Summer 2025: On Why We Don't Need Another Hero and Imperfection is a Must, Instead

This is a newsletter available to all subscribers. A Mid-Summer exception to the rule, a Reflection on the Fashion and Luxury Industry. But Never Boring!

“One thing's for sure: I, if there's one, am more inclined to leave a mistake than to strive for perfection. Perfection scares me a little and makes me feel cold.” - Patty Pravo

Dear DeLuxers,

How are you? Did you commit to spend time truly relaxing and recharging your exhausted minds, your hearts lost among Excel sheets and the spirit that has fled who knows where to take shelter from an overly directive Ego?

Or did you just follow the mass on a crowded, hellish Greek, Spanish or Apulian beach, complaining how the f@#k the prices can be so high and the quality so low and the unbearable wind and hot temperatures?

I hope you chose your buen retiro wisely as we all need to rewire our pretty derailed lives. I tried to do it and finally made it with some decisions that definitely opened new paths and created and totally new landscape. The year that finished at the end of July 2025 has been very, sometimes too much, intense and game changer for me for so many reasons and, despite all the difficulties and high obstacles, I am very proud of myself and how I managed to finally reverse old habits and ways of living I gave too often for granted and that I was unwilling to change. And I finally got my energy back.

This week has been marvellous thanks to a beautiful concert at “La Versiliana” theatre, an open air space immersed in the pinewood where legendary Gabriele D’Annunzio wrote the poem “La pioggia nel pineto” in 1902. The artist was Patty Pravo, one of the most iconic Italian women with an incredible artistic life. She is 77 years old and she seemed to be in her 40s thanks to her powerful and typical voice and an incredible three-octave vocal range.

And on top of this I also met Cheyenne, a beautiful horse, that taught me a lot and made my day a better one while challenging me to get involved in seeking a connection with him that I couldn't find at the beginning of our meeting. Horses teach you to be here, now and it’s not a stereotype. Riding a horse is exactly the opposite of riding a motorbike, and maybe this is why there are many women attending horse riding classes and men are more prone to love cars and bikes.

A Mercedes AMG or a Ducati or a Harley will never ask you to meet half way, it will always allow full control and to display your man power just switching them off and running, acting cool on the road while it doesn't work that way with the horse: the connection is much deeper and never so banal and obvious, and full of imperfections. You have a wonderful and powerful force of nature in front of you and the more you attune with him and the higher the trust you can establish from both sides and the better can be the time spent together, because nothing can be more fulfilling, mind blowing and recharging than spending time in the nature with horses and hounds. Only those who decide to give up on the obsessive pursuit of perfection can understand the difference of this two-ways exchange. A truly empowering experience that changes your perspective of the world every time.

Let’s start these highlights and don’t miss the surprise at the end!

1. “We don’t need another hero” Tina Turner

That’s it. The industry doesn’t need heroes, the industry needs serious professionals working in team and willing to contribute to its healthy evolution by putting aside their Egos.

The industry is already in a purging phase and the purge will heavily continue and those willing to keep their positions at all costs will not win. The damage they did all together is to big to be simply hidden under the red carpet.

If the industry will see a rebirth it will be with brands and groups:

• with smaller dimensions than today

• out of the stock exchange race rat

• agile and with the right level of ambition

• with no bonuses or crazy remunerations for the top bosses when the employees and the artisans are paid a misery

• with more focused offer, forget about being a generalist in luxury

• with a free press, free from advertising and from hidden remuneration, represented by small media, no more huge conglomerates producing contents nobody is willing to buy

• with a balanced distribution between e-commerce, mono-brand retail and a few bunch of multi-brand stores that survived their being parallelists for the industry

• with authentic values and contents instead of unreasonably boring and self-celebrating shows

The example to follow? Dear fashion and luxury managers turned accountants for margins but not accountable for the business, if you really want to thrive in finance you have to study the work and the thoughts of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon. That’s it. At least make the effort instead of going through for the zillion time the catalogue of pictures of Carlo Mollino, and you know what I mean.

“Everything needs to work at the same time. But what keeps society vibrant permanently is jobs, industry, business, and stuff like that. It pays for everything else. If you just build affordable housing, and those people don't have jobs, it'll no longer be affordable soon. So you really have to build around the business community.”- Jamie Dimon

Translation: if you make a tabula rasa around you, you and your business are over.

2. “La Bambola” Patty Pravo

This is a song about a woman who has been deluded, deceived, and manipulated by her lover, who had made her believe she was the only, beloved woman in his life.

She then realizes that the exact opposite is true: she's being continually cheated on and that he's a womanizer. And she decides to dump him and never see him again. And she'll keep her promise to herself.

It's the same story for fashion and luxury customers, with brands that have exploited them so badly. Is there anyone who still thinks customers are idiots to be manipulated at will infinitely?

If so, go back to point 1.

“The best way to look at any business is from the standpoint of the clients.” - Jamie Dimon

3. “In Alto Mare” Loredana Berté

The meaning of this song can be literally translated as “in high seas”, which means very, very far away from the safety and the mainland, to have a long way to go.

“We want solutions!” scream some people on Linkedin and all around. “It’s easy to criticize, but we want solutions instead”.

You simply cannot be fed solutions without being deeply aware of the problem and being able to put yourself fully under discussion to restart under totally new conditions. It doesn’t work like this. And furthermore the solutions can only be found in the problems, if you are unaware of the problems of your business, you are the problem.

Asking for solutions before the patients are aware of their own disease and of the fact that they have a serious disease is a childish approach. Every medical protocol will establish first a deep assessment of all the symptoms, a very precise picture of the whole situation and then it will go through a very tailor made treatment and also change of life style very likely.

That’s exactly what should happen for the industry and if the present establishment was great they should have already done it instead of waiting for some hero to save them.

So go back to point 1.

“You know, the benefit in life is to say, 'Maybe you made a mistake, let's dig deep.'“ - Jamie Dimon

4. “It’s only love” Brian Adams

The fashion and luxury management is like those dysfunctional families showing themselves as picture perfect for Instagram where everybody is happy and loving and beautiful and they hid years of abuse and bad behavior, instead.

Conflict is key and when internally it is not allowed to be presented and acted and accepted, the perfect family will finish as self destroyed and “on the verge of a nervous breakdown” like Almodovar perfectly represented in his famous movie or like Stephen King Shining.

Once again in case of doubt go back to point 1.

“If you're blindly loyal to me, then you're just acting like a crony of mine. If you say you admire me because of the principles for which I stand, I understand that, but then you also have the right to call me to the carpet when you think I'm falling short.” - Jamie Dimon

5. “I just can’t get enough” Depeche Mode

The favorite band of a dear subscriber and partner in crime for concerts, this concept is applied to margins. To appetite for infinite growth. To never ending cutting quality and increasing prices. To avidity and greed and bad behavior. To foolishness.

Managers and key players cannot have enough, but the machine is broken and it cannot be repaired anymore. Gone. They put themselves water in the fuel hoping to skyrocket the business with the lowest costs. Shame. Goodbye.

“I've seen people, when they get into these bigger and bigger jobs, it goes to their heads. I've seen it. Some people in life change who they are, and some don't. I'm basically the same guy I've always been.”- Jamie Dimon

6. “Broken Wings” Mr.Mister

Uniqueness, DNA, excellence, craftmanship, style, imperfection was what really made the fashion and luxury industry fly until 15 years ago and then it came the “democratization”, the “millennials”, the “Gen Z”, the “tiktokization”, the “elevation” and so on and all these mantras broke down the unstable balance and the organic growth of the industry.

This is Igor Mitoraj “Fallen Angel” statue. Mitoraj lived in Pietrasanta, Versilia until his death a few years ago. A sculpture with a similar concept is in the courtyard of the Valentino brand HQ in Rome, close to Piazza di Spagna.

The magnificent wings of this industry were broken by the too heavy weight of ambitions and financial expectations.

The elevation rapidly turned into the burial of the industry and the democratization became saturation of all the channels and a heavy clients fatigue. A perfect storm.

The broken wings will not fly again.

“No one can forecast the economy with certainty, but most of us in business (have) got growth plans that have nothing to do with the actual state of the economy.” - Jamie Dimon

7. “If you don’t know me by now” Simply Red

This is dedicated to those who recruit CEOs who failed in their previous ventures hoping that they will save their business, to those who recruit creative directors hoping that they will adapt their stubborn style to the brand they are expected to work for, to those who hire marketing directors from the PR and so on paying them lots of money and accepting to pay even more when they have to fire them without taking them minimally accountable of their actions.

If they don’t know them by now they are accomplices, not recruiters. And they should be all fired on the spot. All together.

“We don’t have a divine right to success.” - Jamie Dimon

8. “One more night” Phil Collins

Dedicated to those who are desperately trying to resist and avoid being fired to get the 2025 bonuses while the industry is in ashes because of them. Will they be fired in September 25 or January 26?

“Bad things happen, and bad people exist. It's important to confront and address those issues head-on.” - Jamie Dimon

9. “Licence to kill” Gladys Knight

For Demna and Jonathan and Alessandro. And Sabato and Pierpaolo and Dario and all the rest. And the world and industry helplessly assists the army with its shiny tin metal medals heading towards defeat.

Do you remember this? It was a little bit more than a year ago…

“Following its premiere on Mubi and coinciding with the arrivals of the collection in stores, Gucci will host screenings in major cities around the globe, allowing audiences to experience the short film on the big screen. Beginning April 3, an enhanced edition of ‘Who is Sabato De Sarno? A Gucci Story’ will be available exclusively on Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s revolutionary spatial computer, a first for the fashion and luxury industry. Available on the App Store, the enhanced edition allows viewers to transform their space and immerse themselves in the beauty and artistry of Gucci Ancora. Furthermore, in partnership with Air France, the House will make ‘Who is Sabato De Sarno? A Gucci Story’ available on all flights throughout the month of April.”
Words Platform Desk
Date 26.03.2024

Much ado about what?

10. “Crazy for You” Madonna

Giancarlo Giammetti helping to rescue Valentino, hiring Maria Grazia Chiuri for the joy of the former Valentino staff who is praying for such a decision. A dream come true?

11. “On the Beach” Chris Rea

Kate Moss carrying her Birkin bag like a beach bag is the symbol of our distorted era and the nail in the coffin for the overrated status symbol bag.

Hermès should really pay attention and they should also reduce the quantities of the Birkin available on the market: too much second hand (not even vintage) resold at unreasonable prices will spoil the French maison .

It is hoped that the Dumas family will not be blinded by the desire of overshadowing and surpassing the Arnaults as a personal claim of superiority in the war of who gets the highest dividend share between the two in an infinite feud.

Scarcity and scarcity and scarcity at its best is a must to be kept very focused and tight at the French maison, considering that collateral businesses such as fragrances and cosmetics are suffering a lot in terms of sales. Too much of a stretch is never good.

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown." - Jamie Dimon

12. “Another one bites the dust” Queen

Saks apparently is still not paying its vendors.

From Il Giornale d’Italia “LuisaViaRoma has initiated a negotiated crisis resolution process. LuisaViaRoma has implemented protective and precautionary measures and is engaged in a strategic repositioning in the evolving fashion industry. CEO Tommaso Maria Andorlini: "The fashion and luxury company closed 2024 with revenues of €310 million and recently initiated a standard debt restructuring process amounting to €30 million; "the debt stock," according to the CEO, "is very limited compared to the company's revenues." The 2023 financial statement showed a loss of €39.7 million. Kering in proportion has a much higher debt vs revenues.

The negotiated resolution of the crisis, or the former composition with creditors, aims to prevent a worsening of the economic and financial situation and avoid bankruptcy.”

Sic transit gloria mundi.

LVR disgraced time started when they gave up on innovative, niche, edgy projects and focused on extremely expensive events with super models and celebrities as well as the opening one year ago of the brick and mortar store in New York. Trying to become like everybody else…it didn’t work despite the contribution of Roberta Benaglia fund.

“It is said that the world is in a state of bankruptcy, that the world owes the world more than the world can pay.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

13. “I want it all” Queen

This is the cover of the recently published Vogue America September issue with Emma Stone. The actress is Louis Vuitton brand ambassadress. In terms of adv space, the whole issue has been bought by LV so if you buy it, you will spend your money for a Louis Vuitton catalogue. So probably nobody will but it.

Bigger is not better. Especially today. That is an image fiasco. Louis Vuitton's megalomaniac approach has become tiresome even before it has had any effect on the brand. It's too vulgar, but no one there understands it anymore. LV is like a Formula 1 car gone haywire. Someone is going to get seriously hurt. And this someone will be certainly the brand and its business.

This media power show off screams more of desperation rather than influence.

14. “Imperfection” Evanescence and Tips for Talents

Luxury is not perfect, it is not impeccable industrialization, it is not flawless, it is not ice cold impeccable service.

There was a beautiful post of Ornella Auzino on Linkedin this week on how to work leathers for making a bag and it sparked a very interesting discussion. The best leathers, the richest ones are the less perfect, the less worked, the ones that keep small defects. the other ones that are over worked for several reasons get a cheaper and cheaper effect to a bag. When all the bags are the same and the quality is absolutely homogeneous, luxury flees.

That’s why it is so important to keep luxury and fashion as niche as possible and why the margins game is destroying a whole world made of artisanal talent.

I recently had to give grades to a Master class and I decided to reward those students who wrote imperfect texts because it was clear that they wrote them by themselves and they put a great effort in them.

I had a grades check conversation with a very ambitious student who was convinced to deserve higher grades instead and I showed to her that, in a system where there were graded discussions among students of the class in a forum, just dropping PDF files was not enough to achieve higher grades, it was the level of the interaction and the authenticity of the conversation that really made the difference. We went point after point and she realized that in order to be a higher achiever she should have put herself entirely in the requested work.

Just spending your life writing prompts and delegating to machines the pleasure of the discovery and the pain of failure is a crime against humanity. Your humanity. Your uniqueness. Your authenticity. That is what makes you different from a machine. And we go back to the bike versus the horse.

The best work was the most heartfelt one, the one that requested research and originality and a point of view. I was so proud of these students who didn’t give up in using their talents and keeping fit their brain.

And I am very proud to have chosen, even in this case, only the best universities and colleagues. Those who also understand my skills as well as my flaws and who are happily there to support each other.

From Psychology Today on Perfectionism:

“Perfectionism is a trait that makes life an endless report card on accomplishments or looks. When unhealthy, it can be a fast and enduring track to unhappiness.

What makes extreme perfectionism so toxic is that while those in its grip desire success, they are most focused on avoiding failure, resulting in a negative orientation. (…) Perfection, of course, is an abstraction, an impossibility in reality. When taken too far, the striving for perfection can lead to negative outcomes, like procrastination, a tendency to avoid challenges, rigid all-or-nothing thinking, toxic comparisons, and a lack of creativity. Maladaptive perfectionism is often driven by fear of failure, feelings of unworthiness, low self-esteem, and adverse childhood experiences. It is frequently accompanied by depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders. (…) How can you overcome perfectionism? Letting go of the comparison mindset can help people achieve at a high level, without being beholden to some impossibly perfect ideal. The key is to realize that an endeavor can be worthwhile even if it’s not perfect.”

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” ― C.G. Jung

This is the biggest endeavor, something that horses teach very well. They don’t have such a messy mind like we do but they are much more spiritually advanced than every human on Earth.

And the playlist!

Happy Summer, DeLuxers!

Talk to you soon, we will see again next SUNday and in the meantime do not forget the chat on Substack, where I am updating news and interesting insights.

Your truly

Susanna

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