Swarovski has named Sindhu Culas president and general manager for Swarovski North America.
Culas will be based in New York City and responsible for achieving “sustainable and profitable growth in the Americas region,” a spokesman told WWD. “Maximizing our physical and digital presence and overall brand affinity in the U.S. is a strategic priority.”
The Wattens, Austria-based company is known for its high-quality crystals and fashion, jewelry and watch designs. Swarovski crystals are widely incorporated in home decor, ornaments, gowns and costumes. Culas will report to Kolja Kiofsky, who officially became Swarovski global chief commercial officer this month, and previously served as general manager of Swarovski North America.
Culas was previously CEO of G-Star in North America. Before that, she was senior vice president of e-commerce and strategy at Calvin Klein; senior vendor manager for jewelry at Amazon, and head of strategy and brand management at Macy’s. Earlier in her career, she held analyst jobs at Citadel and UBS Securities as well as buyer and planning jobs at Macy’s, Talbots and Lord & Taylor.
“Her vast leadership experience and passion for the brand make her an exceptional addition to our team,” said Kiofsky, in a statement. “With Sindhu guiding our next chapter in North America, we are looking ahead to an exciting future filled with creativity, operational excellence, and meaningful growth under our LUXignite strategy.”
“Watching Swarovski’s brand repositioning and momentum in recent years has been inspiring. I’m excited to join this exceptional team, collaborate across the business, and help strengthen our position while accelerating growth throughout North America,” Culas said.
Currently, Swarovski operates 260 stores in North America and plans about 30 more stores this year, on top of the 20 opened in the second half of last year.
Swarovski has kept a very high profile, serving as the exclusive lighting partner at the Golden Globes, where the brand created crystal chandeliers for the event, and dressed Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts and Ariana Grande, among other celebrities. Grande continues to be the face of the house.
Last year, Swarovski celebrated its 130th birthday with a traveling retrospective called “Masters of Light” that included crystal-embellished masterpieces from major fashion houses including Giorgio Armani, Balenciaga, Fendi, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, and Paco Rabanne, chronicling the brand’s impact on fashion, jewelry, theater and Hollywood. The exhibition made stopovers at major cities around the world including Vienna, Milan, Seoul and Los Angeles, with celebrity-packed parties for each opening. The brand also celebrated with exclusive product launches and was the official sponsor of the Champs-Élysées Illuminations during the holiday season.
Swarovski’s global brand ambassador Ariana Grande at the Golden Globes wearing the brand’s Constella necklace, Matrix ring and Stilla earrings.
