Marcus D Lampe, Senior vice-president, Crystallized Swarovski Elements
Indisputably Austria’s best known export for the fashion world, Swarovski is today present around the globe through its cut crystal. More than a century of innovations and collections, these premium crystals are today adorning not just apparel, but adding bling to tableware, furniture, accessories, even laptops and mobile phones. And this year the company took another initiative — to launch Wedding Belles, an initiative to hook clients to the crystals.
“We started planning two years ago, as we realise the wedding season is extremely important to designers and retailers,” says Marcus D Lampe, Senior Vice President Marketing, Crystallized Swarovski Elements, who was in India for the initiative and to release a book, Unbridaled – The Marriage of Tradition and Avant Garde.
The concept, which launched in Paris this year and has since been organised in London, Barcelona, Dubai, Tokyo, will be held in Shanghai and New York too before the year ends. “We explained the concept to designers, asking them to do one-off designs. And we ended up with 130 and could have had more at the Paris event itself, which was held during the Fashion Week in the French capital,” says Lampe. The concept is costing the company 3 million euros over two years.
For Delhi to be chosen as one of the global cities to host the event in its inaugural year has the participating designers beaming. And with 65 leading names in the fashion and custom jewellery signing up, Swarovski Elements has little to complain either. “India has been an outstanding partner for fashion, celebrating rich tradition with modern interpretations,” says Lampe. Of course to lure clients, Swarovski provides crystals and consultancy in the initial phase. “India is a wonderful place to use crystal and we are excited to offer the material,” he says.
Lampe is also confident of the market for the company growing in the coming years. Currently, about 35 to 40% of its sales are in the US, while Europe has another 30-35%. Though India’s consumption is fairly negligible at the moment, Lampe hopes the country’s share in the global market will stand around 10% in three to five years.
Swarovski Elements at the moment offers technical support like soldering, glueing and other manufacturing techniques to its clients. The company which came to India fairly early in comparison to many global brands, is already raising revenues from here, but sees far greater potential.
