How do luxury brands conjure up a €1.5 trillion market for things that nobody needs?
Dark Luxury investigates the creative alchemy, business strategies and dark arts of an industry that often doesn't make any sense
Unbiased coverage of luxury that will take you behind the velvet rope to reveal the hidden depths (and shallows) of an industry as cynical and business-focused as it is magical.
What is Dark Luxury?
“Fashion and luxury is not as scientific as other investments because it is 50 per cent art and magic – the untouchable – and 50 per cent business.” - Peter Baldaszti, CEO of luxury fashion brand Nanushka, as told to Alfred Tong in British GQ, 2022.
Investing in luxury, and in turn making a profit, is notoriously tricky. History is littered with examples of once-glittering businesses gone bust. Most of them die after an acrimonious falling-out between the creative heads and the money people. “Taste” and “style” cannot be quantified by numbers on a spreadsheet, but nevertheless have a tangible effect on the bottom line.
In short, a €1.5 trillion global business often hinges upon little more than a certain “je ne sais quoi.”
That’s enough to drive anyone mad, but it’s also what fascinates the team at Dark Luxury. We’re here to investigate what makes the business tick because apart from a handful of notable exceptions, we don’t think it’s being done properly anywhere else. We’ll explain creativity to the money men, and science to the creative team.
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Who is behind Dark Luxury?
Dark Luxury is written and edited by Conrad Quilty-Harper and Alfred Tong.
Conrad previously worked at Bloomberg News in London as UK digital editor, where he reported on topics including the happiness of billionaires, China’s fake fashion retailers and where celebrities go to fix their $5,000 sneakers. He previously ran the websites of New Scientist and British GQ, which is where he met Alfred.
Alfred is an author, journalist and consultant, who previously worked for Jo Malone London as Global Copy Director, and at Winkreative and Spring Studios as a senior copywriter and brand strategist. At GQ he wrote a watch column, contributed to the magazine’s House Rules section, and wrote its infamous list of the best (and worst dressed) men.
Our reporting is entirely funded by paid subscriptions and two investors who are committed to our independent reporting. Dark Luxury is published by Masthead Communications Ltd, company number 12394895
Got a story for us?
Email us at darkluxury@substack.com
We welcome story tips from luxury industry insiders and story pitches from freelance journalists.
What are people saying about Dark Luxury?
"The dirty underbelly of luxury is something that needs to be spoken about. It’s the wild wild west out there" - Senior figure at a major UK retailer.
“The luxury industry has this veil of mystery. Uncovering secrets and other aspects of luxury that are less known to the public is a very interesting angle" - Founder of a fashion technology company with major fashion clients.