"I believe excellence has a lot to do with being able to really anticipate customers' needs, and to then transform that deep understanding into the basis for an impeccable execution in terms of service.This, along with quality and distinctiveness, is what luxury should ultimately be about.

Now more than ever before, luxury means self-indulgence and self-reward. And this can be embodied by a made-to-order item or by an absolutely exclusive service or treatment. Luxury has gained a more individual significance, ideally allowing us to choose his, or her, own meaning and way of experiencing it: and that can be interpreted as a desirable item as well as a state of extreme comfort."

— Francesco Trapani, CEO Bulgari, from an interview by Manfredi Ricca and Rebecca Robins featured in their new book, Meta-luxury: Brands and the Culture of Excellence, now available in the U.S. from Palgrave Macmillan

New York's Parsons The New School for Design, PPR Group’s Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle premium brands, and The Fancy website have partnered so that Parsons students can vie for an internship with one of PPR's stable of 16 luxury brands. Lucky (meaning talented) Parsons students will be able to intern at PPR-repped brands including Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, Stella McCartney, Sergio Rossi, Boucheron, Girard-Perregaux, JeanRichard, PUMA, Volcom, Cobra Electric and Tretorn.

Open to 2012 seniors of Parsons BFA Fashion Design program, the theme of the competitions is “Empowering Imagination” and students’ designs will be featured on TheFancy.com with winners showcased at Barney’s New York Madison Avenue store. The internship will run for 1 or 2 months in Paris, London, New York, Boston, Rome or Milan and an expense-paid internship of up to $10,000 with the PPR brand of their choice.

“Partnering with PPR and The Fancy will provide our students with an international perspective, thus positioning them as design thinkers poised to lead fashion globally,” said Simon Collins, Dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons, above.Continue reading...

Burberry has shown off its ability to use digital technology to spread its brand name around in the past by hosting live 3-D streams of Burberry fashion shoes, allowing in-store customers to shop from tablets, and creating animated GIFs of how different collections look.

But the iconic British trench coat maker has outdone itself with the grand opening of the brand’s largest store in the Asia Pacific. For its latest opening, this week in Taipei, the brand's digital maestros made it (virtually) rain for the launch of Burberry World Live.Continue reading...

Viral games Angry Birds and Words With Friends are “prime spots for luxury mobile marketing” according to a recent Luxury Institute study.

The study, conducted in early 2012 among respondents reporting an average net worth of $2.8 million, reveals that of the 67% of high net worth individuals who shop via mobile, 63% made purchases in the past 12 months and spent an average of $628.

Of the 60% of luxury consumers in the US with smartphones, 28% own an iPhone, 22% an Android and 16% a BlackBerry. About 73% of them use apps at least once a day, and 80% have downloaded an app.

“Apps are becoming ubiquitous, so it’s what we do with them that make the experience more extraordinary that will make the difference,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. “How the app is being used by the consumer or to contact someone who represents the brand is now where the real opportunity lies.”

The most frequently downloaded apps for millionaires include Angry Birds, Facebook and Words With Friends.

However, since millionaires prefer the in-store experience, “luxury brands have to start creating humanistic experiences on mobile. Mobile applications are the most common form of engagement for affluent consumers, indicating that luxury marketers need to step up the in-app experience,” the report recommends. Continue reading...

Cartier is celebrating its 165th anniversary with a cinematic ad that features the jewelry-maker's classic diamond panther comes to life, prowling its iconic designs in a visually stunning series of outdoor settings that span the globe. As the brand puts it, "L'Odyssée de Cartier" commercial is "a journey between dream and reality. For the very first time, Cartier has decided to create a cinema epic focusing on its history, its values and inspiration, its artistic and universal scope." Watch it below.Continue reading...

Courtesy of Harvard Business Review, here's a video featuring Robert Chavez, CEO of Hermès US, talking about why employee engagement and an online/digital presence are key to driving his business and brand objectives.

Second only to China, India continues its rise as a very desirable emerging market. With the cool-down of Western economies, global brand marketers are aggressively seeking out new opportunities in India. Marketers of luxury goods have had a tough time making their presence known, however. As noted here, outlets for luxury brands are scarce in India, because there are few centers of luxury. Instead, luxury brands are sold primarily in top luxury hotels or in a handful of exclusive malls.

That may be why Saloni Lodha, an up and coming Indian designer based in London, is using a different tactic: She is trying to put a luxury spin on the fact that her clothing line carries the "Made in India" label. Lodha recently told Agence France-Presse, "I have great faith in the made-in-India idea, and wanted to see an Indian, made-in-India brand in the world's best stores."

If anyone can pull it off, it is likely to be this thirty-year old.Continue reading...

Veuve Clicquot’s new community platform, called (wistfully, enticingly) Wish You Were Here, is an invitation to share inspiring moments that celebrate the spirit and lifestyle of the brand through photos and videos — and virtually hobnob with the beautiful people and party-hopping jetsetters who embody the brand.

The Instagram-like social initiative is the latest in luxury house’s expanded effort to centralize and showcase its 100+ global programs, events and initiatives. And in further proof of its efficacy as a brand engagement tool, VC's Wish You Were Here video of a sponsored boat race last summer (below) has been recognized by the iPhone Film Festival in the best branded content category.Continue reading...