In this edition of Weekly Curiosities, we’re looking at how brands are blending culture, community, and connection to reach audiences in more personal ways. Oasis turns its Supersonic tour into a full-blown retail experience with merch pop-ups and fashion collabs that go far beyond the T-shirt table, while luxury brands are skipping traditional marketing and sliding straight into customers’ DMs, offering curated drops, private access, and tailored service. Whether through nostalgia or digital intimacy, brands are finding new ways to stay close.
Thanks for reading and stay curious!
BRAND STRATEGY: As luxury spending becomes more cautious, big brands are leaning harder into direct-to-consumer strategies and that increasingly means building closer, more personal digital connections. While wholesale still plays a role, more luxury houses are shifting focus toward owned channels, member-only perks, and one-to-one messaging to drive loyalty and repeat sales.
Brands like Gucci and Valentino are testing direct messaging tools and private client services that blend online shopping with VIP treatment, essentially sliding into shoppers’ DMs to deliver tailored offers, previews, and styling advice. The goal? To move beyond broad marketing and create a sense of belonging that keeps high-value customers coming back. In a tougher market, genuine connection is the new currency of luxury.
| Immersive retail goes nautical in Louis Vuitton’s latest launch |
| STORE CONCEPT: Louis Vuitton has unveiled “The Louis”, a dramatic cruise-ship–shaped retail concept at the HKRI Taikoo Hui complex on Nanjing West Road in Shanghai. Towering at around 30 meters over three stories, the structure is wrapped in the brand’s signature LV monogram and designed to resemble stacked luggage trunks, blending retail, café, and exhibition spaces.
Inside, visitors can explore the “Trunkscape” installation showcasing heritage trunks, an immersive “Visionary Journeys” exhibit curated by OMA architect Shohei Shigematsu that traces Louis Vuitton’s legacy, and Le Café Louis Vuitton, which serves fusion dishes like logo‑branded ravioli and Mandarin duck confit. The structure also includes a library, trunk‑making workshop, perfume displays, and a retail gallery featuring exclusive travel-inspired product drops. This bold opening aligns with a wider luxury strategy in China, pivoting from standard store expansion to immersive, destination-style experiences amid a slowdown in traditional luxury sales. |
