Newly established boutique consultancy Elevate Brands is set to showcase its portfolio of Swiss and European luxury labels at the upcoming TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes.
The company, founded by travel retail specialist Mirabela Lauterbach, supports artisan, ethically sourced and niche luxury labels in entering the channel.
Lauterbach leverages her extensive industry experience alongside her active involvement in Women in Travel Retail (WiTR).
She said: “Travel retail is no longer only about luxury. It is about authenticity, sustainability and cultural storytelling. My mission is to curate and connect brands that combine exceptional craftsmanship with conscious values, ensuring they inspire and engage the modern traveller.”
Key brand highlights include Maison Noir, a Swiss niche fragrance house known for blending French perfumery traditions with modern storytelling. Its numeric scent discovery offers travellers distinct olfactory experiences.
Vignobles Silvio Denz brings together renowned French vineyards, including Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, combining fine winemaking with Lalique artistry.
Scotland’s oldest working distillery, The Glenturret, will also feature at Cannes with its single malts presented in Lalique-designed crystal decanters. Its limited editions, some valued up to £80,000 (US$108,000), celebrate heritage, rarity and the art of whisky-making.
Thaden creates premium Swiss handbags in Transylvania, combining precise craftsmanship with bold design. The brand has been featured in Vogue and Harrods and on Emily in Paris.
Renowned for its artisanal Swiss craftsmanship, Chiara Tedeschi blends contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship. Each piece is handmade in Switzerland combining sculptural design, vibrant gemstones and ethical sourcing.
Also joining the Cannes line-up is Micro Mobility, a Swiss pioneer in premium scooters and lifestyle products, known for its innovation, safety and sleek design. It is available globally through retailers such as Hamleys.
Swiss artisanal brand Masaba Coffee uses high-quality Arabica beans from Uganda’s Mount Elgon, known locally as Masaba, a sacred ancestral mountain. Specially packaged for gifting and premium retail, each blend reflects Swiss refinement and African heritage.
Elevate Brands aims to transform travel retail by focusing on three key strategies. These are: replacing simple transactions with immersive experiential activations such as tastings, pop-ups and onboard events; the integration of sustainability as a core value, promoting eco-luxury and artisanal quality; and adopting advanced personalisation through technology such as AR try-ons and curated destination editions tailored to the traveller’s journey.
Lauterbach said: “Travel retail is no longer just about duty-free, it’s becoming a space for cultural and lifestyle experiences that speak to today’s conscious, connected travellers.
“At Elevate Brands we help transform purchases into personal souvenirs of the journey, like a limited-edition unisex fragrance from Swiss brand Maison Noir that, with every application, brings you and your partner back to your Switzerland holiday, rekindling the joy and intimacy of those shared memories. “
Beyond retail, Lauterbach is spotlighting innovation, sustainability and luxury leadership on the world stage, partnering with Loft of Shared Dreams at the World Economic Forum in Davos to host the first travel retail panel. ✈
