Exclusive Event

London: Wednesday 12th March, 2025 at 6pm GMT
New York: Wednesday 19th March, 2025 at 6pm EST

DISCUSSIONS OF TODAY’S EVOLVING LANDSCAPE:
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF LUXURY?

                Issa PR will host its fifth annual “Future of Luxury” symposium in London and New York City this March. The event will include strategic dialogue among global leaders from some of the world’s top luxury companies. The speakers will discuss the future of the ever evolving luxury industry and emerging dominance of AI, sharing trends, forecasts and important industry themes such as the economy, geopolitics, sustainability, D&I, and the future of luxury in art, fashion, film, culture and entertainment.

Moderated by …

VIET N’GUYEN, FOUNDER & CEO OF ISSA PR

A dynamic leader & strategist with over 20 years experience, which includes working at Edelman, #1 agency in the world building their luxury & lifestyle division. Vanity Fair named her on the “Downtown 100” list of most inspirational people in NYC. New York Business Journal voted her a “Woman of Influence” in 2018. She has lectured at New York University’s School of Business, Stern on “The Intersection of Luxury & Philanthropy”, and future of the industry. PR Week selected Viet for their Power Book of most powerful people in PR in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

2025 Panelists

SOO KIM |
Life & Trends Reporter, Newsweek

Soo Kim is a journalist and author based in London, U.K. She is a reporter for Newsweek, an international news publication, covering various lifestyle stories. She has been featured as a contributor on several BBC Radio stations, including BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, as well as the BBC News channel and the South Korean national television channel Arirang TV, the country’s largest English broadcasting station. She has also reported on various other major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph, a leading U.K. national newspaper, for nearly a decade from 2010. Soo is a graduate of the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism.

WENDY BEVAN |
Multi-Media Artist & Fashion Photographer

Wendy Bevan is a British musician, photographer, and multimedia artist known for her surreal and theatrical approach across performance, photography, and experimental art. Initially trained as a photographer, she also studied performance and acting. For over a decade, Bevan’s photographic works have been presented and published by leading international fashion publications including LOVE, i-D, POP, 10, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Italia and Marie-Claire Italia. Her distinctive Polaroid work explores the identity and complexities of womanhood against a backdrop of the modern archetypical feminine identity. She has photographed iconic women, such as Tilda Swinton and Debbie Harry. Bevan has exhibited and performed at venues such as ICA, David Roberts Art Foundation, and Latitude. She has participated in live art performances at festivals including SPILL Festival and Edinburgh Festival and collaborated with the UK theatre company Punchdrunk.

BRUNO CENTOFANTI
Filmmaker & Director

Bruno is an innovative filmmaker and storyteller — an award-winning director who explores AI-driven techniques to push the boundaries of creativity. With extensive experience working alongside global brands and high-profile individuals, Centofanti specialises in crafting cinematic narratives. Bruno has directed and produced for Google, Disney, BBC, Red Bull, the Premier League, Nike, and MTV. His work has also brought him alongside influential figures such as HM King Charles III, Tamara Rojo, JJ Abrams, David Hockney, Tori Amos, Neymar, and Ed Sheeran. Honoured with the Best Video Journalism award as part of The Sunday Times’ multimedia team, Bruno continues to push creative boundaries in every project. Recently, he was living with and documenting the Yanomami Indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, and collaborating with Daniel Proieto and Marion Barbeau at the Paris and Oslo Opera House.

AMANDA DYJECINSKI |
Marketing Director, Maslow’s

Amanda Dyjecinski specialises in brand development, value proposition refinement and marketing strategy. With a background in marketing from the University of Warwick Business School, she has more than 20 years of experience as a Commercial Chartered Marketer, working client-side and agency-side in maximising brand growth for luxury services and experience. Currently, Dyjecinski is the Marketing Director at Maslow’ Members’ houses, workspaces, restaurants and bars promoting personal and professional wellbeing. Other leadership roles include Concorde, British Airways and Onefinestay, shaping brand narratives and customer experience. She is an advisor for startups and an angel investor in several female-led companies across lifestyle and blockchain, including FilmChain and Findra Clothing. A female powerhouse and mother, she also mentors young entrepreneurs through The Prince’s Trust and was awarded the “Best Women-Led Investment Innovation” award at the 2019 UK Business Angels Association Awards.

BARRY X BALL |
Sculptor

Barry X Ball is a visionary contemporary sculptor based in New York. The artist’s work has been widely shown internationally over the last 35 years and is represented in many public and private collections. Barry has re-imagined traditional figurative sculpture through the use of innovative and bold techniques – 3D digital scanning, virtual modeling, rapid prototyping, and computer-controlled milling – as well as exquisitely-detailed hand carving and polishing. Major recent exhibitions of his work include Barry X Ball: Remaking Sculpture (2020, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas) and the Medardo Rosso Project at Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art  (2019, Venice Biennale). Upcoming are shows at the Museo Novecento in Florence and Sevil Dolmaci Gallery in Istanbul, a collaboration with Zeng Fanzhi in Beijing, and currently “Sacred and Profane” with Andres Serrano at Patricia Low Contemporary in Gstaad, Switzerland. The Barry X Ball Studio in Brooklyn is the world’s most advanced stone sculpture facility and has been featured in numerous design and architectural publications.

DAVID RUFF |
Editor & Creator | British Vogue, Grazia, CR Fashion Book

David Ruff is a New York City-based content creator, writer and consultant specializing in fashion and beauty. With a background in journalism, mass communication, and marketing from George Washington University, he launched his blog and social media presence in 2017, building a community of over 250,000 followers. Known for his distinct aesthetic and personal approach, Ruff has worked with prestigious brands such as Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Marriott Bonvoy, Nordstrom, and Tom Ford Beauty, shaping his expertise in the ever-evolving luxury landscape. He has also consulted on creative, casting and social media strategies for editorial and commercial projects with British Vogue, CFDA, CR Fashion Book, CR Men’s, GRAZIA Magazine, MICHELIN Guide, MISSION Magazine, Sotheby’s, Tod’s, Vogue Arabia, Vogue Hong Kong, Vogue Singapore, and more.

PIA VELASCO |
AI Gen Specialist

Pia Velasco is a generative AI specialist and journalist in the technology, beauty and wellness sectors. She has collaborated with some of the biggest technology and social media platforms in the world, has written for luxury publications, such as InStyle, Vogue, Marie Claire, Coveteur, Yahoo, Allure and many others. Velasco has consulted for some of the most impactful global beauty brands. She specializes in the intersection of beauty with culture and technology, particularly in the realms of emerging tech such as AI, VR, and AR. She is a columnist for the Fragrance Foundation and sits on the Board of Directors of BeautyFor, a non-profit tackling the beauty industry’s waste problem. Velasco holds a Bachelor of Arts from New York University and a Master of Science from Columbia University. 

STEVE GONZÁLEZ |
Creative Director

Steve González is a New York-based Creative Director and Storyteller and “street style maverick” (V Man Magazine). With deep expertise in the menswear style scene and a background in international business and fashion design, Steve is renowned for tapping into both the New York and European market as one of the most influential menswear creators in the world. He spent 12 years in retail, then styling, working with major luxury brands, such as Giorgio Armani. Today, he collaborates with globally renowned brands on digital marketing and creative direction initiatives. For luxury shoewear brand, Jacques Solovière Paris’ 10th anniversary this year, Steve created his second capsule collection inspired by the holiday season and joy of sharing. Steve is currently working on creating his own brand and recently executed a brand collaboration called Savio x Steve in Florence Italy. Steve was born in Los Angeles and raised between Mexico City and LA. 

To RSVP or for key insights following the symposium, please email info@issa-pr.com.