You have transitioned from leading academic and consulting roles in Europe to directing Istituto Marangoni Riyadh. What makes Saudi Arabia a pivotal market for luxury education today?
I am very happy to be living in Saudi Arabia. Being here at this moment in history feels like a privilege: the country is undergoing big changes, and fashion is both a reflection of that transformation and a force that amplifies it. The growing number of Saudi brands successfully combining local sensibility with an international vision is a clear example of this change.
- How do you see Riyadh evolving as a global hub for fashion, creativity, and luxury business over the next decade?
Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh in particular, is fast emerging as one of the most significant epicenters for fashion, creativity, and luxury business. Here we can see the convergence of two forces that rarely align so powerfully: substantial economic resources and a generation of talented and passionate creatives, who are setting new standards for what luxury means.
- Luxury today is no longer just about products, but about experiences, storytelling, and emotion. How is luxury education adapting to this transformation?
Experience has become a key element of luxury. Today’s high-end customer is not simply purchasing a product or a service: is seeking a moment, a feeling, a story. This shift is reshaping every category of the luxury industry, from fashion and beauty to hospitality, automotive, and fine dining. With this in mind, we recently launched a new course, Strategic Management in Luxury Businesses, focused on luxury management across its various expressions.
- At Istituto Marangoni Riyadh, how do you balance Italian heritage and craftsmanship with the unique cultural identity of Saudi Arabia?
Italian heritage gives our students a methodology: a way of looking, making, and thinking that has shaped global fashion for decades. But our students bring something equally powerful: a cultural identity rooted in one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving creative scenes in the world. Our goal is to make sure those two forces integrate and amplify each other.
- What skills and mindset do you believe are essential for the next generation of luxury leaders in the region?
I believe that having a strong vision is essential: the ability to look beyond what already exists and imagine new possibilities, future paths, and evolutions. This doesn’t mean ignoring the present; on the contrary, it means reading and interpreting it deeply, transforming today’s reality into the foundation for tomorrow’s innovation.
- How has digitalization reshaped the way luxury brands connect with consumers emotionally?
Digitalization is transforming the entire luxury value chain, from product design to customer relationship management. By leveraging digital tools, luxury brands can gain real-time insights into their customers’ preferences, behaviors, and lifestyles, enabling them to deliver customised services and immersive, tailor‑made experiences.
- Do you believe digital fashion and virtual experiences can truly replicate the emotional value of physical luxury?
Personally, I don’t think so. The emotion you experience when visiting a store where you truly live a luxurious experience – seeing, touching, and trying a product – is not replicable online, at least for now. Of course, in the future, with the evolution of technology… who knows.
- Sustainability is now a core pillar in luxury. In your opinion, is the fashion industry genuinely committed, or is it still largely performative?
It’s a complex issue…For some companies, this is a genuine commitment: they truly invest in, dedicating time, energy, and resources. It becomes a fundamental part of their identity, part of the promise they make to their consumers. For others, however, it is little more than a box to tick, something they have to do, or simply appear to be doing. It is not always easy for consumers to distinguish between the two and make informed choices.
- Saudi Arabia is witnessing a cultural and creative renaissance. How do you see local talent shaping the global luxury narrative?
Saudi talents (designers, entrepreneurs, and managers) bring a unique perspective that blends heritage with a contemporary vision, offering luxury narratives that are both meaningful and globally relevant. Rather than imitating established codes, they are shaping a distinctive luxury language rooted in identity and creativity.
- What role can institutions like Istituto Marangoni play in positioning Saudi designers on the international stage?
The role of Istituto Marangoni Riyadh is to provide Saudi talents with the know-how and the skills needed to succeed in a competitive international context. I am referring both to hard skills – such as pattern making for designers or principles of business for managers – and to soft skills, such as the ability to work in teams and a problem‑solving mindset.
- Having taught and mentored students globally, what distinguishes the new generation of creatives in the Middle East?
The new generation of creatives in the Middle East stands out for passion and enthusiasm with which they approach fashion in its various forms. This is a valuable quality, one that makes their work even more compelling and truly worthy of support.
- What advice would you give to a young Saudi aspiring to build a career in luxury fashion or business?
My advice is to keep learning, stay curious, and keep your eyes open to the world around you. Nurture your creativity every day. That means immersing yourself in culture: visiting the many inspiring exhibitions Ksa has to offer, following fashion shows from both leading global brands and emerging local designers, and discovering fashion everywhere. Inspiration is all around you, if you stay open to it.
- Looking ahead, what will define true luxury in the next 10 years?
I believe that, in the coming years, luxury will increasingly be defined by three key words: time, truth, and trust.
Time, because true luxury requires time, time to create, and time to experience.
Truth, because luxury must be authentic, not superficial.
And trust, because at its core, luxury is a relationship, built on a strong bond of trust between the brand and the client, who recognizes and identifies with it.
- If you could shape one major change in the global fashion industry, what would it be?
I believe that sustainability, in all its dimensions, is the defining challenge for luxury companies today. The real task ahead is to reimagine luxury itself, creating products and experiences that are not only desirable, but genuinely responsible from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. This is not just a trend, but a transformation that will shape the future of luxury.