Fun EMPIRE

"Joyful jewellery", sustainable Created Diamonds, and cool collabs - these are the things that Swarovski CEO Alexis Nasard says the brand will stay firmly focused on

- IAN LEE

Walking around Swarovski's vibrant new concept stores, one immediately notices the octagon-shaped displays and trays to the brand, the shape is not just a nod to a faceted crystal, it represents rebirth. Nine months ago, Swarovski named Alexis Nasard CEO of the company he is the first chief executive officer to come from outside the Swarovski family in the brand's almost 130-year history. And while the iconic crystal brand is expanding with its Created Diamonds, ceramic products, and fashion-savvy collaborations, Nasard says that at Swarovski's glittering crystal heart is its "joyful extravagance".

Hi Alexis, welcome to Singapore! You're notably the first CEO of Swarovski to come from outside the family. How will you be steering the company into its next phase?

As a CEO running a great brand in the luxury world, I am a custodian of the brand, and I am at the service of the brand. The brand itself is the most important. I believe in it being a fit and sustainable company, and in building on the heritage of Swarovski. The assets of Swarovski are its creativity, innovation and savoir-faire - I particularly like this word as it represents both the knowledge and the "doing". We have been proudly made in Austria for almost 130 years, and it is about reconciling the past and the future. Swarovski's product is one of joy, self-expression and self-indulgence. We position ourselves as joyful extravagance through our product, and our new store concepts present our stores as a bit of a candy shop, with joyful jewellery that creates curiosity. We want to be culturally relevant in big cities, including Singapore, which is a window for Asia.