Women in Travel Retail+ to meet in Singapore

Women in Travel Retail+ (WiTR+) is to hold an exclusive networking event during the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition in Singapore on 14 May.

The event begins at 5.30pm in a dedicated area within the TFWA Asia Pacific Lounge (Marina Bay Sands Business Centre). WiTR members can bring a guest to join the group for drinks.

Women who are interested in joining Women in Travel Retail+ are also welcome.

“We are thrilled to once again hold this networking event,” said WiTR+ Chair Sarah Branquinho. “This gathering presents a valuable opportunity for us to come together and support each other’s growth in the travel retail sector.”

As part of its ambition to expand its reach and impact, WiTR+ is offering corporate partnerships. At a cost of £1,000, corporate partnerships buy companies 40 memberships for women working in their travel retail division, and their logo will be featured on the WiTR+ website. For details, please contact Gina Kothari. Email: gina.kothari@diageo.com

About Women in Travel Retail+

Women in Travel Retail+ (WiTR+) was created in 2006 to recognise the contribution of women to the travel retail industry, past, present and future, and as a forum for women in the industry. It allows a privileged medium to exchange ideas, helps women to develop their careers, and supports people in need. From year to year WiTR+ helps different groups or communities (from Haiti to India to Sichuan) to help themselves, with a strong focus on women and children.

Metaverse-loving MCM breaks the rules in Milan

MCM, which participated in Milan Design Week for the first time with its debut furniture collection, finished the exhibition on 21 April with over 22,400 visitors.

The MCM Wearable Casa Collection by Atelier Biagetti, exhibited at Palazzo Cusani and curated by Maria Cristina Didero, was selected for the shortlist of the 10 best projects for the Mention Technology of Fuorisalone Award 2024 among more than 1,000 exhibitions around the city of Milan.

Yellow branded MCM bags were distributed among the visitors to the MCM Pavilion, creating additional brand awareness for the German luxury label and the MCM Wearable Casa exhibition.

During the week, MCM saw 225 members of the press from 30 countries attending the exhibition and being guided by its teams.

In a related development, MCM brought its Wearable Casa exhibition directly to everyone’s doorstep via an innovative metaverse experience. The German brand “crafted a multiverse that defies expectations, seamlessly blending reality with the metaverse. This immersive experience ensures that everyone can explore and savour the wonders of MCM Wearable Casa from the comfort of their own homes.”

For details of the metaverse experience, visit http://www.mcmworldwide.com

About the Fuorisalone Award 2024

The Special Mentions of the Fuorisalone Award 2024 aim to select and promote projects, events and content of relevance for design, qualitatively innovative and rich in meaning.

The 10 projects for the Mention Technology of Fuorisalone Award 2024 were identified by the editorial staff of Fuorisalone.it with the help of the Technical Committee and competed to win the Special Mention dedicated to the theme of Technology. The awards team selected “projects that show a particular ability to innovate by re-establishing a balance between man and environment. The use of technologies as a central factor to protect the planet.”

The Fuorisalone Award website said of MCM Wearable Casa by Atelier Biagetti: “With an innovative project, the presentation at Palazzo Cusani promises a bold exploration of design, highlighting the Wearable Casa collection conceived by Atelier Biagetti. The general mood of the collection is characterised by a mix of irony and originality, which allows the objects to transcend their traditional roles and take the public into another world."

MCM enjoys tremendous success at Milan Design Week

More than 1,000 people flocked to the MCM Pavilion at Milan Design Week 2024 to see the new MCM Wearable Casa exhibition on the first day.

MCM Chief Visionary Officer Sung-Joo Kim in the MCM Pavilion at Milan Design Week

“In just one day, on 15 April alone, over 1,000 individuals were captivated by the exhibition, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended,” said the German luxury brand, which created its first furniture collection with Atelier Biagetti. 

Inside the MCM Pavilion at Milan Design Week

These images offer a glimpse into the remarkable experience. The exhibition will continue until 21 April in Milan, at Palazzo Cusani on Via Brera 13/15.

Inside the MCM Pavilion at Milan Design Week

FT announces 20th Business of Luxury Summit 2024

The Financial Times has announced the return of the prestigious Business of Luxury Summit, scheduled to take place from 19-21 May in Venice, Italy.

Marking its 20th annual gathering, the Business of Luxury Summit returns to Venice, one of Europe’s most iconic and celebrated cities. In a country renowned for its luxury goods heritage, the Summit will explore the changes in the industry over the past two decades and look forward to the next 20 years of innovation. 

The luxury goods sector continues to grow despite significant economic and geopolitical uncertainty. What can the industry do to maintain this positive outlook? How can businesses adapt to accommodate the increasing demands of their consumers? Where will the next big deals come from?

Co-chaired by the FT’s Editor Roula Khalaf and HTSI magazine’s Editor Jo Ellison, the Summit will gather leading executives from the industry across three days of thought-provoking keynotes, lively debates and an exclusive gala dinner.

Speakers include Prada Group CEO Andrea Guerra and Kering Deputy CEO Francesca Bellettini, who is also President & CEO of Yves Saint Laurent.

In addition to its rich programme of sessions and discussions, the Summit will provide ample opportunities for networking and collaboration. Attendees will have the chance to connect with fellow professionals, forge new partnerships and gain valuable insights into emerging trends and best practices in the luxury industry.

MCM shapes its first furniture collection in Milan

German luxury brand MCM has introduced its first furniture collection with a “revolutionary” hybrid exhibition at 2024 Milan Design Week.

The MCM Wearable Casa Collection was crafted with Atelier Biagetti and curated by Maria Cristina Didero and “breaks boundaries between fashion and furniture, transcending traditional roles to transport you to another world”, the German luxury brand said.

MCM Wearable Casa

The hybrid exhibition is “where reality meets metaverse, reshaping norms and connections between individuals, objects and living spaces”, according to MCM.

MCM Wearable Casa

The exhibition can be seen at Palazzo Cusani, Via Brera 13/15, Milan, from 15 to 21 April 2024.

Meanwhile, the furniture collection itself, which draws inspiration from both MCM heritage and modern design cues, has seven portable and versatile pieces.

MCM pet backpack

“The collection merges the Bauhaus ethos of the past with today's nomadic lifestyle, perfectly reflecting the essence of innovation and functionality that MCM has embodied since 1976.

“All of these pieces transcend their traditional roles, transporting the audience to another world, while also being things you can wear – blurring the line between home decor and fashion,” MCM said.

Women in Travel+ celebrates a major milestone

Members of Women in Travel Retail+ are set to gather during the 2024 IAADFS Summit of the Americas at the Hilton on West Palm Beach, Florida. The meeting will take place prior to the opening cocktail on Sunday, April 14 at 5pm.

WiTR + supporters are welcome to join the meeting, which has been organised by WiTR+ Steering Committee member Lois Pasternak, and is generously sponsored by WEBB Banks and IAADFS.

Women in Travel Retail+ has seen a rapid increase in membership in the past few months – through both individual membership and through Corporate Partners who offer membership to women in their travel retail teams, giving WiTR+ members access to a global network of women in the travel retail industry. Anyone who isn’t a member can sign up at the meeting.

Attendees are encouraged to bring cash as there will be three special raffle gifts available to win. The money raised will go to the WiTR+ nominated charity for 2024: FRASI’s Bike to School project.

A house funded by WiTR+ in partnership with the Koma Karanth Foundation

Last year Women in Travel Retail+ raised enough money to fund the building of six houses for people living in poverty in a remote rural community in the Philippines in partnership with the Koma Karanth Foundation. The first home, sponsored by Victoria’s Secret, has just been completed and shows a massive quality in life improvement for its residents.

WiTR+ Chair Sarah Branquinho said: “A huge thank you to everybody who supported last year’s charity. It truly is encouraging to see the results of everyone’s generosity, and this is a great example of the power that we have collectively to change people’s lives for the better. I look forward to catching up with you all in West Palm Beach."

French teenager makes history in Monte-Carlo

#NextGenATP tennis star Arthur Fils became the youngest Frenchman to record a match win at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters since Richard Gasquet in 2005 on Monday when he cruised past Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 6-0, 6-2. 

The 19-year-old produced one of his best performances of the season in front of a vocal local crowd to record victory on his debut in the Principality. He hit 11 winners and struck just seven unforced errors, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Arthur Fils wins in Monte-Carlo

“I watched a lot this tournament on TV. I saw many champions. I’m happy to play here for the first time,” Fils said. “Well, it’s good to play the tournament, but it’s also good to win matches, and I hope I’ll keep coming here in the following years, and I’m sure it’s going to become a milestone in my season.”

Fils, who is No. 36 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, performed well on clay last season, winning his maiden tour-level title on the surface in Lyon. Fils is the youngest Frenchman to win a match in the Principality since then-18-year-old Gasquet upset Roger Federer in 2005. Fils will next play Italian Lorenzo Musetti.