Can you share a little about your background in the luxury industry?

I started working in the luxury beauty industry almost 30 years ago. First for the brands Clarins and Lancôme, followed by Dior and Estée Lauder. I worked in roles in education, marketing, and management where my career spanned 25 years.

Working for luxury beauty companies gave me the opportunity to round out my skillset in all aspects of luxury business and gain experience working with different cultures, environments, and nationalities.

I do believe this experience helped shape my professional approach to my career and began my love of all things luxury. At Dior we would travel to Paris a few times a year. We were part of the fashion show audience, met the creators behind the new makeup looks, and toured the research facilities to understand the next generation of skin care products for the brand.

I developed a love for travel, and this gave me the courage to move from Australia and start my career in the US, working for Dior. Combining these elements of luxury brands and travel gave me access to career options in different countries and expanded my experience in the luxury business sector.

My favorite roles were ones where I could develop business strategies that crossed borders, oceans, languages, and cultures to introduce luxury customers to new products launching around the world.

I loved the experience of developing seamless strategies to speak to customers in different marketing channels and locations, in their own language, with visualization that connected them to the luxury brand.

I am happy to say that career #3 is teaching luxury business, where I continue to find myself enthralled by the industry and engagement with my students.

Fun fact: I was a professional ballet dancer before working in the luxury beauty industry!

What is one key skill that students will learn from the Luxury Business course?

Students will learn how to think outside of their preconceived notions about luxury business. This includes refocusing attention off high-end fashion and accessory brands, and delving into the luxury categories of travel, watches, jewelry, architectural design, fine dining, and luxury upcycling.

Students will discover a whole new world of luxury business brands, companies, and categories that they might never have thought about engaging with.

Can you share an activity or project that students might participate in?

One project to highlight is a marketing proposal for an existing luxury brand. Students will choose a luxury brand they know nothing about, conduct research, and propose a new collaboration or marketing experience for the brand.

We also participate in a lot of activities outside of the classroom which are engaging and enlightening to say the least! These include visits to museums, Sotheby’s Auction House and luxury retail locations, to name a few.

What is an insight about luxury business that most people don’t know?

When thinking about luxury, most people overlook value perception. Luxury is not only based on high pricing as a value marker. This is a common myth.

Luxury means something different to everyone. People engage with luxury in many ways and for different reasons. The value of luxury or something luxurious is different for you than it is for me or your best friend.

One of the first things I encourage students to ask themselves is “What does luxury mean to me?”. In the program, we discuss this question as a class to understand our peers’ differences in the value perception of luxury. This helps us to understand how value perception can be used as a commodity.

As soon as the students start realizing the implications of an open mind on luxury business and how value perception is different for everyone, then the learning starts.

Do you have a favorite luxury campaign—past or present—that’s had a lasting impact on you, and why?

I want to give you many examples, but one I loved was the Chanel takeover of the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink for their “No. 5 in the Stars” marketing campaign.

Chanel is not really known for marketing in what we call “out of home” public installation experiences. As a high-profile luxury brand, they believe that their customer comes to them.

However, this immersive, interactive, life-size installation was so out-of-character for them, that people were eager to experience it for themselves.

The reason for the campaign was to celebrate 100 years of their iconic Chanel No. 5 fragrance. They branded the ice rink with their No. 5 logo, as well as the surrounding hot chocolate huts, and the iconic walkway from 5th Avenue to the ice rink was lined with oversized Chanel No. 5 architectural structures.

It really took the impact of the brand as a luxury icon to a life-size level. They sponsored exhibitions of Olympic skaters, held sampling campaigns, hosted concerts with famous artists, and helped customers purchase a fragrance in a popup store within the experience. It fits within a key component of experiential campaigns, which is celebrating a milestone.

I will be intrigued to see what they plan for the 125th anniversary of Chanel No. 5; it can only be better!

What are your favorite places in New York City to visit for creative inspiration?

Wow, there are so many. For me, it’s mostly outdoor spaces where I can go to pause, breathe, and think. I like to walk; it gives me a sense of purpose. This is the perfect city for it!

I am partial to the ice-skating rink at Rockefeller Center. There’s something calming about watching people skate. I love Central Park in the spring. You can’t beat the cherry blossoms!

The city itself is inspiring. I always find inspiration, whether it’s for options for my students to visit, new elements for my courses, or something new to try with my family.

What is the most valuable aspect of working in or studying luxury in New York City?

One of the most valuable aspects of studying or working in luxury in New York City is that you’re in the center of luxury activity on a day-to-day basis.

Most luxury brands might be European, but New York City is where the action is. All luxury brands have flagship stores and offices here in New York City. They are known to stack the US teams with experienced, creative people running global business for the companies.

The opportunities for connections in New York City are beyond what you can imagine, with endless aspects connecting luxury business to the art world, dance, theater, museums, and events—all within reach as a student or professional starting out in the industry.