The Expert Issue

Dear LS Members,

As Luxury Society celebrates the first anniversary of its launch, I am pleased to welcome each and every one of you to 2010 and our first annual Expert Issue.

Many will be glad to see 2009 come to a close. It was, after all, the year everything the luxury industry had previously taken for granted was called into question. Sky-high prices were cut. Longstanding mindsets were challenged. Instead of unabated growth, the industry shrunk by more than ten percent. Major brands went bankrupt while others rushed to refinance over-leveraged balance sheets. And there was no end to significant changes brought on by new technologies and shifting consumer values.

All of this was enough to keep even the steadiest and most focused of luxury executives up at night, wondering what might happen next.

Against this tumultuous backdrop, Luxury Society members benefited from the bleeding-edge insights of our own community members in the popular Opinions section, which has become a conversational outlet for debating new ideas, plans and philosophies linked to the unprecedented change taking place around us.

In particular, it is the expert advisers, consultants and opinion leaders who have generously weighed in on a variety of topics, enriching the growing Luxury Society dialogue. We’re fortunate to have these experts amongst us who are reshaping the way we all think about and practice luxury. It is one of the major benefits of being part of the Luxury Society community.

And so, this month we’re pleased to present our top opinion pieces from 2009. I strongly encourage you to dip into these articles to experience our community in all its multi-functional, multi-cultural and multi-faceted diversity.

2010 is shaping up to be a big year for even further site development, editorial content and community growth. You may have already noticed some changes in the layout and new features on your ever-evolving Luxury Society homepage, with a new Services block that boasts a live Career and Jobs section. Have a look and let us know what you think

Happy reading and a very happy new year to all of you.

Imran Amed
Editor-in-Chief

P.S. Please send your contributions to opinions@luxurysociety.com. All opinions are reviewed by the Luxury Society team before publication.