The Future of Luxury

The Tatler Best of Asia event in November not only saw industry titans from dining and hospitality converge in Bangkok but also featured talks from prominent figures, including Imran Amed, CEO and founder of The Business of Fashion. Here, we look back on the insights he shared on the everevolving luxury landscape

- Sean Fitzpatrick and Natalya Xavier

Imran Amed, CEO and founder of fashion website The Business of Fashion (BoF), has solidified his place as an authority in the global fashion and luxury industries. At the Tatler Best of Asia event in November in Bangkok, he offered insights on the evolving landscape of luxury, from the meteoric rise of Southeast Asia to the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence.

Amed, who was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2017 for his contributions to the fashion world, explained luxury brands must now strike a delicate balance between tradition and innovation, authenticity and reinvention while delving into how hospitality, technology and shifting consumer values are reshaping the industry.

“In Southeast Asia, you have all of these economies that are fastgrowing, young populations and curious customers,” Amed said, pinpointing Thailand—the location of the event—as an example. Amid a global economic slowdown, he said, luxury brands are looking beyond traditional strongholds. Thailand, with its increasing international tourist arrivals, has become a focal point for expansion. Amed highlighted Bangkok’s dynamic retail scene, where brands compete to elevate their offerings with striking pop-ups like the celebrated Dior Gold House concept store, landmark debuts such as the city’s first Loro Piana boutique and Gaggan at Louis Vuitton, the celebrated chef Gaggan Anand’s restaurant collaboration with the maison, as well as Asia flagship openings for brands like Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana.