For the first time, luxury watchmaker Vacheron Constantin has made its wares online, with a limited run of 36 selling out in just 30 minutes. It seems the risk of luxury brands being viewed as too accessible if they venture online isn’t preventing people from forking out.

Should high-end brands be accessible? Will stores become exhibition spaces? What makes a cool collaboration? As part of the 2018 Expert Outlook, we speak to three experts about why luxury consumers want to get their hands dirty and how they expect brands to express their values.

As the influence of celebrities wanes with Chinese shoppers, luxury brands are turning to ‘wanghongs’ – social media and online influencers to push their wares. And with social media use on the rise in China, brands in all sectors are beginning to embrace new-fangled methods of marketing.

Despite the infamous Great Firewall, China’s netizens are outgrowing internet users across the rest of the world. But what are they spending their online lives doing in the landscape that exists beyond the Wall? And what – if anything – is the rest of the world missing out on?