Industry insights from the Walpole British Luxury Summit 2025

UK – The Walpole British Luxury Summit 2025 gathered leaders from across the global luxury sector for a day of expert talks, reports and panel discussions. The transformation of the luxury sector was a central theme, with topics ranging from emerging value systems and the integration of experience, creativity and science.

Jon Yeomans, business editor at The Sunday Times, set the tone with a speculative look at the year ahead and providing 10 potential headlines that summarise the global uncertainty facing the luxury market.

That mood was echoed by Andrea Steiner, senior manager at Bain & Co, who presented the latest Bain-Altagamma Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study. Steiner warned that consumers in 2025 are feeling increasingly alienated, and stressed that reinvention is essential if brands are to stay relevant.

Creativity emerged as a throughline in a panel on global luxury. Harrods' managing director Michael Ward reinforced the sector’s core values, saying, ‘I feel very strongly that creativity and artisan craftsmanship is key to our industry.’ Mulberry CEO Andrea Baldo expanded on that idea, outlining how the heritage brand empowers creativity to ‘influence all brand touchpoints’. Later, artist and designer Yinka Ilori offered a more emotive perspective by positioning creativity as ‘an architect of joy’ rooted in cultural storytelling.

The shifting meaning of luxury was further unpacked in a presentation by The Future Laboratory’s co-founder Chris Sanderson, who presented findings from our New Codes of Luxury macrotrend. He noted a growing convergence between luxury, health and hospitality, themes which were brought to life in a discussion with Dr George Gaitanos of the Chenot Group. Gaitanos shared how Chenot is fusing scientific innovation and precision medicine with high-end hospitality to create wellness programmes that address longevity, resilience and lifestyle optimisation.

Look out for more in-depth coverage of the event in the Luxury sector on LS:N Global, where we will distil key takeaways from the event.