Counter Culture

The pilot episode covers Russia, where luxury consumers and native fashion magnates are reshaping the nation's society.

This edition finds him in Sweden. How has this small nation of only nine million people been able to dominate the global retail scene with its big brands like IKEA and H and M? Tyler asks Swedes, from students to fashion giants, what makes their retail culture unique.

This edition finds him in Italy, where premium fashion brands are well known around the world but many like Prada and Tod are still family businesses run along traditional lines. Tyler visits Bologna and Milan to unravel Italy's unique blend of Marxism and high fashion.

This edition finds him in Libya, a country hitherto largely untouched by Western ideas of branding or consumerism. As business begins to open up to the West, Brule finds out how this desert nation is facing its future.

This edition finds him in Chicago to look at the changing face of American consumerism. He discovers why the demise of the department store mirrors the death of the American middle class.

This edition finds him in Japan, where retail culture is almost an obsession. Spending more on European luxury goods than any other consumers in the world and with an enthusiasm for shopping that is akin to a sport, the Japanese market is the most complex, exciting and culturally rich on earth.