What The Luxe
What The Luxe
What makes something worth more than the sum of its parts? Why do certain brands command belief whilst others struggle for attention? What does ‘luxury’ even mean? What qualifies? Investigating the minds, mechanics and mythologies of modern luxury, What The Luxe is a series of conversations with the founders, directors and creatives behind modern marques. Together, we unpack the psychology of value, the business of brand, and the spirit that drives today’s best-in-class. Expect founding stories, bold positioning calls, and the messy truths behind polished brands. Because whether it’s craft, commerce, psychology or lore—all roads lead to value. A weekly podcast from Matter Of Form. Hosted by Anant Sharma & Fred Moore.
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Dec. 15, 2025

Oliver Spencer • Fashion Designer

S5E30: Slowing Fashion Down with Oliver Spencer


In this episode of What The Luxe, host Anant Sharma sits down with Oliver Spencer, founder of the eponymous menswear label and formalwear brand Favourbrook, to explore a career built on patience, craft and a quiet resistance to fashion’s obsession with scale.
From selling hand-painted waistcoats off a wheelbarrow on Portobello Road to building two enduring British brands, Oliver shares why he never followed the traditional Savile Row path — and why he continues to make a significant proportion of his collections in England, even when the economics point elsewhere

Together, they discuss:
• Why true luxury is rarity, craft and design — not availability
• The difference between fashion, styling and genuine garment design
• What the industry gets wrong about growth, scale and “success”
• Why small is becoming beautiful again in business and culture
• The role of shopkeeping, community and the High Street in modern luxury
• How Oliver’s latest venture, Secret Trips, connects clothing, travel and a more considered way of living

A thoughtful, unfiltered conversation about slowing down in a world that moves too fast — and building brands with integrity, longevity and soul.