5 Big Questions About Luxury

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Dec 3, 2025

Robert Williams, Luxury editor at The Business of Fashion and industry expert, delves into the dynamic changes shaking up the luxury market. He unpacks the implications of A$AP Rocky's partnership with Chanel and the pivotal role of Mathieu Blazy's debut collection. The discussion highlights Prada's urgent choice following its acquisition of Versace, the trend of beat-up bags symbolizing authenticity, and the challenges of justifying luxury pricing in a shifting market. Williams offers a cautious outlook on the future of luxury in 2026, particularly with reliance on Chinese consumers.

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INSIGHT

Chanel Uses Métiers d'Art To Signal Craft

Chanel's Métiers d'Art is a strategic platform to showcase specialist supplier craft and brand materiality.
Mathieu Blazy uses the show to stamp a younger, craft-focused identity onto Chanel's extensive collection pipeline.

INSIGHT

Celebrity Deals Fuel Multi-Format Campaigns

Signing A$AP Rocky gives Chanel cultural credibility and creates multi-format content for sustained rollout.
The short film approach supplies stills, snackable clips and campaign assets efficiently.

INSIGHT

Clarify Versace's Post-Acquisition Identity

Prada's first priority after acquiring Versace is clarifying the brand's strategic direction and aesthetic.
They must decide whether to keep Dario Vitale's edgy reset or steer Versace toward classic glamour for portfolio balance.

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Luxury’s most eventful year in some time is closing with a bang. From Prada’s Versace acquisition to Matthieu Blazy’s debut Chanel Métiers d’Art collection, seismic industry developments are landing on an almost daily basis.

In this episode of The Debrief, senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor Brian Baskin are joined by BoF’s Luxury editor Robert Williams, who unpacks all of the industry’s most pertinent news, including the strategic implications of A$AP Rocky’s partnership with Chanel, the rise of the beaten up handbag, and the future of luxury in 2026.

Key Insights:

The luxury market’s forecast is cautiously optimistic, relying heavily on Chinese consumers and designer-led resets to revive the industry. Brands also need to grapple with justifying value after aggressive price increases in recent years. “Pricing’s certainly going to be an issue and it’s going to be a big issue in the US, which is a really key market for maintaining the brand’s top line,” Williams said.

With Prada’s acquisition of Versace closing this week, it remains unclear as to whether the brand will continue with Dario Vitale’s new approach to Versace, or steer towards a more classic, glossy aesthetic. “[Versace] has gone through a pretty radical shift over the past couple of months and whether or not [Prada’s] going to want to continue with that is the biggest most urgent decision, and for them to clarify that for the market,” Williams said.

Luxury dining is becoming increasingly popular across the world, but can luxury chains like Langosteria remain cool as they expand? “Fashion once upon a time was all made by your local tailor, your local couturier, and once they decided they could scale taste, that was more desirable than just having something that was more small-scale … In food it seems like it’s kind of the opposite,” Williams said.

Originally inspired by Jane Birkin and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, beaten up bags are everywhere in luxury fashion today. “There’s something about the fact that, no matter how much you wear out that bag and trash it, it’s still not going to break and fall apart. I think it just makes it a really cool style gesture. It shows you’re not someone who just bought into it yesterday,” Williams said.

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