Panel: Communicating Luxury Today
Who really shapes a luxury and luxury brand’s story. Is it the in-house team, the agency or the press covering them? For decades the answer seemed clear, with influence flowing one way from maker or brand to press to public. This panel asks whether that model still holds, or whether social platforms and creators have quietly become the real source of authority.
At the centre of the conversation sits a tension every communicator and journalist in varying worlds of luxury knows but rarely names. The companies you cover are often the same ones who fund you, invite you and can withdraw access at will. Can you stay a critical voice and keep your seat at the table, or is access itself the thing that compromises you? Brands say they want accountability, yet frequently punish anyone who holds them to it. Is the prospect of being cancelled making comms more honest, or simply narrowing what can be said out loud?
The panel also turns the question back on the messengers. If journalists and communicators shape how we see brands, who shapes them, the editors, advertisers, algorithms or their own audience? And if communicators are meant to hold brands accountable, who holds communicators accountable? Ultimately the discussion asks whether integrity in luxury comms is still a lived practice, or whether it has become another brand story we tell about ourselves rather than something we do.
Conversation Curator Julian Vogel
Founder, ModusBPCM
Julian Vogel is a communications strategist and brand storyteller with over four decades at the forefront of the luxury industry. As CEO of ModusBPCM, a global creative brand communications agency with offices in London, New York and Los Angeles, he has helped shape how some of the world’s most influential brands engage with culture across fashion, beauty, wellness, design, architecture, arts, hotels, wines and spirits. A trustee of the Design Museum and advisory board member of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Julian sits at the unique intersection of commerce and culture, with an instinctive understanding of how great stories get told — and who needs to hear them.
For Julian, public relations has always been about two things: storytelling in all its forms, and the building of communities. Whether that’s buyers, collaborators, press or end consumers, he believes that the bridge between a brand and its audience is built on clarity of purpose, a strong point of view, and the courage to stay true to it. In this conversation, he shares his hard-won wisdom on what it takes for a fashion brand to cut through in today’s crowded landscape, the common mistakes startups make, how the industry is being reshaped by technology and culture, and why — above all else — authenticity has never mattered more.
Jaye Thompson — Founder and CEO, Thompson Communications
Jaye Thompson is the founder and CEO of Thompson Communications, a London-based luxury communications consultancy launched earlier this year, working across fashion, beauty, jewellery and lifestyle. His perspective is shaped by over a decade inside two of the world’s most storied luxury brands – as International Director of Public Relations and Influence at Cartier, and Global Director of PR Strategy at Tiffany & Co., where he led global communications strategy, activations planning and the Celebrity and Influencer function.
He also had a spell in magazine editorial as Executive Fashion Director at InStyle UK, giving him a grounding in editorial storytelling and an insider understanding on the realities of fashion and lifestyle magazine publishing. Jaye founded Thompson Communications to bring that in-house rigour and global brand experience to a wider roster of luxury clients, advising on positioning, media strategy and cultural relevance.
Patrick McDowell — Founder, Patrick McDowell
Patrick McDowell is a London-based fashion brand, known for its visionary blend of creativity and circular design. McDowell is committed to crafting garments designed to last, offering redesign, repair and refit services to promote circularity.
McDowell was named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list and in the same year received the Queen Elizabeth II award for British Design From The Princess of Wales. McDowell has spoken about their work at the United Nations Headquarters both in 2022 and 2024, advocating for a reimagined, environmentally responsible future. Since its founding, Patrick McDowell has garnered global recognition. Featured in leading publications, such as Vogue, The FT and Tatler. Dressing global talents, including The Princess of Wales, Zendaya, Helen Mirren, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga.
Jessica Burrell— Lifestyle Editor at The London Standard
Jessica Burrell is Lifestyle Editor at The London Standard, where she reports on fashion, as well as a little travel and wellness for good measure. She was previously The Telegraph’s Acting Fashion Editor, which involved developing an encyclopaedic knowledge of royal style while covering trends, news, red carpets and fashion weeks. She’s also written about an improbable range of topics for Vogue, ELLE, Conde Nast Traveller, Stylist and more. Tiny handbags and five-star hotels are her specialist subjects; Carrie Bradshaw and Princess Anne are her style icons.
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