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How Corey Smith is Using LVMH The Studio to Connect Artists, Luxury, and Culture at Miami Art Basel
Corey Smith Opens Up to LOOP Mag About Leading LVMH The Studio at Miami Art Basel 2025, Celebrating Five Years of Art, Inclusion, and Market Impact
- By: Julianne Elise Beffa I Photos: Courtesy of LVMH
When you think of LVMH, you might picture couture runways, glittering handbags, or champagne flutes raised at exclusive soirées. But this December, as Art Basel makes its annual return to Miami, LVMH is continuing to do something far more dynamic. The group is leaning into culture, dialogue, and community in a way that feels intentional and future focused. And at the center of that effort is Corey Smith, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for LVMH North America, whose passion for creative empowerment is fueling a bold experiment and an industry statement through The Studio Miami.
LVMH The Studio Miami, formerly known as the Culture House, celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. For Smith, the milestone is not simply about longevity. It is about impact. He views The Studio as a bridge between underrepresented artists and luxury’s high stakes world, between local Miami creatives and global executives, and between business power and cultural purpose. That bridge is built on intentionality. It is designed to create access, visibility, and storytelling for emerging talent while positioning LVMH as a leader in shaping culture, not just responding to it. As Smith tells LOOP Mag in an exclusive interview, “LVMH The Studio Miami has evolved significantly over five years, yet its core mission to amplify creative voices and connect art, culture, and luxury remains.”
Smith’s vision for the future of luxury extends far beyond couture or craftsmanship. For him, luxury is about connection, creativity, and culture, and The Studio Miami embodies those values. As Art Basel heats up in early December, he is leading the program into its fifth year and transforming the Palm Court into a five day hub where art, conversation, and inclusion converge. The Studio is not just an event. It is a platform, a catalyst, and a testing ground for new ideas and diverse voices. Under Smith’s leadership, it has become one of Art Week’s most meaningful cultural touchpoints, signaling a version of luxury that is both expansive and deeply human.
“LVMH The Studio is where art, culture, and luxury fuse to create an unforgettable experience, embodying the excellence LVMH is known for,” Smith says. That fusion, he adds, captures the way “art offers imagination, culture provides context, and luxury brings dedication to excellence, heritage, and innovation.” For the past five years, The Studio has grown from a pop up experiment to one of Miami Art Week’s most anticipated destinations. It started as a way to showcase artists with disabilities and underrepresented backgrounds, but has since evolved into a platform for emerging and established creatives from across the globe. What guides that evolution is what Smith calls “a commitment to amplifying diverse voices within the organization and across the broader creative community.”
Art offers imagination, culture provides context, and luxury brings dedication to excellence, heritage, and innovation.
The timing and location of The Studio are intentional. Miami during Art Basel is a convergence point for collectors, tastemakers, artists, and influencers from around the world. It is a city that thrives on creativity, energy, and spectacle, making it the perfect backdrop for LVMH to amplify its message. Luxury today is no longer about aspiration, exclusivity or sticker shock. It is about experience, authenticity, and narrative. Younger audiences, in particular, are seeking brands that engage culture, contribute to communities, and provide immersive experiences rather than simply selling products. As Smith notes, meaningful representation today means “creating an environment where everyone can bring their authentic selves and perspectives to the table.”
At the heart of The Studio is the gallery, open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Visitors can explore work by artists including Joey Vaiasuso, Cruise Bogle, Glenneisha Darkins, Kieche Francis, Cem Hasimi, Canal Cheong Jagerroos, William Kennedy, Clarence Ruth, Dr. Mimi Adu Serwaah, David Schwartz, Oscar Ukonu, and Tom Waugh. Each piece tells a story, invites dialogue, and challenges perceptions. For Smith, these artists are more than contributors to an exhibition.
They are part of a larger ecosystem that LVMH is cultivating, one where creative talent is recognized, celebrated, and given the tools to thrive economically and professionally. “Every year since our inception, our featured artists have had their artwork on sale,” he says, emphasizing that artistic visibility must be paired with economic opportunity.
The Studio also hosts panels and conversations that bridge the gap between creative expression and industry insight. Entrepreneurs will share their journeys, Maison executives from Dior, Fendi, Make Up For Ever, and Rimowa will discuss how inclusion drives innovation, and artists will explain their creative process and the challenges they navigate in today’s cultural and business landscape. A fireside chat happening with Anish Melwani, Chairman and CEO of LVMH North America, and Corey Smith offer a rare glimpse into the strategic thinking behind one of the world’s most influential luxury houses. For Smith, these moments are about more than optics. They are about creating access and connection for creatives who might otherwise never enter the luxury world. “LVMH believes creativity can originate from anywhere,” he says, “and is committed to building pathways for new voices to shape the luxury industry’s future.”
One of the most impactful initiatives at The Studio is the Pro Bono Legal Clinic. Smith is passionate about ensuring that emerging artists and entrepreneurs have the knowledge and resources to protect their work and build sustainable businesses. Legal barriers often prevent talented creators from scaling their ideas or monetizing their craft. By offering free consultations on intellectual property, contracts, liability, and business formation, LVMH is removing obstacles that have historically limited access to success. “Legal guidance is often a significant barrier for those building brands or businesses,” Smith explains. “By providing this support at LVMH The Studio Miami, we empower creators to protect their work, understand their rights, and make informed decisions for long term success.”
By providing this (legal) support at LVMH The Studio Miami, we empower creators to protect their work, understand their rights, and make informed decisions for long term success.
The Studio’s impact extends beyond individual artists. By positioning LVMH in the cultural and creative ecosystem of Miami Art Week, Smith is helping the company demonstrate that luxury can be socially conscious, community driven, and forward thinking. Experiential activations like The Studio align with trends in the global luxury market, where consumers increasingly value engagement, narrative, and shared experience. Personal luxury goods are projected to reach over 526 billion dollars by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate above four percent. Brands that combine purpose, cultural relevance, and creativity are the ones best positioned to lead this evolution. As Smith puts it, events like The Studio “shape the luxury industry’s future by engaging with creativity, culture, and community, and highlighting the human stories behind art.”
Miami Art Basel itself offers the ideal stage for this type of initiative. The city is a global creative hub during Art Week, bringing together collectors, innovators, and influencers in a highly concentrated space. By creating an immersive, interactive environment, LVMH positions itself at the center of conversations about the future of art, luxury, and culture. It signals to both insiders and the public that the brand values dialogue and inclusion as much as product and prestige. The curated roster of artists reflects this intention. “This year’s curatorial theme is Visual Language,” Smith says. “We highlight distinctive voices that push creative boundaries and reflect diverse experiences in the art world.”
As LVMH celebrates five years of The Studio Miami, Corey Smith’s leadership is clearly at the core of its success. He has transformed the space into more than a gallery or panel series. It is a platform that amplifies underrepresented voices, fosters connections between creators and executives, and redefines what it means to experience luxury in the modern era. “Success means a dynamic and memorable exchange of ideas,” Smith says. “Ultimately, success is when LVMH The Studio Miami enriches the cultural conversation during Art Basel and leaves a meaningful impact on the creative community in Miami and beyond.”
The Studio is proof that luxury, when combined with purpose and vision, can shape culture while reinforcing market leadership. This December, Corey Smith and LVMH are not just participating in Art Basel. They are setting the tone for the future of the luxury industry. For attendees, it is a chance to experience firsthand how art, creativity, and culture intersect with commerce in ways that feel both exclusive and inclusive. For the industry, it is a signal that luxury brands that embrace inclusion, culture, and dialogue are the ones that will define the next decade of creativity, influence, and business growth.
When: December 3 to 7, 2025, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Palm Court Event Space, 140 NE 39th Street 3rd Floor, Miami, FL 33137
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