The former Jimmy Choo executive joins the lifestyle luggage brand as it sharpens its retail focus in Europe, signaling a push toward deeper experiential and regional engagement.
Rimowa has appointed Elisabetta Soffietti as head of its European Retail Operations, a move underscoring the German luggage brand’s commitment to refining its regional presence and strengthening its luxury positioning across key markets. Soffietti, formerly a retail executive at Jimmy Choo, steps into the role at a pivotal moment for Rimowa, as the brand navigates evolving consumer expectations around travel, in-store experience, and heritage storytelling.
With her tenure at Jimmy Choo, Soffietti brings extensive experience in luxury retail operations, having overseen boutique performance, client engagement strategies, and network expansion across Europe. Her transition to Rimowa signals a deliberate alignment between elevated fashion retail standards and the brand’s ongoing evolution from purely functional luggage to an aspirational travel lifestyle. Under LVMH ownership since 2016, Rimowa has steadily shifted focus toward lifestyle positioning emphasized through collaborations and Now, under LVMH for almost a decade, the brand has expanded its offering; most recently, the brand has refined its positioning with its expansion past travel gear and into the handbag market. This leadership appointment further encourages their ambition to scale the brand while simultaneously focusing their strategy on a regional scale.
Europe remains a critical market for Rimowa, both as the brand’s historical home and a key indicator of global luxury trends. The region’s consumers are increasingly seeking not only high-performance products but also immersive, branded environments that reflect craftsmanship and narrative. Soffietti’s expertise in creating refined, customer-centered retail experiences will be key to advancing these ambitions. Her appointment aligns with a broader industry trend where physical retail is repositioned as a site of brand culture rather than mere transaction, a necessary evolution as digital channels continue to erode traditional footfall.
Beyond immediate operational goals, Soffietti’s leadership is likely to inform how Rimowa articulates its European identity in a crowded premium travel sector. The brand’s emphasis on design integrity and durability resonates deeply with the values of discerning European clientele, and enhancing localized retail touchpoints will further embed these principles. As travel rebounds and consumer appetite for meaningful brand connections strengthens, Rimowa’s strategic investment in leadership suggests a long-term commitment to experiential growth rather than short-term volume gains.
Elisabetta Soffietti’s appointment marks more than a routine reshuffle in executive leadership; it signals Rimowa’s intent to affirm its place at the nexus of luxury travel and cultural lifestyle in Europe. As the brand continues to transform its stores into immersive extensions of its identity, her vision will shape not just how customers shop but how they perceive the art of travel itself.