Luxury brands today are no longer looking only for aesthetics, but for ideas capable of simultaneously building culture, identity, and business value. That is precisely why Cannes Lions has, through the Luxury Lions category, increasingly tried in recent years to redefine what luxury means at a time when audiences expect far more from premium brands than status symbols alone.
Festival organisers have now confirmed that Pum Lefebure, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Design Army in the United States, will serve as Jury President for the Luxury Lions category at Cannes Lions 2026.
Born in Thailand, Pum Lefebure has built a reputation as one of the industry’s most influential creative leaders in luxury branding and design, particularly through projects that merge visual identity, fashion, culture, and lifestyle communication. Her agency Design Army has collaborated with clients including Adobe, Netflix, PepsiCo, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Hong Kong Ballet, and Smithsonian, while her creative approach is often described as a fusion of artistic aesthetics and commercial strategy.
Over the years, Pum Lefebure has served as Jury President at festivals including Cannes Lions Design, D&AD, The Clios, and London International Awards, while her work has been recognised by The One Show, D&AD, Art Directors Club, Red Dot Design Award, and AIGA. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of The One Club for Creativity in New York and was also named to Adweek’s Creative 100 list, recognising the people currently shaping the global creative industry.
Joining Pum Lefebure on the Luxury Lions jury are Bruno Danto, Publisher and Editorial Director of Esquire France, Chris Graves, Chief Creative Officer of Team One, Crystal Vinisse Thomas, Brand Executive, Lifestyle & Luxury and Independent Advisor, Florent Imbert, Chief Creative Officer of Maison BETC, Hector Muelas, Chief Brand and Creative Officer of Tiffany & Co., Matteo Sgarbossa, CEO of Balmain, Miral Youssef, President of Kering for the MEA region, Osato Evbuomwan, Marketing Director of Moët Hennessy in Nigeria, and Sandra Bold, Chief Creative Officer of VML for the EMEA region.
In recent years, Luxury Lions has become one of the festival’s most compelling categories precisely because it reflects how the luxury sector is attempting to move away from traditional exclusivity and focus increasingly on experience, culture, and emotional relevance.
Instead of classic campaigns that communicate luxury through inaccessibility and status, more and more awarded projects today emerge from the space where fashion, entertainment, craft, digital experience, and cultural influence intersect.
The 73rd edition of Cannes Lions 2026 will take place from 22 to 26 June in Cannes, France.
