Advertise on podcast: What The Luxe

Design and taste are often spoken about as if they're the same thing — but Stephen Bayley has spent a lifetime arguing that they're not. In this episode of What The Luxe, host Anant Sharma sits down with the critic, author and founding director of the Design Museum to explore the uneasy, often misunderstood relationship between design, taste and luxury. From his early encounters with architecture in Liverpool to making design a public conversation through the Boilerhouse project at the V&A, Bayley reflects on how design gained cultural authority — and how it may have lost its nerve. The conversation ranges across everyday objects, cities, cars and consumer culture, questioning when design became a proxy for preference, how taste was commodified, and why objects are never neutral. Bayley offers a sharp critique of consensus thinking, nostalgia and the dilution of judgement — arguing that caring about the material world is not elitist, but essential. A wide-ranging, philosophical discussion about meaning, value and why understanding the things we live with still matters.

In this episode of What The Luxe, host Fred Moore speaks with Crispin Somerville, Managing Director of El Pastor, Quo Vadis & The Drop, about a journey that spans MTV, music and television, Mexico City nightlife, and ultimately some of London's most culturally significant restaurants. Crispin reflects on how time spent immersed in Mexico's food and hospitality culture reshaped his understanding of generosity, conviviality and transportive experience — lessons that continue to inform how he builds restaurants today. Together they explore why authenticity is a slippery concept, why great hospitality resists formula, and how restaurants succeed when they prioritise atmosphere, trust and human connection over scale. The conversation also touches on independence, regeneration, talent and why neighbourhoods like Soho and King's Cross thrive when restaurants are treated as cultural anchors rather than footfall machines. A thoughtful look at hospitality as a social act — and why the places we gather still matter.

What if wellness wasn't something we added on — but something we designed into experience itself? In this episode of What The Luxe, Anant Sharma is joined by Ramy Elnagar, Founder of White Mirror, to explore how technology, design and the built environment can actively shape how we feel, behave and flourish. Ramy's work sits at the intersection of sensory design, emerging technology and human psychology, challenging the idea that wellness is about optimisation, biohacking or indulgence. Instead, he argues for intentional experiences — spaces that teach us how to sleep better, listen more deeply, regulate our nervous systems and reconnect with nature, ritual and meaning. Together they discuss the tension between innovation and restraint, why the word "wellness" may no longer be enough, and how experiences — when designed with empathy — can become powerful tools for human flourishing. A thoughtful conversation about attention, intention and why the most advanced environments often feel the most human.

In this episode of What The Luxe, Anant Sharma sits down with Maz Farrelly, the former television executive behind some of the most-watched formats in the world, to unpack what luxury brands can learn from the mechanics of mass entertainment. From producing global television hits to advising leaders and brands today via MazSpeaksGlobal.com, Maz argues that attention is never owed — it's earned. Drawing on decades spent building shows that people actively choose to watch, she explores how desire, illusion, and respect for the audience are just as critical in brand-building as they are in television. Maz brings a truly international perspective to the conversation, drawing on her extensive work across Australia, the U.K., Singapore, and the USA. Together, they discuss why "boring is disrespectful," why hope is not a strategy, and how brands can create moments people actually care about — without shouting, diluting their values, or chasing trends. This is a sharp, entertaining conversation about attention as currency, popular culture as a teacher, and why luxury can't afford to ignore how people really engage.

For the first time since episode one, What The Luxe brings its two hosts together at the same table. In this end-of-year Christmas episode, Anant Sharma and Fred Moore step away from the usual guest format to reflect on the past year of conversations. They talk candidly about what we've heard throughout 2025, from the patterns to the anomalies, the anecdotes and the insights. Moving easily between the podcast, the studio, and the wider world around us, the two cover topics including experience, taste, leadership, travel, and the shifting signals of value across luxury. A deliberately unstructured episode to close out the year, before attention turns to what comes next.

In this episode of What The Luxe, Anant Sharma speaks with Stacey Langham, Head of Corporate & Luxury Partnerships at the Royal Academy of Arts, about how culture, commerce and philanthropy intersect when relationships are built for the long term. Stacey shares her journey from magazine publishing into the cultural sector, and how that perspective shapes the way she builds partnerships at the RA — not as sponsorships, but as collaborations rooted in shared values, creative ambition and cultural resonance. The conversation explores the Royal Academy's unique model: a fiercely independent institution with no public funding, home to the UK's only tuition-free postgraduate art programme, supported entirely through philanthropy and partnership. Together they discuss how luxury brands act as modern patrons and the responsibility that comes with cultural capital. A thoughtful look at how institutions with deep history can remain relevant — without compromising their values.

In this episode of What The Luxe, host Anant Sharma sits down with Oliver Spencer, founder of the eponymous menswear label and formalwear brand Favourbrook, to explore a career built on patience, craft and a quiet resistance to fashion's obsession with scale. From selling hand-painted waistcoats off a wheelbarrow on Portobello Road to building two enduring British brands, Oliver shares why he never followed the traditional Savile Row path — and why he continues to make a significant proportion of his collections in England, even when the economics point elsewhere Together, they discuss: • Why true luxury is rarity, craft and design — not availability • The difference between fashion, styling and genuine garment design • What the industry gets wrong about growth, scale and "success" • Why small is becoming beautiful again in business and culture • The role of shopkeeping, community and the High Street in modern luxury • How Oliver's latest venture, Secret Trips, connects clothing, travel and a more considered way of living A thoughtful, unfiltered conversation about slowing down in a world that moves too fast — and building brands with integrity, longevity and soul.

Professor Charles Spence has built one of the most influential bodies of research in modern psychology, reframing how the world understands taste, pleasure and perception. As Head of Oxford's Crossmodal Research Laboratory, his work has shown that nothing we experience is ever singular: sound alters flavour, colour reshapes expectation, weight changes perceived quality. These ideas have travelled from the lab into Michelin-starred kitchens, automotive design studios and the playbooks of global luxury brands. In this episode, Charles sits down with host Anant Sharma to unpack the sensory mechanics behind value and delight. They discuss why our brains misattribute pleasure, how scent exerts power while rarely receiving credit, and why experiences like dining in the dark reveal the limits of removing visual cues. They move through the frontier of multisensory design—from biophilic environments to emotional "arc-shaping" in restaurants—and what it means for hospitality, retail and experience creators seeking to build something memorable. A conversation about perception as a design material, the invisible cues that change behaviour, and why the future of luxury will depend less on what brands show and more on how they make people feel.

In this episode, What The Luxe dives into the world of Aqua Expeditions with its Founder & CEO, Francesco Galli Zugaro. Raised across 16 countries and driven by an innate spirit of exploration, Francesco has spent nearly two decades crafting highly intimate, design-led journeys for what he calls the affluent explorer — guests who crave authenticity, comfort and adventure in some of the world's most fragile ecosystems. Host Fred Moore explores how Aqua began with a single 12-cabin ship on the Peruvian Amazon and grew into a fleet spanning Indonesia, the Mekong, the Galápagos and soon East Africa and the Arctic. Francesco shares the realities behind that growth: the logistical improbability of building ships in remote regions, the family dynamics woven into the brand, and why Aqua will never chase scale for its own sake. Together they unpack: • The origins of Aqua's small-ship philosophy and why intimacy beats scale • Designing for high-touch luxury — from world-class dining to near 1:1 staff ratios • Creating moments of wonder for guests who are used to the exceptional • The rising appetite for multi-generational and younger expedition travellers • Conservation partnerships and operating responsibly in fragile ecosystems • Aqua's next chapter, including new routes and new vessels A rich conversation about adventure, restraint, craftsmanship and the discipline required to build a brand that stays true to its values.

Belmond has spent decades redefining the romance of travel—inviting guests to slow down, savour time and inhabit destinations rather than pass through them. Across 43 properties in 24 countries, the brand has become synonymous with slow luxury. Arnaud Champenois, Senior VP of Global Brand, Marketing and Communications, is the architect of that vision, balancing Belmond's storied heritage with the cultural shifts reshaping modern travel. In this episode, Arnaud sits down with Anant Sharma to discuss what slow luxury actually means in practice. They explore Belmond's property-first approach, the creative risks behind reimagining icons like the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, and how partnerships with figures such as Wes Anderson are reframing the brand for a new generation. A conversation about slowness as strategy, the craft behind hospitality, and why the journey can still matter more than the destination.

For over 60 years, KEF has redefined what it means to listen—turning sound into sculpture and engineering into art. Under the leadership of Grace Lo, the brand continues to push boundaries in both technology and design, shaping the future of high-fidelity audio for a new generation. In this episode, Grace joins Anant Sharma to explore what luxury means when it comes to sound. They discuss the founding spirit of Raymond Cooke, the shift from passive to active systems, and why the ritual of listening—whether that's filling a room with music or the deliberate act of putting a record on—matters more than ever in a headphone-dominated world.

Each of Mia Reay's wallpapers begins as a painting - layered with history, character, and a quiet defiance of trend. Inspired by centuries of craftsmanship, from Islamic ceramics to Swedish palaces, her designs bring storytelling back to interiors with a distinctly English eccentricity. In conversation with Fred Moore, Mia shares the accidental origins of her brand, her belief that true luxury is measured in time and craft, and why she designs for beauty that lasts, not trends that fade. A celebration of imagination, patience, and the enduring power of the handmade.

Behind the gloss of London Fashion Week lies a complex machinery of trade, taxation and soft power. David Leigh Pemberton sits at its centre — navigating the delicate relationship between creativity and government as Deputy Director of Policy & Engagement at the British Fashion Council. In this episode, he unpacks how fashion's future depends on the policies shaping it — from the campaign for VAT-free shopping and the realities of post-Brexit trade to the quiet diplomacy that keeps British design globally relevant. We explore how advocacy sustains artistry, why creativity is one of Britain's most undervalued exports, and what it takes to make luxury a national priority rather than a cultural afterthought.

Luxury hospitality is evolving—dissolving the boundaries between home, hotel, and cultural space. Few designers navigate that shift more intuitively than Tatjana von Stein. As Founder and Creative Director, she leads a London and Mallorca-based studio reimagining how people experience place through narrative-led design that incentivises human behaviour. From award-winning members' clubs and boutique hotels to her collectable furniture line Mise en Scène, her work explores what she calls "human tempo"—the rhythm and psychology of how we move through multifaceted spaces.  In this conversation with Anant Sharma, Tatjana unpacks how design quietly directs behaviour, mood and connection. We explore the merging of hospitality, residential and workplace environments, her Mediterranean expansion, and why true luxury lies in understanding human psychology, not excess. A dialogue on narrative, tempo, and the future of spatial design—where understanding how people truly inhabit space matters more than trends.

As Global Editorial Director of Condé Nast Traveller, Divia Thani is witnessing a profound shift in the balance of cultural influence. Once defined by Western ideals of taste and sophistication, luxury is increasingly shaped by perspectives from the East—by travellers who value meaning over display, connection over consumption.    In conversation with Anant Sharma, Divia reflects on travel's evolving power centres, the rise of India and the Middle East as arbiters of modern luxury, and how storytelling can restore depth in an age of infinite access and instant gratification.