Back from Japan, Back to Work!

Just a quick post to share with you all that I am back from Japan, where I had the privilege to experience first hand an exquisite taste of top luxury: from the new Armani Tower in Ginza to the Kaede Spa of the Prince Hotel Resort in Hakone, from the fine restaurants of Akasaka and Aoyama to the shopping experience of Karuizawa's luxury outlet stores. I would like to particularly thank Rieko Shofu, Executive Manager of the Hakuhodo's brand strategy practice in Tokyo, for the fine conversations about luxury retail and the secrets of the tea ceremony. Part of my memories will go into an article commissioned by the Harvard School of Design, on invitation by Dingeman Kuilman, director of the future museum of design of Amsterdam. More to come on Japan on this blog.

In the meantime, while the editing of our Wharton School Publishing book is in the talented hands of our US senior author, Howard Moskowitz, and approaching its finalization, I will share with you all in the next weeks both the outcome of dialogues with the likes of Timothy Han and Jem Bendell on the topic of "authentic luxury", and a number of extracts from the interviews performed as part of the Wharton editorial research - by anticipating just one question and one answer from materials that might not be featured in the final edit of the book. It is my intention to share with you triggering insights, it is my hope to deserve your attention.