Societies #3 — July–September 2025

Welcome to the third edition of our quarterly guide for the visionary hoteliers shaping what’s next. In these 31 pages, you’ll find curated inspiration from the edges of design, technology, AI, art, and digital culture. It’s not just a moodboard. It’s a benchmark created to keep you informed, inspired, and ahead.

We’re living in an era of unprecedented creative possibility. Generative AI has made high-quality imagery, video, and storytelling accessible to anyone with a browser and a spark of imagination. Boundaries to creation are dissolving. Tools are becoming intuitive. Ideas can move from concept to execution in minutes. The playing field is wide open, and that’s incredibly exciting.

But if everyone has access to the same tools, what makes the difference?

Taste.

Technology can generate content. It can remix aesthetics. But it cannot make choices. It cannot tell what matters. That remains the domain of the tastemakers, the people who see clearly, curate boldly, and connect dots in ways others don’t. As AI levels the technical playing field, those with great taste will stand out.

This is your quarterly reset. A dose of vision. A snapshot of what’s coming. A reminder that the future doesn’t just happen, it’s designed.

Enjoy the Q3 2025 edition of SOCIETIES, Quarterly. We’re proud to share it, and committed to keeping you inspired every quarter.

Sebastien Felix, Founder and CEO of Influence Society

A modular masterpiece in the making, Lego’s new Innovation Campus in Billund channels the brand’s design DNA into built form. Crafted by Danish studio CEBRA, the timber-framed workplace will unite over 600 designers within a playful, light-filled space centered around a 20,000-piece Lego library. At its heart: the “PlayWay”, a connective spine that turns circulation into collaboration. More than an office, this campus reimagines the work environment as an open-ended creative tool, inviting invention, exploration, and the boundless spirit of play.

Tucked beneath the sycamores of Tokyo’s Nakameguro district, Words, Sounds, Colors and Shapes is less a store and more a living extension of Ramdane Touhami’s imagination. Inside, cinematic soundscapes fall from the ceiling, garments whisper stories of Japanese craftsmanship, and every object, whether rug, hoodie, or cup, carries the fingerprints of deep collaboration. Following his Paris flagship, Touhami’s Tokyo outpost is intimate, layered, and unapologetically personal. It’s not retail theatre, it’s a room, a gallery, a conversation. As Ramdane puts it: “I just wanted to do it perfectly.” And he has.

Once crumbling and forgotten, this 16th-century Dutch castle was revived by designer Peter Ghyczy into a home of contrasts, where Baroque portraits meet space-age innovation. Ghyczy’s vision fused radical materials, like floating glass and cast metal, with centuries-old bones and heirlooms. What began as a ruin became a generational sanctuary, an evolving dialogue between history and modernism. His architectural revival wasn’t nostalgic—it was boldly imaginative, rooted in legacy yet unbound by convention. Today, Kasteel in the Air embodies a living design manifesto, where every object tells a story, and every room is a chapter.

At Monte-Carlo Beach, Jacquemus brings its sun-soaked vision to life in a striking seasonal takeover. A nod to the brand’s “La Croisière” collection, the reimagined pier and Pool Café embrace graphic black stripes and creamy coconut tones, elevating the Riviera aesthetic. From parasols to curated boutique interiors, each element channels the poetic minimalism of Provence. More than a fashion moment, this marks Jacquemus’ first full hospitality integration, an artful blend of leisure, luxury, and design-led storytelling along the Côte d’Azur.

Half-submerged at the edge of Norway’s southern coast, “Under” offers more than a dining experience, it’s an immersion. Set five meters beneath the North Sea, this architectural landmark frames the marine world in real time. A living periscope forged from concrete and craft, it invites guests to witness seasonal shifts, sea life, and the delicate ecology just outside its panoramic window. Culinary creations mirror the landscape’s rhythms, dictated by the ocean itself. “Under” is where architecture, sustainability, and sensory discovery converge, quietly challenging what it means to dine with nature.

Step into Hermès’ poetic world of equestrian elegance at “Mystery at the Groom’s”, a limited-time immersive installation at Pier 36, NYC. Originally unveiled in Shanghai, this design-led experience invites guests to solve a playful disappearance across richly detailed rooms, each one a tribute to Hermès’ storied craftsmanship and narrative finesse. Guided by digital clues, visitors uncover a tale woven with artistry and motion. The installation runs through June 29, with walk-in slots available daily. A fleeting invitation to engage with heritage, creativity, and the unexpected.

A streetwear sermon told in stitches and soul. The adidas x Willy Chavarria SS25 collection reimagines heritage as a living, breathing presence, rooted in South Central LA, amplified for a global stage. Every silhouette speaks of dignity, love, and resistance, framed through Chavarria’s lens of radical softness and adidas Originals’ legacy. This isn’t just collaboration, it’s cultural authorship. A visual memoir, where each garment carries the weight of memory and the promise of belonging. From alleyways to arenas, it’s not fashion. It’s a feeling.

A symbol of streetwear synchronicity, the Supreme x Goodenough x Nike Air Force 1 brings together three distinct design legacies in one sharp silhouette. Classic ‘Triple White’ forms the canvas, while leopard-print Swooshes, dual heel logos, and a translucent sole that spells “SUPOODENOUGH” underscore the collaboration’s cultural weight. It’s a refined remix of archival cool and contemporary relevance—designed not just to be worn, but remembered. Released as part of Supreme’s Summer ‘25 drop, this is less a sneaker, more a chapter in fashion’s ongoing dialogue with identity and influence.

Donald Glover reimagines Southern Californian summer through a design-forward lens with his debut Gilga Farm x Moncler Genius collection. Each piece, rooted in Moncler’s heritage, balances vivid color with utilitarian intent, like a duvet jacket that transforms into a sleeping bag. Glover’s Ojai-inspired creative imprint is unmistakable, from ripstop windbreakers to Trailgrip Vela sandals. This is more than a fashion drop, it’s a crafted narrative of function, identity, and place. As Moncler’s Monduck mascot assumes a farmer’s guise, Glover redefines how style can speak both poetically and practically to the world around us.

Doechii is more than a muse, she’s a movement. With a voice as magnetic as her visual presence, the Tampa-born rapper has turned brand collaborations into cultural statements, generating over $42M in media value for partners like Nike and Thom Browne. But behind the headlines lies a decade of relentless craft and radical authenticity. Doechii’s rise reframes how brands and artists co-create: not through transactional endorsements, but through shared storytelling. As the music industry evolves, her ascent offers a blueprint for brand partnerships rooted in design, resonance, and creative equity.

At London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, a striking new collaboration unfolded between Rémy Martin and visionary artist Anish Kapoor. The centrepiece: a limited-edition XO decanter, its deep, glowing hues echoing Kapoor’s fascination with light and form. Alongside it stood Pagan Gold, Kapoor’s latest sculpture, an enigmatic mirror that bends space and invites introspection. The evening merged heritage with modern artistry, where each sip of the XO blend, layered with fig, spice, and honey, was elevated by tactile pairings and a design-forward mise en scène.

RIMOWA deepens its Canadian footprint with the unveiling of its Yorkdale boutique—a 1,500 sq. ft. space where meticulous craftsmanship meets modern luxury. Nestled in Toronto’s newly expanded luxury wing, the boutique blends sleek granite and recycled French oak to create a design-forward environment. Inside, curated aluminium classics and seasonal hues like Granada and Verde are paired with bespoke services including embossing and repairs. This immersive retail experience speaks to a brand philosophy of longevity and personalization, aligning RIMOWA with a new era of elevated, experience-rich travel culture.

Across London, a quiet lunchtime renaissance is underway. High-speed canteen concepts like Farmer J and The Salad Kitchen are redefining midday dining with nutrient-rich, design-conscious plates that feel more like curated experiences than casual meals. Gone are the plastic triangles, enter trays that tell a story. With queues that feel more ritual than routine, this is wellness reframed as lifestyle, structure infused with self-care. It's not just lunch. It's a reclaiming of time, taste, and aesthetic intention, served warm.

A moving monument to culture and design, Dream of the Desert redefines luxury travel across Saudi Arabia. This five-star train, crafted by Arsenale Group and Aline Asmar d’Amman, unfolds across 1,300 km of sculpted dunes and nature reserves, offering 34 suites steeped in Bedouin-inspired elegance. Each carriage is a design narrative, where heritage and innovation converge in motion. More than a journey, it's a curated experience where design, storytelling, and landscape flow together, marking a transformative chapter in the region’s hospitality and design evolution.

A new chapter in luxury sailing begins. Launching in 2026, the Orient Express Corinthian—crafted in partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique redefines sea travel through a bold blend of engineering and elegance. At 220 meters, it will be the world’s largest sailing yacht, with design-forward cabins, five refined dining venues, and a Guerlain spa onboard. Its SolidSail system and hybrid LNG propulsion set new sustainability standards. More than a vessel, it’s a floating expression of the golden age of travel, reborn for a conscious, design-savvy generation.

Tucked beneath a vaulted glass roof in the Latin Quarter, Piscine Pontoise is a living artifact of Parisian elegance. Designed by Lucien Pollet in 1934, this art deco gem has been thoughtfully restored by Pierre Marchand Architectes to honour its original vision, where light, symmetry, and subtle detail define the space. From hand-matched paint tones to heritage signage, every element reclaims its place in the building’s layered narrative. Today, it’s more than a pool, it’s a graceful intersection of architectural legacy and everyday ritual, quietly anchoring a neighbourhood’s rhythm.

Snap’s new Lens Studio reimagines augmented reality as a creative playground for hoteliers and guests alike. With a simple text prompt, users can craft bespoke AI-generated lenses—transforming on-property moments into personalized, animated narratives. This design-forward tool invites imaginative experimentation: from mood-reflective filters that mirror a lobby’s ambiance to playful Bitmoji overlays at check-in. With intuitive controls and discreet AI integration, Lens Studio offers a new layer of immersive storytelling—where every lens becomes an extension of the hotel’s brand experience and a memory waiting to be shared.

Midjourney’s Video Model V1 transforms static art into dynamic visual poetry, redefining creativity beyond realism. True to its signature aesthetic, where art triumphs over conformity, Midjourney breathes life into existing images, creating cinematic scenes that blend surreal beauty and innovation. Subtle yet captivating, its accessible pricing democratizes high-quality AI video generation, opening endless creative possibilities. With its visionary approach rooted in imagination rather than imitation, Midjourney is pioneering the future of interactive storytelling, crafting digital worlds that evolve as you explore. A step toward a future where art truly moves.

Apple's unveiling of iOS 26 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference showcases a captivating evolution in design with the introduction of "Liquid Glass". Merging optical sophistication with responsive fluidity, this new visual language transforms user interaction into an immersive sensory experience. Beyond aesthetics, subtle AI integrations seamlessly enhance creativity and communication across Apple devices. While not revolutionary, this meticulously crafted update epitomizes Apple's signature approach: elegantly curating technology to elevate everyday interactions into moments of understated beauty and intuitive functionality.

Inspired by visionary design and subtle tech integration, OpenAI’s new pocket-sized, screen-free device, to be crafted by iconic Apple designer Jony Ive, is poised to redefine daily interactions. Aware of its user’s context and surroundings, promising unobtrusive innovation challenges our dependence on screens, promising to enhance daily life without visual distraction. Travel is one use case that needs something like this. Personal guided tours, without screens. There is something about this that might be geat for travel.

The Nothing Phone (3) redefines what it means to stand out in the smartphone landscape. While most modern flagships blend into a sea of familiarity, Nothing offers an imaginative twist with its Glyph Matrix, a dynamic, retro-inspired screen that merges creativity and purposeful tech integration. This playful yet refined feature encourages human connection, interaction, and expression, reviving the authentic joy of discovery often lost in today's sleek but monotonous designs. In a world craving originality, the Nothing Phone (3) boldly delivers it.

In a move that blends financial innovation with seamless everyday utility, Visa and Bridge are rolling out stablecoin-linked cards across Latin America. This partnership bridges crypto with real-world purchases, users spend in stablecoins, merchants receive local currency. As regulatory clarity emerges in the U.S., the collaboration hints at a global shift: digital currencies becoming as familiar as traditional bank cards. Designed with interoperability in mind, these cards are poised to bring the efficiency of stablecoins into the realm of refined, real-world spending experiences.

Step into a new era of couture with The Dolcelorian, an AI icon born from the storied silhouette of Dolce & Gabbana’s $1M Glass Suit. Powered by Boson Metasystem and Fermion Protocols, this cinematic experiment fuses luxury, storytelling, and blockchain into a decentralized fashion epic. Via a single social post, fans become co-owners, transforming digital engagement into cultural stakeholding. The Dolcelorian isn’t just fashion reimagined, it’s couture liberated from gatekeepers, animated by intelligence, and woven into the fabric of the Web3 universe. A symbol not just of style, but of future-forward participation.

In the heart of Modena, Maserati unveils the Officine Fuoriserie, a space where bespoke craftsmanship meets avant-garde innovation. Here, design is dialogue: between history and future, precision and imagination. With an expanded palette of customization, including a new state-of-the-art painting line, every Maserati becomes a singular expression of its owner. Rooted in a century-old legacy of the Trident, this atelier marks a bold chapter, an ode to Italian artisanship and the evolving language of luxury mobility. The future of the brand isn't mass-produced; it's meticulously made, one dream at a time.

Hermès redefines personal tech with a debut that resonates far beyond sound. Crafted by the elite Ateliers Horizons division, these $15,000 headphones draw from the house’s iconic Kelly bag, featuring hand-stitched leather and metallic accents. More than an audio device, this is an object of design: tactile, sculptural, and distinctly Hermès. Each pair speaks to a future where craftsmanship meets innovation, underscoring the maison’s expanding narrative in luxury lifestyle and experiential technology.

WILDSIDE by Yohji Yamamoto reimagines homeware with a striking set of 20 limited-edition patchwork cushions. Each a tactile archive of the brand’s layered design language. Constructed from eight repurposed textiles pulled from past collections, the cushions juxtapose floral jacquards with camouflage sherpa and military green canvas. The result is a refined collision of elegance and utilitarian edge, unified by hand-stenciled wordmarks and serialized detailing. More than décor, these one-of-one pieces channel WILDSIDE’s quiet radicalism, bringing the poetry of deconstruction into the living space with subtle craftsmanship and unmistakable identity.

Silk becomes story in Gucci’s ‘90 x 90’ project, a visual symphony where nine international artists reinterpret the brand’s archival codes across equestrian elegance, botanical reverie, and nautical detail. Each 90cm scarf is a narrative square, celebrating motifs like the iconic double-G monogram and the horsebit with contemporary flair. This initiative, part of *The Art of Silk*, repositions the scarf not just as accessory, but as artifact, bridging past and present through colour, form, and cultural memory. A tactile archive, compiled in a new Assouline volume, transforms fashion history into a collectible design experience.

From Paris to Seoul, fashion’s most design-forward houses are reimagining the restaurant not as a sideline, but as an extension of brand identity. These curated dining spaces by Saint Laurent, Alaïa, Jacquemus, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci translate couture codes into spatial form, pairing culinary craftsmanship with architectural intent. Each one offers more than a meal: they invite guests into a lived expression of the label’s philosophy. Minimalist, sun-drenched, or maximalist, these destinations signal how luxury brands are redefining physical experience in an increasingly digital world.

A tribute to the city that never sleeps, Rocco’s limited-edition Super Smart Fridge, created with Katz’s Deli, blends heritage and innovation in a compact, punchy-orange package. With nods to New York’s sports culture and its iconic subway seats, this high-design appliance is as nostalgic as it is forward-looking. Equally at home in a Tribeca loft or reimagined as a minibar in a design-led boutique hotel, it’s a cultural keepsake for those who see function as an extension of personality. New York now cools in style.

A world seen through the amber glow of a Negroni, @houseofnegroni captures the drink as more than a cocktail. It’s an aesthetic, a ritual, a curated lifestyle steeped in vintage elegance and timeless charm. With artful compositions of luxury interiors, glassware, and the cultural lore behind this classic aperitif, the feed invites viewers into a universe where design and hospitality collide. For those shaping experiences in boutique hospitality, it offers a blueprint: style isn’t added, it’s distilled. Each image is a masterclass in mood, making it essential viewing for those who design with taste, not trends.

From Milan Design Week to Williamsburg lofts, sound systems are shedding their utilitarian past. Today’s speakers aren’t just technical tools—they’re sculptural statements, narrative devices, and cultural touchpoints. Brands like Aime Leon Dore, Valentino, and Stone Island are using audio architecture to create immersive, design-rich environments that resonate far beyond decibels. Whether it’s a listening room, branded radio show, or bespoke installation, these sound systems represent a shift in brand storytelling, where sound doesn’t just fill a space, it defines it. Welcome to the new era of audio expression: crafted, curatorial, and unmistakably aesthetic.

Beneath a grand staircase at Rosewood Amsterdam, a vending machine quietly disrupts the norm. Here, Dutch artist Casper Braat replaces snacks with sculptural curiosities, marble stroopwafels, canal houses, and golden fries, turning local iconography into collectible design. Curated by Jochem Leegstra, the installation bridges Dutch kitsch with conceptual finesse. It’s art that doesn’t just invite interaction, it demands a second look. A clever twist on consumption, embedded with heritage and humor.

Charli XCX’s BRAT rollout isn’t just music marketing, it’s a case study in cultural resonance. From lime green provocations to meme-fuelled virality, the album’s launch mastered velocity, authenticity, and brand world-building. What sets it apart? BRAT was crafted for herself first, not the audience. That self-assured creative intent, paired with a pop-perfect product, ignited a decentralized, community-driven movement. For brands in hospitality or beyond, the lesson is clear: design with conviction, then let the culture carry it. Ditch the perfect pitch deck. Instead, create something so striking it starts a conversation.

As we close this third edition of SOCIETIES Quarterly, we’re reminded that the most exciting part of this work isn’t just what’s happening now, it’s what’s coming next.

We explored some of the things that inspired us in the last quarter: design that softens sound and shapes atmosphere, like Autex’s sculptural ceilings; fashion that blends nostalgia and rebellion, from the stripped-back office wear of the Severance aesthetic to Ferragamo’s emotional runway storytelling; and collaborations that fuse heritage with futurism, like Bulgari and MB&F’s sculptural timepieces and more. We’ve seen how hospitality is being redefined through modular design, immersive technology, and emotionally intelligent branding.

Throughout it all, one idea stands out: creativity is more accessible than ever, but great taste is what will set brands apart.

AI is rewriting how we generate content, yes, but it cannot replicate the instinct to know what matters. That’s still human.

It’s why the best brands aren’t just using AI to automate, they’re using it to deepen emotional resonance, build identity, and provoke feeling. The tools are evolving, but it’s the tastemakers who decide what’s worth making.

We believe staying curious is essential. And we believe you: the hoteliers, designers, marketers, and visionaries, are the ones shaping what comes next.

So we invite you to share your signals. What are you seeing? What new intersections of technology, culture, and design are you most excited by? Tell us what should be in the next edition. We’re listening.

Let’s use these tools, not just to do more, but to do better. Better hospitality. Better storytelling. Better human connection. Better marketing.

Thank you for being part of this journey. We’ll be back in Q3. Until then: stay sharp, stay inspired, and keep building the future.

Influence Society is a creative agency at the intersection of design, technology, and hospitality. We help extraordinary hotels craft compelling brand narratives, blending aesthetics with cutting-edge digital strategies to shape the future of hospitality. Through visionary storytelling, innovative marketing, and deep industry expertise, we empower hotels to stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape.

Societies Quarterly is a curated exploration of the ideas shaping the future of hospitality. Every insight, trend, and innovation featured here has been carefully selected, with original sources linked for further exploration.

For inquiries, collaborations, or to share your thoughts, reach out to us at:

contact@influence-society.com www.influence-society.com

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