Should high-end brands be accessible? Will stores become exhibition spaces? What makes a cool collaboration? As part of the 2018 Expert Outlook, we speak to three experts about why luxury consumers want to get their hands dirty and how they expect brands to express their values.

Memes are a staple of internet culture – but what happens when brands try to get in on the action? As part of its #TFW campaign, Gucci collaborated with artists to create branded memes, but was this co-opting of digital youth culture an inspired decision, or just cringeworthy?

In a bid to protect creatures small and large, leading Italian fashion house Gucci is discontinuing the use of animal fur in all its collections from 2018 onwards. The move should help win over ethically-minded Gen Yers, who want to spend on brands that reflect their values.

Italian fashion label Fiorucci is being revived. The heritage brand is opening up a flagship in London, which will include a café and cocktail bar. The launch appeals to Gen Yers' desire for experiential retail, while tapping into the nostalgia of older generations who grew up with the brand.