
Hosted by Anna Anderson, Caitlin Shell · EN

This week on Decode Sessions, we're unpacking two very different brand stories. Everlane, the poster child of "radical transparency", has been acquired by Shein, sparking outrage across fashion and sustainability circles. Marc Jacobs has been sold by LVMH after years of strategic missteps, raising questions about luxury, relevance and what happens when a brand stops listening to its audience. From sustainability as a buzzword to the dangers of chasing prestige, we explore what these stories can teach every modern brand.

Most brands say they want a community. What they actually want is an audience that buys things. The problem? People can tell the difference. In this episode of Decode Sessions, we unpack why community has become one of the most misunderstood words in marketing, how coaching culture is reshaping consumer expectations and what brands get wrong when trying to create genuine belonging.

Did tech bros kill fashion's biggest night? This week on Decode Sessions, we unpack why the Met Gala became the "Tech Gala" and what Bezos, Zuckerberg and Amazon reveal about the new fight for cultural power. Because money can buy a seat. But can it buy culture?

Why are founder-led beauty brands dominating right now? This week on Decode Sessions, we break down how Saltair and Naturium built cult followings through authenticity, smart positioning and accessible luxury.

Tech once promised we'd all live in the metaverse. Now, it's signing leases on Fifth Avenue, opening immersive stores, building creator hubs, and borrowing the one thing fashion has always mastered: world-building. In this episode of Decode Sessions, we unpack how Meta, Nothing and Anthropic are moving from pure utility to lifestyle identity, and why physical spaces, cultural positioning and real-life activations are becoming the new battleground for tech. We also decode Salone del Mobile and why Milan Design Week has become fashion's most intellectual playground: slower, more tactile, more cultural and a sharp contrast to the content-machine energy of Coachella.

Coachella isn't dead, it's evolved. From music festival to full-blown brand universe, this week on Decode Sessions, we unpack how Coachella became a billion-dollar content machine, why brands keep betting big on it, and what marketers can learn from the world's most photogenic cultural moment. Plus, welcome officially to Caitlin as a permanent co-host.

Chanel, Noodleblox, Allbirds & Hot Girl Pickles Losers & Viral Products Fashion is aging, sensory toys are selling out, pickle brands are becoming cult status, and Allbirds might be the cautionary tale every brand needs right now. In this episode of Decode Sessions, Anna and Caitlin get into the trends actually shaping culture: why older models suddenly dominated fashion month, how Noodleblox-style sensory products became TikTok gold, why "Hot Girl Pickles" are more than a meme, and what brands keep getting wrong when hype hits. A fast, funny deep dive into relevance, realness, virality and what lasting brand power actually looks like. Listen now.

Why are adults queuing for an hour for Jellycat at Harrods? Why is Victoria Beckham's foundation sold out everywhere? And what does Kendall Jenner's tequila brand have to do with beauty? In this episode of Decode Sessions, we unpack the marketing strategies behind today's biggest brand moments, from nostalgia and scarcity to unexpected collaborations and the power of cultural relevance. From Jellycat's rise as a lifestyle icon to 818 Tequila x Salt & Stone, luxury beauty hype and the future of brand building, we decode what's really driving demand right now.

A $20 smoothie shouldn't work. But it does. Because it's not a product. It's a cultural moment. From Erewhon to Barbie, from matcha to hotel merch, the brands winning today all understand one thing: People don't buy products anymore. They buy into worlds. The smoothie is just the entry point. The real strategy is everything around it. Welcome to modern marketing.

The beauty industry is being rewritten by independents. In this episode of Decode Sessions, we sit down with Milo from Rollr to unpack why indie brands are dominating cultural relevance, how community is replacing traditional marketing, and what really creates cult status in beauty today. From the premiumisation of deodorant to the future of founder-led brands, this conversation explores the new rules of building a beauty brand.