Luxury London 2020 - Julia Carrick, founder of ISO Luxury, on the future of retail

Julia Carrick OBE, a founder of FT’s How to Spend It, discusses the game-changing app she has created to reboot the luxury industry and encourage spenders to return to stores.

ISO Luxury members receive exclusive offers and VIP access to new collections from world-renowned brands such as Jimmy Choo, Boodles, Mulberry, Roland Mouret and Backes & Strauss.

Even Midas, the Phrygian king with the ability to turn anything he touched into gold, would have struggled to turn a neat profit during COVID-19. With travel on hold and boutiques only just emerging from hibernation, consumers have had an existential revaluation of sorts – what will I buy, if anything? 

ISO Luxury may have the answer. Launched by Julia Carrick OBE, former publisher and founder of the FT's How To Spend It magazine, ISO Luxury is an exclusive, invitation-only app that connects luxury brands with discerning customers. "Along with my co-founder Andrea Koday-Vörös, we decided to reinvent the foundations of traditional luxury shopping using modern app technology to establish a community of brands and luxury buyers," Carrick explains. 

So how will Carrick’s latest venture, ISO Luxury, contribute to the reboot of the luxury industry post lockdown? The ISO Luxury app works in tandem with physical retail to create unique, money-can't-buy experiences that foster meaningful brand connections. While luxury used to be associated with the price or status that accompanied a certain object, today’s consumers are looking for something intangible – an experience that “touches the client and remains with them, through the product, service and retail environment. Bespoke, individual and personalised designs and services are at the forefront of consumers' minds when shopping for luxury items." The app is connected to more than 130 luxury brands, including Tiffany & Co., Mulberry, Backes and Strauss, Jimmy Choo and Amanda Wakeley, as well as hotels including The Goring, The Savoy and the Grosvenor House Suites. Members receive unique privileges including exclusive promotions, VIP appointments, invitations to members-only events and a concierge service that is expert in tracking down rare and hard-to-find items.

With team members based in London, Rome, Stuttgart and Dubai, ISO Luxury is poised to offer high-net-worth individuals the chance to connect and become part of a unique private community – indeed, its current members range from Russian billionaires to Sheikhas of the Middle East all the way to double-barrelled British families.