Culture

There’s a version of the world that gets told through the same four or five cities. New York. Paris. London. Milan. It’s not that these places don’t matter — it’s that defaulting to them is a kind of creative shorthand. And shorthand, over time, becomes a blind spot.

Three weeks. Five cities. A few thousand miles outside the usual circuits. What I found wasn’t just interesting travel — it was a reminder that the most vital signals in hospitality, luxury, and cultural identity are increasingly coming from places that rarely make the mood board.

In Beirut, Beit Tamanna offers something quietly radical: every room conceived by a different Lebanese artist or designer. It functions less like a hotel than a living cultural archive — a building that holds a community’s creative voice inside its walls.

Venice yielded two entirely different lessons in the same weekend. The Venice Venice Hotel, an initiative connected to Golden Goose, layers streetwear culture, a canal-side diner, and contemporary hospitality into something that resists easy categorization. A few bridges away, NOLINSKI Venezia takes another approach: a Parisian sensibility translated into Venetian context, with a Michelin-starred kitchen, a live piano bar, and an atmosphere where two distinct identities don’t compete — they deepen each other.

Athens surprised in a different way. The neighborhood of Exarchia reads like a Bushwick transplant: anarchist cafés, fast casual spots with serious culinary intent, and a raw creative energy that’s actively rewriting what an urban identity can look like. It doesn’t feel like a scene in formation. It feels like one already in motion.

Brussels offered a quieter signal. Numa — a design-forward aparthotel concept — is pointing toward where hospitality is heading: frictionless check-in, coworking integrated into the stay, seamless digital infrastructure. The physical city almost becomes secondary to the quality of the experience within it.

Amsterdam confirmed what good taste looks like when it isn’t performing. Cafés serving jasmine tahini tea where aesthetics and social awareness share the same table, without either one feeling forced.

And Antwerp reminded me that creative influence doesn’t expire — and doesn’t require a massive capital behind it. It’s the city that produced Dries Van Noten. Cultural gravity, it turns out, doesn’t scale with population.

What all of this reinforced is something we believe deeply at RO NEW YORK: you have to be of the moment, but not trapped in it.

The most interesting ideas in luxury, hospitality, and brand identity aren’t waiting to be validated by the usual cities anymore. They’re being worked out in neighborhoods, hotels, and cafés that are interpreting culture on their own terms — and getting there first.

Looking at the world through the same lens, the same cities, the same references is a reliable way to produce work that feels current. It’s also the fastest way to miss where things are actually going.

The signal is out there. You just have to be willing to look somewhere new.

Brands once bought attention. Now, they earn it—or they don’t get it at all. Today, a powerful cultural marketing strategy earns genuine consumer engagement and loyalty.

Consumers are savvy to the sell. They swipe past ads but stop for something that feels real. Enter culture marketing: partnerships with creators who speak the language, storytelling rooted in shared values, moments that are made to be remixed.

Brands that still rely on “purpose-driven” platitudes are being outpaced by those who understand subcultures, speak meme, and know when to lead versus follow.

Culture is fast, fragmented, and brutally honest. But if you can speak it fluently, it pays in loyalty.

As “dupe culture” thrives on social media, consumers are actively—and unapologetically—seeking affordable alternatives to premium products. TikTok hauls, side-by-side comparisons, and influencer shoutouts have turned budget-friendly lookalikes into viral sensations. Luxury aesthetics, it seems, are now more accessible than ever—but at what cost?

This cultural shift doesn’t spell doom for luxury brands. In fact, it presents a clear opportunity for reinvention. In 2025, the most successful high-end brands aren’t just selling exclusivity—they’re selling meaning. Because when everything can be copied, the only thing that can’t be duplicated is authenticity.

Dupe culture isn’t rooted in disloyalty; it’s driven by a desire for value. Consumers— especially younger ones—are looking for smart, stylish purchases that reflect their tastes without breaking their budgets. But that doesn’t mean they’re unwilling to pay more for something real. What they want from luxury today isn’t just the logo—it’s the story, the values, the craft, and the emotion behind it.

Luxury in 2025 is being redefined by substance over status. Sustainability, ethical sourcing, and cultural relevance are now key drivers of perceived value. A beautiful bag is still a beautiful bag, but it holds more weight—literally and figuratively—when it’s made from responsibly sourced materials by skilled artisans in a region known for its heritage. That kind of detail isn’t just a feature—it’s the brand.

To thrive in the era of dupes, brands must double down on what makes them irreplaceable. That means leaning into origin stories, elevating quality, and building a deeper emotional connection with customers. Luxury can no longer rely on price tags alone—it must communicate purpose.

We’re seeing this play out across fashion, beauty, wellness, and design. The brands winning in this new landscape aren’t trying to outpace the imitators—they’re refusing to play the same game. Instead, they’re investing in storytelling, offering transparency into their process, and fostering real community. They’re not afraid to be niche, complex, or even polarizing—because those are the traits that make a brand feel real.

As imitation becomes faster, cheaper, and more algorithmically optimized, the true competitive advantage lies in being unmistakably yourself. Consumers can get “the look” anywhere. What they can’t get from a dupe is the legacy. The intention. The magic.

Authenticity isn’t a trend—it’s a moat. And in 2025, it’s deeper than ever. Luxury brands that focus on being clear in their values, consistent in their voice, and courageous in their creative will continue to thrive. Not because they’re more expensive—but because they’re more meaningful.

So no, dupe culture isn’t killing luxury. It’s challenging it and forcing it to evolve. And that evolution is a good thing.