Swarovski’s recent Ariana Grande collab launch was huge deal for the company and garnered headlines globally. It was also a major move operationally with the company opening some department store pop-ups in key locations where it hasn’t previously had a presence. In the UK, it appeared in Harrods for the first time and FashionNetwork.com caught up with UK General Manager Craig Ash to find out how that has gone.

FashionNetwork.com:  Why did you choose Harrods for the big UK Ariana Grande launch?

Craig Ash: When we brought together Ariana Grande, a global pop icon, and Swarovski, one of the world’s most iconic luxury jewellery brands to create a capsule collection, we knew we needed to find a special place to launch it in the UK. Harrods, as one of the most iconic department stores in the world, made total sense as this environment really represents the joyful extravagance that runs through our brand. The team at Harrods also saw a strong synergy and we worked together to create a truly remarkable space for customers to discover this unique collection.

FN: Given your first entry into Harrods, are you planning more collaborations with other department stores?

CA: Swarovski’s Luxury Brand positioning matches perfectly with high-end department stores so we will continue to explore future collaborations within this sector. We already work with several department stores such as Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Frasers and John Lewis and we look forward to further expansion moving forwards with both existing and new partners.

FN: How important do you think luxury department stores and generally wider distribution are to a brand like yours at present?

CA: Department stores such as Harrods that allow us to create unique luxury experiences for our customers are very important to our brand. Our distribution strategy is to deliver Luxury@Scale and this means not only having our own stores in great locations but also collaborating with department stores and independent retailers to make the brand accessible. We don’t believe that luxury is about having a super small distribution footprint or charging excessively high prices. Luxury is ultimately providing true value to the customer and creating a feeling of joy, so luxury department stores provide a great environment to do this.

FN: Where else are you running pop-ups? I notice that you’ve opened one at Heathrow Airport — is this a key strategy for travel retail or just a one-off?

CA: Our teams worldwide have launched pop-ups in iconic Luxury location’s in Paris, Dubai, NYC, Mexico City, Toronto and Buenos Aires to celebrate the collection launch. Heathrow was selected as the only travel retail location worldwide, and we have partnered with Avolta to create an immersive shopping experience here for travellers.

FN: What has been the response to the Ariana Grande collab? I notice you’ve had a lot of publicity around it. Has this translated into sales? And are we likely to see further collabs with Grande (or any other celebs) in the near future?

CA: The reaction to Ariana Grande’s Capsule collection has been nothing short of sensational and the timing of this has coincided with Valentine’s Day and also now Mother’s Day, which has allowed us to offer our gift buyers truly unique product for their loved ones alongside our self-purchasing customers. We have seen the quickest rates of sale on this product that I can remember, which is no surprise given the combination of savoir-faire with contemporary coolness that the collection brings. Swarovski has always been intertwined with pop culture and we have worked with a wide breadth of incredible designers, actresses, models, singers and individuals who shape the zeitgeist, which we will continue to do moving forwards.

FN: Of course, all this talk of pop-ups doesn’t minimise the importance of your own standalone stores. How has the Regent Street store that opened in late 2024 been faring?

CA: The Regent Street store has been trading especially strongly since opening. We were delighted to secure this new location last year as Regent Street was an obvious gap in our London store portfolio. Now alongside our Swarovski boutiques in Oxford Street, Covent Garden, White City and Stratford we have great coverage in our key city, alongside new stores in Canary Wharf & Battersea which we also opened last year.