Luxury Briefing: How Harrods and DVF are future-proofing

Shoptalk Europe was a magnet this year for brands and executives from European luxury houses. While many attending brands said they’re pivoting toward faster and louder strategies, Harrods and DVF discussed evolving with focus.

At Harrods, CEO Michael Ward has overseen the development of a data ecosystem that tracks 18 distinct customer touchpoints. These range from fragrance purchases to fine jewelry appointments. “We don’t need to guess anymore,” said Ward. “We know what our customers are doing and what they’re likely to do next.”

This data powers more than just marketing. It also informs inventory planning, markdown timing and store-level experience design.

The Salon de Parfums on Harrods’ fifth floor allows customers to create bespoke fragrances for major life moments. But beyond offering exclusivity and personalization, the experience feeds directly into Harrods’ growing customer intelligence platform. Every appointment adds another layer to the customer’s profile, capturing not just transactional data, but emotional intent, preference patterns and gifting behaviors.

“Every time they smell it, they remember that experience,” said Ward. That emotional connection has turned into measurable revenue. Harrods now accounts for 50% of all fragrances sold in the U.K. priced over £150 ($190).

Harrods is focused on long-term loyalty. “We start customers with a fragrance, then move into leather goods, and eventually fashion,” said Ward. “It’s a full journey.”

Meanwhile, Harrods sees its e-commerce site as a supporting channel, not a destination. With luxury e-commerce still failing to deliver consistent profitability across the sector, the company is prioritizing channels that build deeper relationships.

Across the Atlantic, NYC-based Diane von Furstenberg is executing a similarly controlled strategy. In late 2023, the brand brought operations back in-house, cut most wholesale partnerships, and began refocusing on direct channels and elevated product quality.

“We didn’t need a reinvention,” said president Graziano Boni. “We needed to reconnect with what was already working.”

That included upgrading 75% of DVF’s fabric library by prioritizing natural materials like silk. The brand’s signature wrap dress remains unchanged in silhouette, but it has become a centerpiece of its sustainability story. “It’s almost indestructible,” said Boni. “It has emotional value, functional value and resale potential.”

DVF is preparing to launch its own resale platform, inspired by the certified pre-owned model used in the luxury auto industry. The platform is intended not just to extend the product life cycle, but also to keep DVF items within a branded environment that reinforces quality and heritage.

The brand has transitioned to a twice-yearly product drop model. This aligns more closely with its identity as a designer brand and moves away from the monthly cadence typical in the American contemporary market. “We are not chasing every trend or platform,” said Boni. “We’re creating with purpose.”

4 takeaways for luxury brands, from Shoptalk Europe

Off the record, multiple executives at Shoptalk said luxury brands across the board are reevaluating wholesale relationships. Many cited frustration with partners pushing multiple sales periods per year. One executive noted, “It is nearly impossible to maintain brand equity when you are on markdown every six weeks.”

Foot traffic declines were also a recurring concern. Executives from several high-end brands confirmed that in-store visits are down significantly year over year. As a result, maintaining an omnichannel strategy has become a priority. Brands are now focusing on how customers discover and engage across touchpoints like the app, the website and physical stores. Connecting that journey in a coherent way was one of the most commonly discussed themes at the event.

Site redesigns and interface updates are underway across several luxury players. Many are aiming for better conversion and personalization.

Meanwhile, early conversations about agentic AI surfaced. The focus was on using AI to organize brand and customer data in ways that protect IP and enhance long-term value.

Santoni’s in-house model gains relevance amid industry scrutiny

In an industry shaken by ongoing supply chain investigations, Santoni’s approach to production is becoming increasingly relevant. On May 21, Italy’s competition authority concluded a year-long probe into Dior’s labor practices, prompted by evidence that subcontracted workshops near Milan were exploiting undocumented and underpaid workers. While Dior avoided sanctions, it pledged €2 million ($2.27 million) toward labor rights initiatives and agreed to overhaul its supplier monitoring.

It’s part of a wider reckoning across Italian luxury. In 2024, prosecutors also investigated Armani for similar practices, prompting court oversight of its local operations. Both cases have reignited questions about how much luxury brands truly control their supply chains.

That’s where Santoni offers a clear counterpoint. The company produces every pair of shoes in-house at its 300,000-square-foot facility in Corridonia, Italy, where over 700 artisans and engineers work together under one roof and have done so since 1975. “We don’t outsource. That’s how we ensure every detail reflects our standard,” said chairman and president Giuseppe Santoni. “From stitching to finishing, it’s all under our roof.”

Santoni has built its growth strategy around that control. The brand’s vertical integration allows it to maintain consistency while scaling product innovation.

The company’s long-term view includes investing in the future of Italian craft. In 2023, it launched the Accademia dell’Eccellenza, a training school for young artisans run in partnership with Istituto Corridoni. “In our town, this is more than a business,” Santoni said. “It’s a culture. If we don’t protect it, we lose something that can’t be rebuilt.”

That philosophy extends to its retail expansion. In May, Santoni opened a new boutique on Madison Avenue, following the launch of its new Milan flagship earlier this year. Both stores highlight the human side of the brand, with artisan demonstrations, bespoke lounges and live finishing stations.

“We’re not just preserving ‘Made in Italy,’” Santoni said. “We’re redefining it on our terms.”

Executive moves

• Jonathan Anderson has been named Dior’s new creative director of womenswear, menswear and haute couture, succeeding Maria Grazia Chiuri on the women’s side. He is debuting menswear on June 27 and womenswear in October, with the appointment confirmed by Delphine and Bernard Arnault following his 11-year run at Loewe. At Loewe, he increased revenue to nearly €2 billion (approximately $2.2 billion) and established a reputation for craft-focused, art-infused design.
• Ulrik Garde Due has been named CEO of sustainable couture house ArdAzAei, bringing decades of experience from Burberry, Georg Jensen and Cecilie Bahnsen as the Paris-based brand prepares to expand into full ready-to-wear during Paris Fashion Week in October.

News to know

• The CFDA and Vogue have announced the 10 finalists for the 2025 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund: Ashlynn Park of Ashlyn, Julian Louie of Aubero, Bach Mai, Bernard James, Ashley Moubayed of Don’t Let Disco, Gabe Gordon and Timothy Gibbons of Gabe Gordon, Stephanie Suberville of Heirlome, Jamie Okuma, Meruert Tolegen, and Peter Do. The winner is set to receive $300,000 at a New York City gala on November 18, while two runners-up will each receive $100,000. All finalists will gain access to business mentorship, retail support from Nordstrom and guidance from lead mentor Tommy Hilfiger.
• Paris Couture Week will run from July 7–10 with 27 shows, including Demna’s final collection for Balenciaga on July 9 and Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela the same day. Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Valentino are skipping the season. Other highlights include Chanel’s final studio-designed show before Matthieu Blazy takes over in October, Michael Rider’s Celine debut on July 6, and new collections from Iris Van Herpen, Robert Wun, Rami Al Ali and Giorgio Armani Privé, whose shows are set for July 8.
• Saks is exploring joint venture options for Bergdorf Goodman, though CEO Marc Metrick insists it’s not for sale as the company shores up $700 million in liquidity and continues its retail reset.
• Luxury sales in the Gulf rose 6% to $12.8 billion in 2023, outpacing the global market’s 2% decline, driven by strong beauty growth, Saudi expansion and booming tourism, according to Chalhoub Group, which expects the region’s market to hit $15 billion by 2027.

Listen in

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska discuss Nike’s return to Amazon after years of pushing DTC, plus a new lawsuit between Steve Madden and Adidas over the latter’s iconic stripes, and Maria Grazia Chiuri’s exit from Dior. Also on the podcast, they test Google’s new Gemini AI-powered virtual try-on feature, which lets shoppers see clothes on their own bodies in search. Results remain glitchy, raising questions about how brands should approach search optimization moving forward. Listen here.

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