebrate this new plan to save our one and only home. We’ll be back online tomorrow.https://t.co/fvRFDgOzVZ
— Patagonia (@patagonia) September 14, 2022

On the tech side, the biggest event in crypto has just happened. The merge was successfully finalized.

This means that the Ethereum blockchain (where most NFT projects are created) is now the most sustainable blockchain. So many possibilities are opening for luxury brands that were reluctant to explore web3 because of sustainability issues.

Boom, issues are gone, let's f*cking go now!

"The merge will reduce worldwide electricity consumption by 0.2%" - @drakefjustin
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) September 15, 2022

But the luxury space is quite silent about it. Only a handful of luxury web3 projects have emerged in the last few weeks. Is something bigger about to happen? Well, Hermès has registered its first patents in the Metaverse so that's probably something...

I hope this newsletter will inspire you, surprise you and make you think… What the Luxe?!

Cheers,

David Klingbeil

PS: feel free to hit reply to leave a comment, I read and answer every message

💡 Products & Trends

Hermès debuts new luxury Apple watch series 8 straps
Gucci unveils second collaboration with Adidas
Nike debuts robot-powered system to extend life of sneakers
Brioni launches first ever luxury women’s capsule collection
Can an Indian-founded beauty brand go global?

🛍️ Experience & Retail

Fendi Joins Forces With Meta For Its Virtual AR Sneakers Experience
Louis Vuitton vs. Ralph Lauren: Which Brand Has the Best Restaurant?
Mr Porter expands vintage watch sales in the UK
Etam to merge virtual and reality during its upcoming fashion show
The Art of Retail Buying in the Digital Age

⛓️ Web3 & The Metaverse

Hermès’ Entry Into The Metaverse Hails A New Era For Digital Luxury Fashion
Tommy Hilfiger returns to NYFW with a new logo and metaverse focus
A very exclusive collectible Tequila NFT collection
Meta: 2022 marks ‘the start of the beginning’ for the metaverse
Puma Returns to NY Fashion Week With Streetwear, Collaborations and NFTs

🌲 Sustainability & Purpose

Patagonia founder gives away company to combat climate change
Valentino aims for sustainability for its website, too
How fashion is getting Gen Z excited about sustainability
Allbirds launches first plant-based leather sneaker
New York Fashion Week sees more diversity, equity, and inclusion on the runways

💼 Business & Finance

L'Oréal invests in Chinese fragrance brand Documents
Versace is the latest luxury brand to increase prices
New York governor pledges 10 million dollars to fund Fashion Innovation Centre
Zara owner Inditex’s sales reach ‘historic highs’
Rent the Runway to cut workforce despite improving profits

📺 Marketing and Advertising

Kanye West says he’s ending Yeezy partnership with Gap
Zinedine Zidane is new face of Montblanc
58% of Brits think brand tributes to The Queen are nothing more than PR tactics

✌🏼 Misc

Ferrari’s First SUV, the Purosangue, Debuts as the Most Polarizing Car of the Year
How Queen Elizabeth Became the Ultimate Champion of British Luxury Brands
Why the ad industry rated least compassionate in handling layoffs