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Ed's avatar

I've long inhabited the quiet mechanics of taste—the back-end buyer, the seeker of value, the silent designer who sources with instinct more than instruction. But lately, I find myself drawn to the luminous side: the alchemy of brand, the breathless rise of trend, and how one might not just chase it, but shape it.

What captivates me about your work is not just the form—it’s the emotion. That subtle plebeian effect you conjure: accessible, raw, yet devastatingly resonant. It’s a rare talent to speak to both the mind and the market. I'm taking notes.

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Jess | Wellness with Depth's avatar

Interesting perspective. thank you for sharing!

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Rachel W. Thibodeaux's avatar

OMG! No doubt, this is one of the best articles I've read on luxury branding & the underlying psychology. Kept thinking I was gonna get promoted to upgrade to continue! New subscriber & probably future customer here ✋🏽

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Carolynne Alexander's avatar

Eeek, Rachel! Thank you 🙌🏼 I'm thrilled that it hit for you. I was thinking just this week about adding a paywall. But then the next question was "how can I make these briefings even MORE valuable" before I do that. Cos I'm here for long-term relationships and working with legends. The fact you have "occasional shenanigans" in your bio makes me wanna be in YOUR gang!! 🤍

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Carolynne Alexander's avatar

Also "swagstrategist" YAAASSSS!!!

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Isa Côté's avatar

I find your point of view very interesting. What you describe is what I wanted to provide for clients, but was invisible. I'll have to ponder on how I could twist things, if I ever decide to continue coaching (because what's the point if you attract no one, right?). You said to drop our Substack because you want to check it out, here it is. It's not coaching oriented, I'm testing the waters. Thank you for feeding my mind!

https://open.substack.com/pub/isacote?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4ffw6f

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Carolynne Alexander's avatar

Aw Isa, thank you. It's so tough to translate that feeling into words and visuals, I get it. If I could give myself some advice from when I was starting, it would be to write and write and write *and publish* until you find your unique POV cos it's just below the surface.

I just read your latest article, wow 🤍 I'm curious, what is your Mercury Personality in Human Design?

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Isa Côté's avatar

Thank you Carolynne! I appreciate your support! My Mercury Personality in HD is Gate 49.

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Selin Ozkan's avatar

Such an amazing read, I would love to know some of your favorite brands which nailed these goals when it comes to luxury branding for further observation.

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Carolynne Alexander's avatar

Great question and thank you.

Not a fashion brand but Bang & Olufsen are excellent when it comes to the story of obsession and craft » https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/gb/story/about-bang-and-olufsen

And Burberry, their story of creating gabardine and how it came from fighting with the British weather (we all know that so well!) » https://uk.burberry.com/c/burberry-world/heritage/our-story/

A challenge for you. Find the brands you love and read their history/story on their website. Find the turning point in the story where they said "enough, I'm doing this myself" and their obsession began. Once you see it, you can't un-see it.

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Selin Ozkan's avatar

mille merci!

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Jelisha's avatar

So much so. I read the luxury brand and this summed up better for what I do and want to bring.

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Matteo Azzolini's avatar

Agree, the ability to offer unique experiences and compelling narratives are so essential for luxury brands. Amazing read!

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Carolynne Alexander's avatar

Thanks for reading and commenting, Matteo. We need more unique stories and POVs from brands.

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Marcel Melzig's avatar

Such a beautiful post, storytelling is so important.

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Carolynne Alexander's avatar

Ah thanks Marcel 🙌🏼

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Carolynne Alexander's avatar

NIKAAAA! Hello! I love it when the interwebs does that.

Subscribed to your magic... obvs 🤍

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Nika Wolf's avatar

well, well, well, thank you Substack for popping this lady in my feed because I was wondering why you disappeared from my Instagram :)

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Christen Johnson's avatar

This was such a great read! I offer luxury styling experiences and believe that luxury is how you make someone feel. But I’ve been struggling with my content and am not sure if it’s really working the way that I need it to. I will definitely revisit the 3 O’s and make sure I’m covering all the bases. Thank you!

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