Will the New Luxury Make Us Immortal?
A Personal Reflection
For this episode of Visionary Minds, I decided to do something a little different.
Usually, this podcast is about conversations. I invite founders, thinkers, and creators to share their journeys, their insights, and their vision of the future.
But this time, I wanted to pause the interview format and share a personal reflection — an intuition that has been growing in my mind over the past few days.
Two stories recently caught my attention.
At first glance, they seem completely unrelated.
And yet, the more I thought about them, the more I realized they might be telling the same story about our time.
Two Stories That Reveal a Shift
Dubai and the Fragility of the “Safe Haven”
For years, Dubai has symbolized something powerful in the global imagination:
a world of comfort, fluidity, security, and almost invulnerability for global wealth.
A place where life seems smoother, faster, more optimized.
But today, that image appears shaken.
The current geopolitical tensions have exposed something deeper: even the most sophisticated environments cannot fully shield themselves from the disorder of the world.
Dubai’s image — carefully built over decades — has been tarnished, questioned, and tested. And while the city will certainly recover, its perception may remain affected for months, perhaps even years.
Bryan Johnson and the Pursuit of Biological Control
On the other side of the spectrum, we find Bryan Johnson and his radical longevity experiment.
His program, “Immortals,” priced at $1 million per year, offers extreme biological monitoring and optimization protocols designed to slow aging and extend life.
A city trying to keep the world at a distance.
A body trying to keep time at a distance.
Two very different domains — and yet perhaps the same ambition.
The Real Shift: From Distinction to Subtraction
For a long time, luxury was about distinction. Rarity. Craftsmanship. Beauty. Heritage.
Luxury offered an art of living — a way to elevate daily life through care, form, and excellence.
But today, something deeper seems to be happening.
Luxury is no longer only about possessing more.
It may increasingly be about subtracting yourself from what everyone else must endure. Subtracting yourself from risk. Subtracting yourself from time. Subtracting yourself from aging. Subtracting yourself from uncertainty. Subtracting yourself from the fragility of the human condition
In other words, the new luxury may not be about standing out. It may be about being less exposed.
From Beauty to Control
This shift can be seen across multiple industries: Luxury. Beauty. Skincare. Longevity. Aesthetics. Body optimization.
For decades, these industries promised beauty and refinement. But today they increasingly promise something else: Control.
Not just better skin — but younger skin for longer. Not just looking rested — but erasing fatigue and age. Not just self-care — but correction, optimization, preservation.
As if the goal were no longer simply to enhance life… But to erase everything life leaves on us.
Visionary Minds &
Dix Sept Paris
Visionary Minds is a podcast produced by Dix Sept Paris, a creative agency specialized in luxury and beauty. Through conversations with industry leaders, we explore the ideas, cultural dynamics, and creative frameworks shaping the future of luxury — providing brands and decision-makers with ongoing insight into the evolving landscape of clean luxury beauty.
Our mission is to create a space for dialogue with those redefining their industries, while offering strategic inspiration for brands, creatives, and executives navigating a rapidly shifting market.
We collaborate with houses such as Chloé, alongside other key players shaping the future of luxury and beauty, supporting them in crafting narratives that resonate internationally.
