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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Aug. 6, 2025

Clint Nagata • BLINK Design Group • Founder

S5E8: Clint Nagata, Founder of BLINK Design Group, on Building a $30M Business by Saying No to Gold-Plated Luxury

Most sensible people don't leave a partnership at WATG to start over. But Clint Nagata isn't most people. He's built BLINK Design Group into a $30M+ business by doing the opposite of what luxury hospitality expects—local stone over Italian marble, restraint over ostentation, stories over spectacle.
His Six Senses Kyoto channels centuries-old philosophy while his projects across Asia prove that the best luxury doesn't shout. But this isn't about zen minimalism or cultural tourism. It's about something more interesting: how to solve problems you can't articulate, why the journey matters more than the destination, and what happens when you design for the mood, not the moment.

Clint talks about the strange intimacy of family vanity projects, why he wakes up at 4am with design solutions, and his prediction that luxury is becoming dangerously exclusive. Plus the uncomfortable truth about sustainability in hospitality and why his favourite project is always the next one.
50 trips a year. One philosophy: different but familiar. And proof that sometimes the most interesting work happens when you stop trying to impress people.