Austrian crystal house Swarovski hosted its first-ever global partner summit in Milan on 15-17 June, bringing together key partners from all over the world to celebrate the opening of the ‘Masters of Light: From Vienna to Milan’ exhibition.
The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan was on location for the three-day event, which included a gala dinner, a tour of the newly opened Swarovski flagship boutique in front of the Duomo di Milano and a glamorous event celebrating the opening of the exhibition. It was also attended by key travel retailers including Avolta, Gebr. Heinemann, Lagardère Travel Retail and MSC.
During the event, the crystal house shared the latest updates from its global LUXignite strategy, introduced in 2022 by Swarovski CEO Alexis Nasard.
Swarovski currently has 2,300 monobrand stores and 5,000 counters in multi-brand spaces, with wholesale (which includes travel retail) contributing to 30% of the total turnover. The company recorded €1.83 billion turnover in FY2023 and travel retail sell-out was up +40%.
Swarovski is currently outperforming the market with +11% like-for-like growth in H1 of 2024. Its finished goods (mostly jewellery) business grew by +9% in the first half year.
A lighthouse for Swarovski’s ‘joyful extravagance’
On 15 June, Swarovski celebrated its flagship boutique in front of the Duomo di Milano. The 550sq m, three-storey space houses Swarovski’s jewellery, crystal sculptures, home and dining ranges, fashion and Creator’s Lab collaborations.
The Creator’s Lab features pieces from Aquazzura, Advisory Board Crystals, Amina Muaddi, Golden Goose, Judith Leiber, Marina Raphael and Liberal Youth Ministry.
Welcoming guests to the flagship, Swarovski Chief Commercial Officer Michele Molon said: “We wanted to share this flagship with you because it is a lighthouse for our brand.
“Our joyful extravagance starts here. From the combination of the colours, the vision of Creative Director Giovanna Engelbert and the strategy of CEO Alexis Nasard, everything we are doing with Swarovski has been materialised in this flagship boutique, which is not a store but a place where people can explore and be curious. We think that creativity and curiosity are the two key elements that make Swarovski as luxurious as can be.”
The Milan flagship is the first to have a dedicated space offering Swarovski’s Created Diamonds, the crystal brand’s first entry into the world of lab-grown diamonds.
It is also the first to offer a dedicated eyewear space, created in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, which offers the brand’s complete sunglasses line and special Virtual Try-On tools.
In the basement, the store features the world’s first Swarovski vintage area showcasing archival fashion pieces from the past which are not available for sale.
There is also a dedicated B2B area featuring Swarovski’s full range of crystal facets, fabrics and adornments, as well as a dedicated meeting room.
During the gala dinner, Swarovski CEO Alexis Nasard addressed attendees and said: “We are in the business of beauty and desire. We need to recognise that we sell products that people don’t need. Everyone will survive one year without buying a necklace, watch or figurine. So, for us to keep that momentum in our business, we must stimulate desire every day.
Swarovski Lux Ignite 2025
On the second day of the summit, Swarovski presented its comprehensive business strategy led by Chief Commercial Officer Michele Molon; Chief Product Officer Marco Del Prete; Global Head of Product Marketing and Development Yelena Aschberger; Chief Brand Officer Myrtille Clément Fromentel; and CEO Alexis Nasard.
The presentation gave an update of the Lux Ignite 2025 strategy, exploring how the crystal house is building luxury at scale. It highlighted recent brand communications initiatives, previewed its upcoming product innovations and concluded with a Q&A with Nasard.
Watch the YouTube video above for exclusive video footage, filmed by Hannah Tan, during the three-day Swarovski Global Partner Summit in Milan
Masters of Light
The event marked the official opening of Swarovski’s travelling exhibition ‘Masters of Light: From Vienna to Milan’. The exhibition was curated by Creative Director Giovanna Engelbert and acclaimed British fashion journalist Alexander Fury.
The exhibition, hosted in the salons of the Palazzo Citterio in historic Pinacoteca di Brera, offers an impressive display of archival crystal-embellished fashion and jewellery pieces from Swarovski’s partners over the years.
These include archival pieces from legendary fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Schiaparelli, Tom Ford, Versace, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada, Loewe, Balenciaga and many more.
The central pavilion is called Future History and offers 60 crystal-embellished pieces that show an archival look – the oldest a 130-year-old gown from ‘Father of Haute Couture’ Charles Frederick Worth – side by side with the latest collections of avant-garde couturiers such as Robert Wun and Richard Quinn.
A separate section highlights Swarovski’s impact on modern pop culture and features dresses and outfits worn by the likes of Katy Perry, Rihanna, Harry Styles, Naomi Campbell, Lady Gaga and many more. ✈
