International nonprofit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) is out with new research. According to the fourth edition of the KnowTheChain Apparel & Footwear Benchmark, several brands are falling behind in the fight against forced labor, despite promoting sustainability and social justice progress. Scoring 19 out of 100 on average, supply chain transparency remains a rampant issue across the luxury fashion players studied.

Dubai, U.A.E-based airline Emirates is introducing new menu options with its diverse consumer base in mind. Reporting that demand for plant-based meals has spiked 40 percent year-on-year, the company is embarking on a culinary journey. Emirates is adding to its " vegan vault" of more than 300 recipes, rolling out new dishes in its lounges and on flights in 2024.

Hospitality group Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and global firm Albwardy Investment are opening a new resort. The partners have announced plans to break ground on the beaches of Zanzibar, bringing a 126-acre property to Tanzania. The remote location joins one other Four Seasons destination in the country as the company continues to expand across EMEA.

Private jet travel is becoming a bit cheaper. According to new analysis from Private Jet Card Comparisons, an exclusive price comparison resource, hourly rates and daily minimums for chartered air routes continue to drop across North America. Membership pricing is down 8.5 percent from Q4 2022 peaks and, as a result, frequent fliers are having more success negotiating discounts, gathering perks like flight credits and free hours with providers.

German automaker Mercedes-Benz is opening the newest chapter of an ongoing global campaign. First launched in September 2023, the latest release of “Defining Class Since 1886” is refocused on an all-electric model. Starring British actor Matthew Macfadyen, and retired Swiss tennis champion and longtime brand ambassador Roger Federer, the advertisement showcases the versatility of its technologically-equipped EV while celebrating the company’s storied history.

French home furnishings brand Roche Bobois is allowing international cultural hubs to frame its contemporary designs. The company is honing in on its fall/winter 2024 and Bombom collections in a series of new videos. Manufactured in Europe, the Roche Bobois selections are staged at museums, music academies and other eye-catching venues as digital content captures the process, subtly promoting the made-to-order collections by involving landmark design capitals from across the continent.

A new survey of luxury consumers finds that 68 percent of respondents are willing to pay more for perks that allow them to skip lines and avoid crowds. Trip company Kensington Tours is out with its Luxury Travelers Survey, conducted with insight agency Opinium. Findings reveal that, as the world of tourism faces chaos from grounded flights to growing crowds, a seamless journey is top of mind for affluent jet setters.

Recent findings from Look Look, a marketing intelligence platform, point toward major changes in consumer shopping preferences. The firm's latest LuxuryVerse China Pulse Check looks at the mindset of female clients in China and the factors driving their current buying behaviors. Report data shows that less than one in five of those in the demographic are prioritizing the purchase of new high-end handbags; earlier in 2023, that figure was “nearly half” of respondents, suggesting women in the region are placing focus on long-term investments and memorable experiences, rather than splurging on personal luxury goods.

French fashion house Chanel’s latest perfume campaign puts a powerful consumer demographic at its core. The new Chance fragrance promotion features four young faces, each embodying the personalities of the scents being advertised. Tapping into Gen Z trends, the funfair-themed slot features individuality, carnival scenes, rainbow hues and a sense of play, appealing to an age group that generates more and more revenue for luxury brands by the year.

LVMH-owned Champagne maker Veuve Clicquot is pairing sips with train trips this year. Working with LVMH-owned hospitality group Belmond, the maison is presenting Solaire Journeys 2024, a series of three international railway adventures. From Andean excursions to routes through Alpine meadows, the brands are embracing slow travel as locomotive voyages pick up steam, befitting the current consumer landscape and shaping the future of experiential luxury.

Social listening analytics platform Brandwatch is sharing recommendations for how brands can navigate an increasingly crowded peer-to-peer media landscape. Marketers will have to continue adapting to evolving features and algorithmic updates in 2024. New data from the firm reveals that when it comes to navigating these challenges, certain sectors are faring better than others; in a study of feedback shared online across social networking hubs, blogs, forums and review sites, Brandwatch's State of Social report found that of eight different industries, consumers are most readily sharing positive comments about brands in the entertainment and retail industries.

French luxury conglomerate LVMH is offering an update on Life 360, the group's Initiatives For the Environment platform. Launched in 2021, the sustainability strategy covers the group’s environmental approach, inclusive of manufacturing and in-store experiences. With specific targets to be met by the years 2023, 2026 and 2030, the first deadline has come, and LVMH has revealed where it stands — delivered during the Life 360 Summit at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, the details involve the creation of Life 360 Business Partners, an action program that targets Scope 3 emissions.

German automaker Mercedes-Benz is hinting at plans to build branded residences. The marque is looking to enter the real estate scene via a partnership with Emirati development firm Binghatti. Dubbed “Mercedes-Benz Places,” the joint venture would bring a 65-story luxury living space to downtown Dubai, marking a first for the vehicle manufacturer. “With Mercedes-Benz Places in Dubai, we are going beyond automotive to create outstanding brand moments,” said Britta Seeger, management board member

From the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic to the rise of TikTok, the business of weddings has changed dramatically in the last few years. Taking on their roles immediately, Raquel Cadourcy and Marco Montenegro have respectively been appointed as chief marketing officer and chief growth officer at U.S. wedding dress manufacturer Allure Bridals. With nearly 60 years of collective industry experience, the duo has seen some major trends take over luxury nuptials, including intimate ceremonie

British department store Fortnum & Mason is prepping for the festive season, picnic style. After a summer of promoting al fresco adventures in the great outdoors, the company’s annual holiday film reveals the wintery magic of its build-your-own (BYO) hampers. In this cold weather shift, the retailer is asserting itself as not only a historic purveyor of treats, décor and London luxuries, but also as the place “Where Christmas Comes Alive,” per the campaign’s title.

From Denmark to Norway, prestige is increasingly showing enthusiasm for the north. Luxury companies across categories are pouring resources into Nordic nations, framing them as the setting of fashion campaigns, hosting Arctic automotive retreats and, among other activations, opening five-star hotels in the area. As the international community discovers a love for all things hygge and biophilic, Scandinavia and its trademark trends are proving to be in the midst of defining the landscape of tomorrow.

U.K. think tank The Future Laboratory is out with an annual release. In the Future Forecast 2024 report, findings indicate that Gen Z customers are the ones to watch, and they want brands to go beyond the transactional. As this key demographic seeks meaning in the products they buy and the companies they support, luxury houses that promote craftsmanship, knowledge-building, conscious consumption and the archival value of the category appear be primed for success in the year ahead.

Italy’s Armani Beauty is out with a star-studded video series. The brand’s “Behind Makeup” campaign is comprised of five films directed by British photographer Damon Baker that star cosmetic professionals and their young clients American actress Sadie Sink, American actor Chase Stokes, Puerto Rican actress Adria Arjona, British actress India Amarteifio and American actress Sydney Sweeney. Each of them discusses their relationship with their artists and makeup itself, the slot filled with conversations that perhaps many fellow Gen Z and Millennial viewers can relate to, an increasingly powerful customer base for Armani Beauty.

The prestige industry seems to be upping efforts to include creatives from First Nations communities. As consumers increasingly show support for businesses that share their values, such as social justice and diversity, more and more luxury labels are partnering with Indigenous designers, such as U.S. fashion group Ralph Lauren, which picked Diné textile weaver Naiomi Glasses as the first collaborator for the new Artist in Residence program. Meanwhile, outdoor clothing company Canada Goose is continuing work with Inuk printmaker Saimaiyu Akesuk, hosting a celebratory event at Art Basel Miami and joining ranks with peers in its category that are likewise learning to authentically embrace Native American perspectives at a productional level.

Marriott International-owned hotel and resort chain The Ritz-Carlton is celebrating a festive time of year in two Alpine countries. The brand’s new “A Present to Remember” campaign brings to life the magic of the holiday season and the company’s part to play in it. Making the case for the experiential category of which it is a part, The Ritz-Carlton is painting luxury vacations as the perfect way to treat loved ones this December, making its properties in Vienna, Austria; Berlin, Germany and Wolfsburg, Germany the settings of three merriment-filled videos.