
Tech Powered Luxury
Welcome to Season 6 of Tech Powered Luxury, brought to you with Azure Communications! You can visit them at www.azurecomm.ie.
Tech Powered Luxury is hosted by luxury and tech entrepreneur Ashley McDonnell. With 10 years of experience working at the crossroads of luxury and technology, Ashley carved out a career across Paris, Dublin and Geneva, working at LVMH, Dior, Google and luxury group PUIG. The podcast is also taught as a module at leading business and design schools around the world, with the goal to share insightful and actionable stories and experience from industry leaders.
Latest episodes

Jul 15, 2024 • 49min
Why Rental is The Future of Fashion with Rachel Hennessy from Happy Days
This week, we are thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Rachel Hennessy, founder of fashion rental Happy Days.
Are you new here? Welcome to our amazing community - keep reading to discover everything about Tech Powered Luxury, our Community Rewards and Substack.
Rachel Hennessy leveraged her experience at KPMG and Google before launching her own fashion rental Happy Days in Ireland. The driving force behind the project? Searching for a solution to replace countless one-time purchases that would eventually go to waste.
The starting approach set the grounds for her success: understanding what people around her were looking for, and how to include that in her business. The result is a consumer-centric business model that is translated into different services and experiences.
Rental as a business model is nothing new in the industry, but ensuring profitability, let alone long-term business health, is still a tricky balance between operating costs and revenues.
ABOUT
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Jul 8, 2024 • 50min
Cryo-Powered Beauty Start-Up to Scale-Up with Seoulista Beauty Founder Una McGurk
Join us for Episode 7 of Season 4 with Una McGurk, founder of Seoulista Beauty, a brand that focuses on bringing salon-standard skin experiences to your home with two concepts at the core: cooling temperatures and applying pressure, techniques that allow for changing and improving the texture of skin.
From their award winning Instant Facial masks (created with 100% biodegradable fermented coconut) to their innovative and easy to use tools, Una shares a wealth of knowledge on Seoulista's journey from start-up to scale-up.
ABOUT
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Jul 3, 2024 • 48min
Save Your Wardrobe - Save the Planet! with LVMH Innovation Award Winner Hasna Kourda
This week, we are thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Hasna Kourda, the award-winning Tunisian entrepreneur, founder of Save Your Wardrobe. Hasna is tackling some of the most complicated issues in the fashion industry: the creation of a circular business model, facilitating care and repair to increase a product’s lifecycle.
Hasna Kourda’s upbringing in Tunisia shaped her vision to solve one of the biggest issues in the fashion system: turning a linear business model into a circular one.
Going from “production to consumption to waste” into “production to consumption to repair and recycle to a new production” is no easy feat. There are several external components that influence our purchasing drivers and the system demand creation. Becoming aware of them is the first step into changing them.
Not everything is lost. Hasna is bridging the gap and distributing the responsibility between brands and consumers when it comes to managing a product’s lifecycle. There are other initiatives and players who are also creating a more sustainable future.
ABOUT
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Jul 2, 2024 • 1h 14min
Manifesting the Goop Cruise with Gwyneth Paltrow and Attending the Venice Film Festival with Giorgio Armani: A Career of Dreams with Triona McCarthy
Get ready for an episode packed with humour and celebrity encounters with none other than Irish media icon Triona McCarthy. From studying to be a beauty therapist to following her goal to work at the crossroads of fashion, beauty and media, Triona McCarthy takes us on a whirlwind journey through her incredibly exciting life. Wherever you are listening from, we hope this episode brings you laughter and the inspiration to chase your wildest dreams!
ABOUT
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Jun 24, 2024 • 1h 10min
How To Build A Blockbuster Brand Online, From Fashion To Beauty & Beyond with Strike Digital
This week, we are thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with David De Patoul & Richard McSweeney, the co-founders of Strike Digital. We bring to you a masterclass on all things digital marketing: how to start, what to keep your focus on and how to succeed in a crowded market, leveraging David and Richard’s expertise on how to best work with the algorithms on different platforms.
David De Patoul & Richard McSweeney were both working in Meta when they spotted a gap in the market: there were a lot of digital marketing agencies that worked in the platform on a day-to-day basis but didn’t know how to get the best results out of it.
Their internal knowledge of the do’s and don’ts of Meta and their expertise of the digital ecosystem in its entirety helped brands to have a solid strategy and secure return on investments. Their guaranteed successful approach allowed them to scale not only their clients’ businesses, but especially their own agency: hiring in-house experts from Google and TikTok to serve brands with a 360º approach.
What is a digital strategy? How do you know when to start investing in paid media? What do you need to keep an eye on when doing so? How do you leverage each platform’s target and algorithm to the best of your investment?
ABOUT
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Jun 17, 2024 • 53min
LVMH Innovation Award Winner Michel Tjoeng: Social to Commerce with ChatLabs
This week, we are thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Michel Tjoeng, the pragmatic technologist who founded ChatLabs. We explore his path and bring on the insights from beginning to end: starting as child with a passion for computers and UI, obsessed with customer experience (which child isn’t, really) to working with the biggest luxury group in the world, LVMH.
50% scientist, 50% marketer. This is the self-declared composition of Michel Tjoeng, co-founder of ChatLabs, the 2023 LVMH Innovation Prize winner startup that is revolutionizing social commerce in the West.
Michel brings the best of the social commerce dynamics that exist in China and applies them to Western luxury brands. Prepare for a masterclass on the digital Chinese ecosystem, customer relationship management and creating the next-level personalized customer journey.
He thoroughly believes that personalization is efficient when it considers current consumer behaviour and interests, and his background gave him the cards needed to play a game that can get very complicated, very fast: how to work with the massive amount of data that informs who your customer is, what they want to see, when and how they want to see it?
ABOUT
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Jun 10, 2024 • 50min
Building Ireland’s First BCorp Certified Fashion Brand & Climbing to New Heights in 2025 with Aoife McNamara
This week, we are thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Aoife McNamara, the visionary Irish fashion designer revolutionising the industry with her sustainable and ethical approach. We dive into her inspiring journey, her dedication to sustainability, and the exciting ventures she has planned for the future, including a community expedition to Kilimanjaro and a documentary that looks at Ireland’s addiction to fast fashion - and where these fast fashion garments go after they’re no longer wanted. Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a €50 voucher to use on Aoife’s website on fashion items, sign up to our substack to access the code: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/. I you'd like to join us on our expedition to Kilimanjaro in January 2025, read more about it here.
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Jun 3, 2024 • 49min
A Life of Fashion, Media & More with Brendan Courtney: From Off the Rails to Lennon Courtney
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury kicks off live from the newly opened Cartier espace in Dublin, Ireland, within Paul Sheeran Jewellers. Ashley McDonnell interviews none other than Irish media and fashion icon: Brendan Courtney.
From creating his first award-winning documentary in his early 20s to launching a fashion-tech platform, starring in multiple TV shows in Ireland and the UK and eventually co-founding Lennon Courtney, this insightful and entertaining conversation sheds light on Brendan Courtney’s remarkable journey so far.
Season 4 of Tech Powered Luxury is brought to you in partnership with Seoulista Beauty, a cryo-powered skincare brand, as well as our sponsors, Sinead Keary the Label and Digital Luxury Group.
LISTENER BENEFITS
Tech Powered Luxury listeners benefit from a 20% discount on https://seoulistabeauty.com/ and https://sineadkeary.com/ with the code TPL20, as well as a complementary perspective on building your brands strategy for China with Digital Luxury Group. Email hello@digital-luxury.com to organise your consultation.
NEWSLETTER & COMMUNITY REWARDS
Each week, we bring a dedicated newsletter as well as Community Rewards to Tech Powered Luxury listeners. Subscribe to our substack to have full access: https://techpoweredluxury.substack.com/
THE TECH POWERED LUXURY TEAM
Producer & Host: Ashley McDonnell
Partnerships: Cliona Jordan
Videography: Ben O’Neill, Christos Celniku and Morgan Prudhomme
Photography: Anastasiia Redko, Anastasiia Lopushynska and Madeline Gillespie
Production Assistants: Abigail Herbert, Gemma Brennan, Tessa Haughton Lynch and Klaudia Skierska
Newsletter: Beatriz Barros
Styling: Johanna Dooley
Styling Assistants: Cian Crowe and Alison Murphy
Social Media Management: Grace Slattery
Public Relations: Align Agency
Content Creation: Kinsman & Co

Mar 26, 2024 • 24min
Live From Paris Fashion Week with Rachel Maguire: How Fashion Saved Her Life & Seeing Her Brand ‘Rashhiiid’ Being Worn By Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Megan Fox, Rosalía and More
Rachel Maguire is an Irish fashion designer and founder of independent fashion brand Rashhiiid, whose designs have been worn by global stars including Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Megan Fox, Rosalía and many more.
Rachel is a digital-first designer who’s viral faux fur hats, coats and accessories have put Irish design on the global map. Rachel was the first designer ever from the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design to create both of her collections completely out of recycled materials and today is working with the highest quality faux fur available to create luxury collections without an ethical compromise.In this episode recorded during Paris Fashion Week in March 2024, we talk about how fashion saved Rachel's life, the biggest investment she's made so far in building her business, how she created those viral celebrity moments and what’s next for Rachel and Rashhiiid.Follow Rashhiiid on Instagram and discover her latest collections on her website.

Mar 19, 2024 • 20min
Smita Lasrado: Putting India on the Global Fashion Map & Modelling Around the World for IMG
Former model Smita Lasrado talks about putting India on the global fashion map by collaborating with top fashion brands like Dior and Chanel. She shares insights on the evolution of modeling and fashion in India, navigating the competitive industry, and pioneering fashion initiatives to showcase India's beauty globally.