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Gucci is facing major backlash over AI promo for Milan Fashion Week. Days before new creative director Demna Gvasalia’s debut runway show, the brand released a series of AI-generated promotional… | Nick Tran | 44 comments

📸 Gucci faced backlash over AI-generated promo images for Milan Fashion Week. This controversy erupted days before creative director Demna Gvasalia’s debut show. Critics labeled the images as “AI slop,” questioning the alignment with Gucci's traditional craftsmanship. Gucci’s revenue dropped 22% year-over-year amid performance struggles. The brand has experimented with AI before, including AI artworks as NFTs and runway videos. The reaction highlights skepticism towards AI replacing human creativity in luxury fashion.
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#shiji #horizondistribution #hospitalitytech #hoteltechnology | Shiji Group

📈 AI is transforming the travel industry, offering hotels a chance to regain visibility from OTAs. Using AI-ready formats, Shiji Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content help hotels convert interest into direct bookings and revenue. Key trends from the Adyen Hospitality & Travel Report 2025 highlight the rapid acceleration of AI in travel planning. Hotel brands can now connect directly with travelers, with major contributions from Booking.com and Expedia Group, enhancing AI visibility and brand engagement.
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Hospitality Shouldn’t Be A Cutting Room Experience

📖 Regula Luescher, a leader in urban re-invention in Zurich and Berlin, emphasized that authenticity cannot be fabricated. The current hospitality narrative prioritizes storytelling over tangible experiences, creating disillusionment. This "reverse iceberg" approach focuses on superficial narratives rather than substance. To truly engage, understanding and designing for actual needs is essential. Instead of just telling stories, spaces should genuinely reflect and resonate with the people and moments they are designed for.
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#executivetravel #founderlife #operationalexcellence | Ben Robertson

✈️ Executives often face costly disruptions when drawn into travel logistics. Fractional travel management offers a solution by assigning one accountable operator to manage the entire trip, anticipate challenges, and protect valuable time. This approach minimizes fragmentation, emphasizing efficiency over mere ticketing. Whether dealing with midweek travel chaos or seeking operational excellence, this strategy ensures smoother executive travel experiences. #ExecutiveTravel #FounderLife #OperationalExcellence
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#kering #luxury | Jacques-Olivier CHAUVIN | 20 comments

🏦 Kering plans to close over 100 stores by 2026, primarily affecting Gucci. This decision follows the "Phoenix Directive" from two months ago, advocating for an exit from Gucci outlets. The closures aren't due to underperformance but rather to protect brand integrity from discounted sales. The strategy is viewed as a survival measure rather than a rescue. Fouad Elkoreichi suggests that Kering needs sovereign capital, possibly from Saudi Arabia or Abu Dhabi, to regain financial stability and avoid vulnerability.
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There’s an undeniable mystique about Orient Express: Agatha Christie set a murder on it; James Bond escaped it. It’s more than just the eponymous train after Accor acquired 50% of the brand from… | David Eisen

🚄 Who? Sebastien Bazin of Accor, Gilda Perez-Alvarado. When? 2017 and six years later in 2023. Where? Los Angeles. What? Accor acquired 50% of Orient Express from Groupe SNCF in 2017. In 2023, Gilda Perez-Alvarado became CEO of Orient Express. How? Sebastien Bazin hired Perez-Alvarado initially as chief strategy officer before promoting her. Why? To expand the Orient Express brand into trains, hotels, and yachts.
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Booking.com took Airbnb’s homes. Airbnb took Booking’s employees to take their hotels. Booking Holdings: $26.9B revenue in 2025. Airbnb: $12.2B revenue in 2025. Until now, they were two completely… | Ashkhen Gevondyan

🏠 Booking.com and Airbnb are converging in the travel industry. By 2025, Booking's revenue will reach $26.9B, and Airbnb's $12.2B. Booking.com's home listings total 8.6M, close to Airbnb's 9M. From 2019 to 2025, Booking.com will increase its share in Airbnb's home market from 25% to 36%. Cities like New York, Barcelona, and Paris are imposing regulations that impact Airbnb's short-term rentals. Airbnb hired Lou Zameryka, a former 20-year Booking.com executive, to lead its hotel expansion.
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