Luxury brands today face the challenge of staying relevant while preserving the essence that made them iconic in the first place. In this exclusive conversation, Alexander Chetchikov, President of the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce, sits down with Anant Sharma, CEO of Matter Of Form, to explore the essence of timeless brands, the evolving luxury landscape, and the delicate balance between innovation, heritage, and sustainability. Known for his sharp insights and unconventional perspectives on luxury, Anant shares his thoughts on what makes a brand future-proof, the importance of experience design, and how the industry must evolve beyond mere status symbols.

Alexander Chetchikov: Matter Of Form focuses on working with “timeless brands” to drive innovation. How do you define a timeless brand, and what are the key elements that make a brand future-proof in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape? 

Anant Sharma: For me, there are three attributes that define timelessness. A strong founding spirit, design as a point of competitive advantage, and (of course) long-term thinking. 

I don’t mean to state the obvious, but a strong spirit and a clear promise are key. And I use those terms over words like ‘purpose.’  

Firstly, what is your spirit? All luxury brands have been adopted as status symbols. As they have become businesses delivering at scale, in many cases, they have lost this founding spirit – their defiance of a status quo.

Often, they talk of their history and heritage, but relying on this alone will not cut it with an emerging audience. Rather, we end up seeing the world through the lens of our founding premise. Or perhaps, our founders themselves. 

Did you know that Dior had a lifelong fortune teller, Madame Delahaye, at his side? As designer Pierre Cardin noted, “He wouldn’t do anything without her. Literally nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.” Or that Astor was so opulent, that he gold-plated the piping in his hotels. Bugatti told a customer whose brakes failed that he made cars that go, not to stop.  

How do we re-visit this spirit and use it as a lens on the world today? 

And then, what do we promise? And how do we consistently deliver against that promise in every interaction, no matter how nuanced? Every aspect of our customer experience. Not the headline – not the metaverse, the game, or the campaign. 

The email, the scent, the turn of phrase at the point of sale. The unspoken. The unseen. The felt experience. 

AC: With customer expectations constantly shifting, how do you approach designing a seamless and meaningful customer experience for luxury brands in both digital and physical spaces? 

AS: Do less. Think about the customer experience as a choreography. A dance. How do we think of our brand not as something that lives in a brand book, but rather something that is a sequence over time and space? What are our rituals? How do we slow the customer down? What is our value exchange?  

Do we educate? Do we entertain? Do we provide escapism? Is it an aesthetic quality of a craft-led benefit we offer? Ask ourselves searching questions to help organize our creative thinking. Different priorities in different moments. 

And we need to be innovative. Too often, we confuse innovation with technology; with optimization. 

But in this age of abundance, innovation is not a quicker means to an end. Innovation (in luxury) is simply how we feel about things. 

And this is even more important as we use AI to automate not just the mundane, but parts of the creative process. 

Cohesiveness of a brand experience reinforces the promise, which in turn creates an assurance of value.

AC: You’ve been critical of the excesses in traditional luxury. How do you see the industry evolving towards more responsible, sustainable practices while maintaining exclusivity and desirability? 

AS: I think we obsess over the supply chain and forget durability. The symbolism of a thing. If something is meaningful to us, we will hold it dear. If we hold it dear, we will cherish, repair, and restore the object. 

If we invest effort in a process, through a ritual or similar, we will typically hold a level of bias toward that end. I think brands need to think about these aspects of brand experience.

A level of positive friction is important. Especially so in a world of ‘over-optimization’. 

Similarly with experiences – if we ‘slow down’ the process, an experience will become more important to us and help us connect to a culture, an environment. We will speak of it, its benefits. We will hold that experience dear. ’Luxury’ should champion this in a fast-paced world. It has a genuinely valuable role in bringing people joy and providing symbolic value.

And lastly, ‘the business of luxury’ has challenges – we have built brands on innovation then adopted by those with wealth who wish to express themselves. Brands are driven by design, by craft. Brands with effort behind them, research. New perspectives, not brazen branding. We will very quickly undermine everything if we let the business of luxury overtake the design that creates true luxury.  

The business of luxury can too often only focus on price. Things should be expensive for a reason. Not just because of their logo. There is nothing more annoying in my mind than (for example) a pair of cheap-feeling plastic sunglasses with an emblem on the side. With no sense of design, materiality – no intrinsic value.

Let’s not mention names.

AC: Your podcast What The Luxe explores unconventional perspectives on luxury. What has been the most surprising or thought-provoking insight you’ve gained from your conversations with industry leaders? 

AS: That great leaders feel a little naughty, a little like the child never left them. A little taken in by the crazy. There is an irreverent charm that is not a learnt skill.

Long may this live in a world increasingly automated.

Thank you, Anant!

As the luxury industry continues to evolve, Anant Sharma’s insights serve as a reminder that true luxury goes beyond aesthetics and branding—it’s about experience, spirit, and lasting value. His emphasis on reinterpreting heritage, creating meaningful customer interactions, and embracing innovation beyond technology offers a compelling vision for the future of luxury. As brands navigate an increasingly complex market, the challenge remains: how to remain timeless in a world that moves faster than ever?

Like this interview? Check out more expert insights here: https://worldluxurychamber.com/category/expert-articles-interviews/