Real Luxury

Misha Pinkhasov has worked in international communications, public policy, financial markets, branding and media for 16 years. He worked as a communications manager at the OECD for nine of those years and has consulted for private firms. As a writer, he covers luxury, culture and socially responsible business for consumer and trade magazines in the US, UK, France and Russia, and has spoken on these topics to corporate and conference groups. Misha holds an MBA in International Luxury Brand Management from ESSEC Business School in Paris and a Bachelor's in Consumer Economics from Cornell University in New York.Rachna Joshi Nair has worked in the luxury, apparel and hospitality industries for 20 years, spanning both Eastern and Western cultures. During her tenure at Louis Vuitton, Rachna implemented business strategies through forecasting, product development, sourcing, merchandising, market entry, retail, and customer relationship management. She has spoken at international conferences in Europe and India about future challenges for luxury, and has provided cultural and brand training to the world's leading luxury companies. She holds an MBA in International Luxury Brand Management from ESSEC Business School in Paris.Together, they are the co-founders of NAIR-SAFIR, strategy consultants helping companies integrate shared-value thinking into their corporate culture and communications.

• Introduction 1. A Dilemma Across Time and Culture 2. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Luxury 3. The Environment for Luxury 4. Luxury and the Search for Meaning 5. Towards a Socially Valuable Business 6. Creating a Culture of Shared Value 7. Adapting the Business Model 8. The Outlook for Luxury

"The authors' research and analysis is methodical and clear, and their vision accurate. This book is an excellent tool for perfecting ones understanding of luxury. A veritable bible for both professionals and students." - Yaffa Assouline, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxuryCulture.com 'Neither enthralled by luxury's glamor nor over-critical of its excesses, the authors offer an informed and balanced assessment of the industry's current condition and how it must prepare for the future.' - Soumitra Dutta, Dean, S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, New York