HONG KONG, China - Camilla Skovgaard is one of those rare aberrations of the current economic malaise.
While almost all other designers I have spoken to are nervously reporting order cancellations and declining or flat sales, Skovgaard’s shoes have chalked up triple-digit increases for Spring/Summer 2009.
Of course, part of this growth can be explained by the rapid growth of the luxury shoe category — it’s a case of ‘the rising tide raises all boats. ‘ And, according to a recent report by Bain & Company, shoes will continue to be the fastest growing luxury segment of all; more than handbags, apparel, watches, jewelry and fragrances.
However, Camilla’s enviable success can mostly be attributed to perseverance, an incredible work-ethic, great design and pragmatism about merchandising and pricing her collection for the downturn. In our second CEO Talk, we caught up with Camilla to learn the secrets of her success.
