Rachel Maguire is an Irish fashion designer and founder of independent fashion brand Rashhiiid, whose designs have been worn by global stars including Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Megan Fox, Rosalía and many more. Rachel is a digital-first designer who’s viral faux fur hats, coats and accessories have put Irish design on the global map. Rachel was the first designer ever from the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design to create both of her collections completely out of recycled materials and today is...

Smita Lasrado is an Indian born and raised former international model and co-founder of creative and talent agency Feat Artists. With a roster of clients that include Dior, Chanel, Jimmy Choo and Vogue, Smita is putting India and Indians on the fashion map: from collaborating with Dior on their pre-fall 2023 show which took place in Mumbai on March 31, 2023, to bringing India's top models to runways in Paris, Milan and beyond.In this episode of Tech Powered Luxury, Smita shares how she was...

During the FuturePlus event in Paris on February 22nd 2024 brought to you by MAD Global in parntership with Tech Powered Luxury, host Ashley McDonnell sits down with a panel of four founders within the intersection of fashion, art and culture on the blockchain for a discussion on how technology is disrupting the meaning of expression, community, investment and even the perception of value. “Fashion, Art, and Culture on the Blockchain” is our topic of discussion and the four panelists are...

This season has seen us dive into all elements and topics that are important in the world of luxury and tech today, across many different product categories: hair care, fashion, beauty, interiors, henna, knitwear, and new technological developments that impact these categories; from AI that can eliminate sizing inconsistencies within fashion to blockchain technologies combined with insurance for luxury goods to the role of social media in the luxury industry from the perspective of...

Celia B is the ultimate fashion all-rounder. Growing up in a small town in Spain, she pursued a degree in communications, gained experience within agencies, and eventually became a jewelry designer and finally, a fashion designer, a creative director and a tastemaker. Celia B has managed to catapult her colourful fashion house into that much-coveted space of being an independent designer with full creative control, whilst building an engaged global community and her own in-house team across...

David Klingbeil is building the ultimate data platform for luxury houses around the globe with his latest venture Submarine.ai. His 5 years experience at Google turning data into stories for major brands, a streak of serial entrepreneurship, giving 1000s of hours of lectures over the last decade on innovation and luxury means the NYU Adjunct Professor gives us a masterclass on all things tech and luxury in this week’s episode of Tech Powered Luxury. Tech Powered Luxury is proudly sponsored...

Rylé Tuvierra is our first guest of 2024, and Tech Powered Luxury's first-ever guest to return for a second episode. Rylé's first conversation with Ashley McDonnell was the most shared episode of 2023, and we're back a year later to check in with the Arab and Asian businesswoman. This time, we dive deep into Rylé's humble beginnings: working 12-hour shifts at a 7/11 in Dubai, and how her dream of being a fashion designer led her to pursue the impossible until it became her reality. With a...

Pietro Novelli is a serial entrepreneur from Italy who went from high school directly into the workforce, landing his first full time role at one of Italy’s most innovative banks thanks to an interview he did about his local start-up that emulated the business model of Groupon. From creating a digital agency and the world’s first TV programme on Facebook Live, to managing Digital Innovation at AXA and spending 5 years at Facebook in Ireland, Pietro has now combined his knowledge of luxury,...

Sorcha O’Raghallaigh is an Irish designer celebrated for her unique, bespoke creations with strong elements of fantasy, glamour and opulence. In this episode of Tech Powered Luxury, I speak with Sorcha O’Raghallaigh about her life as a fashion designer. From closing the graduate show at world-renowned Central Saint Martins with a collection that incorporated bold, glamorous and fantasy-inspired pieces worn by circus-students on stilts to making the pages of Vogue magazine and being worn by...

Mary Furtas is the Ukrainian entrepreneur and former fashion photographer behind the fashion-favourite party wear brand: Cultnaked. In this episode of Tech Powered Luxury we hear from Mary about her mission to meet American supermodels at Paris Fashion Week - the ultimate muses of her brand, the Californian girls - in 2018, with a suitcase full of samples, how she connected with Bella Hadid in Hotel Costes and having her collections go viral when worn by Kendall Jenner and Megan Fox. Mary...

Shana Chu started her fashion career in a division we don't see on the runway: protective garments. Nonetheless, the challenges she faced as a garment technologist are the same we see across the high street all the way to haute couture: sizing inconsistency. The challenge of having cohesive and aligned sizing within a single brand, nevermind across the entire fashion industry, seems to be an ever evolving and expanding issue which costs the environment, brands and the end customer in the form...

Bijan Ghorbani is a master storyteller with an unwavering passion for enabling and empowering others. His Storytelling Masterclass has ignited the potential of over 9,000 of Googlers across the globe and within the tech industry worldwide, enabling them to elevate their leadership, negotiation, and influencing abilities. Tech Powered Luxury's host Ashley McDonnell first met Bijan while they both worked at Google's EMEA Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, within the French Large Customer...

Lauren Ingram is the Founder of Women of Web3, a community helping women make the leap into the world of Web 3.0 through job opportunities, learning resources and connections. She is a marketing leader with experience in agencies and tech companies including Meta, where she was responsible for Meta’s multimillion-dollar program for female entrepreneurs, #SheMeansBusiness. As a consultant and founder of Women of Web3, Lauren helps businesses to win in Web3 by demystifying the opportunities...

Mario Maher and Joe Wilkinson are the co-founders and creative geniuses from Sheffield, England, behind the mystery box that's shaking up the luxury industry and tapping into the Male GenZ Market: Heat. Heat launched in 2019 with a simple goal: to provide 3 luxury items to their customers through exclusive drops. From low-tech beginnings to a high-tech expansion, Heat has evolved from an original goal of 100 boxes per drop to major luxury-brand partnerships and matching tens of thousands of...

Michaela O’Shaughnessy grew up in County Galway, Ireland. When her dream of becoming a doctor shifted towards embarking on a summer adventure in New York, the biomedical scientist found a city and new career that captured her attention: the world of social media and entertainment. Michaela has carved out a killer career at the crossroads of culture, entertainment, and tech, with globally recognized companies and events making up her resume. Arriving in New York City, she landed a dream...

In this bonus episode of Tech Powered Luxury, Ashley McDonnell talks us through her first month since moving back to Paris, France. Ashley started her first day back in the city for the Ireland vs. South Africa, Rugby World Cup match in Stade de France with Emirates, followed by Paris Fashion Week. During a week of attending shows and meeting designers in their showrooms across the city, Ashley had the opportunity to sit down with Irish, Ukrainian and Spanish designers Sorcha O’Raghallaigh,...

IrelandsEye is an Irish knitwear brand that embraces technology, tradition, sustainability, and style. Founded over 35 years ago, the brand remains family-owned and creates premium knitwear at their production site in County Dublin, Ireland. Paul O’Sullivan, who is the Managing Director and one of the family founders of the brand, along with IrelandsEye Head of Design, Maria-Christina McPadden, share with us the origins of IrelandsEye, their creative and technical processes, and how their...

Pavan Ahluwalia-Dhanjal is a world-renowned henna artist, bringing an Indian beauty ritual to the globe with a luxury and digital-first approach. With two Guinness World Records for being the fastest henna artist on the planet, Pavan was also awarded the British Empire Medal in 2018. Pavan has collaborated with major celebrities, including Alesha Dixon, Rudimental, Ellie Goulding, Perrie Edwards, and Huda Kattan. She has created bespoke designs for international runway shows, including Manish...

From initially studying finance to pivoting to luxury fashion, Laurent Piffaut - Co-Founder and Co-CEO of luxury careers platform Dweet - has embraced the power of AI to empower a global network of luxury experts looking to match talent with opportunity. Laurent established himself as a leader within luxury, starting with a foundation in finance, entering L'Oreal Group as a Financial Controller before joining Chanel for almost 10 years, climbing the ladder internationally and reaching the...

Carlota Rodben, a Zillennial global nomad and former prima ballerina based between London and Paris, has distinguished herself as a two-time author before the age of thirty, and an innovation specialist in the luxury industry. This week, Carlota's second book "Beyond Luxury" was published, reaching #1 on Amazon within Retailing Industry. Rodben began her career at the House of Chanel, where she established an innovation team and worked on cutting edge new concepts for the future of retail of...

Journalist and fashion-tech thought leader Niamh O’Donoghue has been navigating between the realms of offline and online luxury fashion for the last decade. From her role as the acting social media editor at British Vogue, to her involvement with the fashion styling app Drest, and now in her current position as Head of Editorial and Social for the one and only Victoria Beckham - I’m asking Niamh about everything, from career tips to skill development, and how she’s carved out a path that...

From the realm of fear to the trenches of economic hardship, and amidst the fragile walls of immigration, Paboy Bojang unfurls his kaleidoscopic dreams and cheerful visions within his designs. Born in Gambia, Paboy embarked on his journey into the art of tailoring at the tender age of 13, under the guidance of his uncle in their atelier. Faced with limited resources, Paboy made the difficult choice to compromise his formal schooling to become the primary provider for his family. From his eyes...

FarmHouse Fresh is a brand cherished by millions: from Hollywood stars to the world's best estheticians and makeup artists, top-tier hotel spas, and millions of customers around the globe. But it's more than skincare; it's a testament to the beauty and power of nature, the celebration of life, and, above all, rescuing animals in need. Shannon McLinden founded FarmHouse Fresh 19 years ago with a single product that made its way directly into Oprah's magazine, and her brand story has grown...

Ayurveda's alternative perspective on beauty propels the spiritual path of wellness for the creative and conscious beauty entrepreneur, Nikita Mehta. From studying languages to completing a Computer Science and Business degree, Nikita's trajectory to beauty and haircare collided with many turns, reflection, and learnings from eight years of working at pioneering houses of fine fragrance: from Patou to PUIG. These experiences resonate with her today, adding to the conscious understanding of...