Regent’s was thrilled to welcome Helen Brocklebank, CEO of Walpole, to campus for our final Distinguished Speakers Series event of 2025.
The only industry body which aims protect, promote and develop the British luxury sector, Walpole’s membership comprises 270 brands across diverse sectors, and fosters 18 ‘brands of tomorrow’ through nurturing entrepreneurs and founders behind emerging luxury brands.
Helen’s talk shared a fascinating insight into key trends in luxury – as well as what we can expect from the sector in 2026 and beyond.
**
Why does luxury ‘matter’?
Helen touched on what defines ‘luxury’ - the connection between our inner most desires with the products and experiences which fulfil them – and its economic power as a sector. With an approximate value of £81 billion a year, making it bigger than the pharmaceutical and fashion industries, and supporting almost half a million jobs across the UK within highly skilled areas, it should not be underestimated. Helen noted: ‘it’s a sector that’s making it happen every single day’.
What’s ‘wrong’ with the luxury sector?
Despite facing a difficult climate in recent years, the sector is expected to grow over the next five years. Helen highlighted the current media narrative around the issues being experienced by the luxury sector and why she disagrees with these perspectives, pointing to the size and scale of the sector globally and in Europe as evidence.
However, Helen also acknowledged that 2025 has been ‘sobering’. There has been a relatively sizeable loss of luxury consumers in the last year and a feeling from some across the sector that brands have lost sight of what ‘luxury’ really means, choosing to focus on high price points rather than exceptional quality and beautiful products.
Despite this, Helen’s advice for the sector is ‘don’t panic!’, as there is still plenty to be positive about as well as strong potential for growth and evolution.
‘A love of luxury is hard wired in human behaviour’
Helen touched on the idea that, as a society, there will always be agreed symbols and drivers which represent ‘achievement’ and ‘status’ – ‘we will always want nice things to reward ourselves for success.’
This should be used to inform a renewed focus on the fundamentals of ‘luxury’ and to help brands consider factors within their control to better future-proof and tackle the challenges facing the sector. Helen emphasised the importance of creativity and innovation, product quality and creative leadership, pointing to Miu Miu’s recent return to the playfulness and creativity at the heart of its DNA and Chanel’s focus on craftsmanship and discernment under its new Creative Director as examples of this.
What’s next: future trends in luxury
Helen reflected, ‘luxury is not for everybody’. At its core, it is aspirational, and brands and products should ignite something deeply personal to spark those all-important connections between customer and brand.
Whilst the market for luxury is not shrinking – globally there are more customers than ever – spending patterns are changing significantly. Helen noted: ‘your job as a luxury brand is to make people fall in love with you’. She highlighted the importance providing an accessible entry point as a way of building relationships with a new generation of customers and ensuring that these love affairs with brands and products can be fulfilled at whatever end of the luxury market a customer can access.
Helen also underlined the importance of understanding key desirability drivers, such as exclusivity and status but also heritage and timelessness. Luxury customers want something they can value forever and, as they become more well-informed about brands and products, they are more conscious of what their choices say about them and of making good investments which will stand the test of time over chasing the latest or newest products.
Coupled with the desire to make lasting investments, luxury customers are increasingly turning to experiences over products in an uncertain global market: ‘everything has to be experience-led, as this is how you build the emotional heft behind luxury.’ There’s incredible potential for innovation within the experiential space, as well as to deliver on value and fulfil customers’ dreams.
What have we learned from this year?
Helen shared the insights that she believes are key to inspiring and informing the future of the British luxury sector:
- Luxury is an excellence industry – your focus should be value, not price and ‘newness’
- Your brand DNA is everything – be clear about who you are and keep this at the heart of your offer
- Excite the crowd as well as top customers – your ‘entry point’ customers are just as valuable as high-net-worth individuals
- Luxury is about strong feelings – emotion, devotion and celebration are essential.
She also explored the increased focus on sustainability, highlighting Walpole’s British Sustainability Manifesto which aims to help members commit to making the sector the benchmark for luxury and sustainability – ‘in luxury, you’re saying you are the best of the best and sustainability is a key part of this’.
Looking to 2026 and beyond, now is the time for the sector to shine, with a focus on beautifully made products and extraordinary quality that are built to stand the test of time.