Robert Wun’s Gender-bending Couture Wins the A-list

Robert Wun’s Gender-bending Couture Wins the A-list

2023 marked Robert Wun’s debut on the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar, a milestone that followed years of redefining his approach to fashion.  Many emerging designers default to wholesale ready-to-wear, often overlooking the stability and creative control couture offers. Post-2020, Robert Wun leaned into storytelling and made-to-order pieces, stepping away from wholesale around five years ago. After launching a ready-to-wear label in 2014, Wun found the model limiting and financially unsustainable. During the pandemic, he pivoted to one-off, made-to-order pieces with couture-level pricing, a move that came to define his brand. Over the past decade, Wun’s gender-bending style has attracted a strong A-list clientele and emerged as a defining force in the future of couture. Many know Wun for his dramatic “bleeding love” bridal look, his rosy butterfly ensemble for Ariana Grande, and Naomi Osaka’s viral jellyfish look at the 2026 Australian Open. In conversation with Jing Daily's brand editor Sadie Bargeron, the founder reflects on leaving wholesale behind and offers a candid view of fashion today, from celebrity culture to mass-market collaborations. Visit jingdaily.com [https://open.acast.com/networks/68dbf2b87be17a7f0101f2da/shows/68dbf3957be17a7f01023947/episodes/jingdaily.com]and subscribe to our newsletter [https://jingdaily.com/newsletters] to get the real signals behind trends in Asia. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

CEO Celine Talabaza on Defining Deep Tech in Beauty at Noble Panacea

Founded in 2019 by Nobel Laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart, Noble Panacea introduced a distinct proposition to luxury beauty: Nobel Prize–winning chemistry applied to skincare. At the heart of the brand is its OSMV™ technology, which optimizes the stability, delivery, and time-release of active ingredients on the skin. Now, CEO and Co-Creator Celine Talabaza reflects on how Sir Stoddart’s lifelong work in supramolecular chemistry evolved into a next-generation skincare brand — one that places science and intrinsic product value at its core. “Skin is highly personal. It's our largest organ, it's our defense to the world. It's literally showing how well you have been taking care of your health, the stress we endure — it is all very emotional. It's important to give consumers the opportunity to look for solutions they are truly interested in,” says Talabaza. In just five years, Noble Panacea has expanded into more than 20 markets, becoming a favorite among founders, creative leaders, and globally mobile luxury consumers. The brand entered APAC and China in 2019, finding strong resonance among highly informed beauty audiences on platforms like RED, where research-driven purchasing behavior shapes brand loyalty. In conversation with Jing Daily Editor-in-Chief Enrique Menendez, Talabaza reflects on launching a science-led beauty company just before the pandemic, balancing digital and physical retail strategies, cultivating a community of repeat consumers, and building a global mindset shaped by both an international team and a well-traveled clientele. Visit jingdaily.com [https://open.acast.com/networks/68dbf2b87be17a7f0101f2da/shows/68dbf3957be17a7f01023947/episodes/jingdaily.com]and subscribe to our newsletter [https://jingdaily.com/newsletters] to get the real signals behind trends in Asia. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Khalifa Bin Braik of Majid Al Futtaim on Dubai's Culture-Led Retail Evolution

Since becoming CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management, Khalifa Bin Braik has overseen the continued evolution of one of the Middle East’s most influential retail portfolios, further positioning Dubai as a global crossroads for tourism, commerce, and culture. Born in Dubai, Bin Braik has witnessed the city’s transformation firsthand since the late 1970s. “There were barely any paved streets or shopping malls. It was a very different city. Today, the population stands at about 4 million. We’ve gone from a fishing and trading economy to one of the world’s most admired retail and tourism hubs.” Under his leadership, Majid Al Futtaim has sharpened its destination-led retail strategy, embedding cultural programming into the fabric of its assets. At Mall of the Emirates, Spring Festival has become part of a broader year-round experiential approach, reflecting Dubai’s growing pull for Chinese visitors and global consumers alike. In partnership with Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, Jing Daily presented a multi-day Chinese New Year showcase featuring limited-edition pop-ups, a Fashion Dome takeover with PRONOUNCE and SUSAN FANG, and a Huangmei opera performance by artists from Anhui province. Recorded following the celebration, Bin Braik reflects on Dubai’s rapid growth and how cultural milestones are integrated into long-term destination strategy, advancing a vision of retail that extends beyond commerce. Visit jingdaily.com [https://open.acast.com/networks/68dbf2b87be17a7f0101f2da/shows/68dbf3957be17a7f01023947/episodes/jingdaily.com]and subscribe to our newsletter [https://jingdaily.com/newsletters] to get the real signals behind trends in Asia. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Kristina Blahnik on Turning Legacy Into Stiletto High Growth

Since joining Manolo Blahnik in 2009, Kristina Blahnik, the founder’s niece and from 2013 the firm’s CEO, has been leading the family-run business into new markets while honoring its creative heritage. “When you embark on joining a family business, you have to build your own identity within that,” says Blahnik. "This business is a member of my family. It comes with highs and lows, but we work through them because we’re together." Under her leadership, Manolo Blahnik has refined its creative direction and consumer engagement, and streamlined its wholesale strategy. This helped manifest the brand’s first store in China, at Shanghai’s Plaza 66, which opened in November 2024. A year on, the store has become a touchpoint for the brand, allowing it to meaningfully engage with a customer base that had historically relied on international travel to purchase its designs. Recorded after the opening of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s exhibition on Marie Antoinette, where Manolo Blahniks play a leading role for their appearances in Sofia Coppola’s movie, Blahnik reflects on why the family business continues to resonate culturally as much as commercially. Visit jingdaily.com [ jingdaily.com ]and subscribe to our newsletter [https://jingdaily.com/newsletters] to get the real signals behind trends in Asia. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger Defies the Luxury E-Commerce Odds

Amid ongoing turbulence in luxury e-commerce, Munich-based Mytheresa is demonstrating the resilience of its curated, customer-first strategy. In the year ending June 30, 2025, it posted year-on-year net sales growth of 8.9% and a 4.9% rise in EBITDA margin, while gross merchandise value per top customer climbed 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Behind the company’s steady growth is Michael Kliger, who has led Mytheresa since 2015 with a focus on consistency, curation, and customer experience. “My objective is to have even more enthusiastic customers shopping for our brands. We are not chasing revenue. If you do that and they stay and they buy, the financials are an outcome," says Kliger.  Since Kliger took the helm, the luxury e-tailer has expanded globally — debuting a Chinese site in 2016 and listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. In April 2025, Mytheresa completed its acquisition of Yoox Net-a-Porter from Richemont, forming the new luxury group LuxExperience. In Jing Daily’s sit-down interview at Mytheresa’s New York office during fashion week, Kliger shares how the company finds steady growth through consistency, and his multi-year strategy for unifying the newly formed e-commerce powerhouse. Visit jingdaily.com [http://jingdaily.com/] and subscribe to our newsletter [https://jingdaily.com/newsletters] to get the real signals behind trends in Asia. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.