As a founding member of ECCIA – the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance – Walpole’s work reaches far beyond British shores. Composed of seven European member organisations in Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Germany and, of course, the UK, ECCIA's members join forces to represent the luxury sector’s shared values in Brussels at the European Commission. Our latest interview series introduces you to the CEO of each ECCIA member and brings you the key details that every high-end brand should know about the luxury sector in the country they represent.
For the next instalment in the series, we head to Stockholm to speak with Anna Cappelen, CEO of Gustaf III Kommitté in Sweden...
Walpole: Can you tell us about your association?
Anna Cappelen: In 2017, I received a request from Comité Colbert, through the Swedish Ambassador in Paris, Veronika Wand Danielsson, to ask whether I would be interested in creating a committee in Sweden, and become a Swedish/Scandinavian representative in ECCIA. Shortly after I committed to the request, Towe Norlén, founder of TOWE Jewels and Mikael Sandström, CEO of HALDA Watch Co. were invited to join the project by the French Embassy. Since I am the fourth generation of a family-owned company, co-owner and chairman of two of Stockholm's best luxury hotels, Hotel Diplomat and Villa Dagmar, I decided that I wanted to create the first organisation to promote and strengthen Swedish luxury brands, for export.
In 2018 we founded the non-profit organisation Gustaf III Kommitté. Gustaf III, the King of Sweden from 1746 to 1792, promoted art, culture and theatre, and he was also very influenced by France when he created the Swedish Royal Opera and other artistic institutions. We have been inspired by his important contribution to the Swedish cultural heritage.
How many members are there in your organisation, and what are the requirements of membership?
We are today 14 members from different sectors such as hospitality, jewellery & watches, glasswork, leather, interior decoration, furniture design, beverages and handmade rifles. Membership is open to Swedish companies positioned at the high-end of the market, with international distribution networks, and that represent inventive, artistic and entrepreneurial values that reflect their Swedish heritage.
What are the qualities and characteristics of your country’s luxury sector that make it unique in the world?
Sweden has a long history of excellent craftsmanship going back to prehistoric times. Swedish style is recognised worldwide for its clean lines, minimalist approach and clever design solutions. We also have a long history of discussions about the values of luxury, good or otherwise, for society that might have influenced our country’s luxury sector. For instance, in 1740 a Swedish Minister von Höpcken wrote an essay on the subject, with the conclusion that “also luxury can be of good” and that “luxury can benefit craftsmen and inventive technical developments”. The discussion can sometimes be the same even today. Gustaf III Kommitté strives to develop the Swedish luxury market in order to put forward Swedish luxury companies, often of small to medium size.
What would you say the primary talking point is amongst the luxury sector in your country right now?
To be able to grow as a company within the luxury sector, internationalisation is vital. Since most companies within the Swedish luxury sector are small to medium size, it is a struggle to find the time and knowledge to expand outside Sweden on a larger scale. The benefit of companies from different sectors coming together to help each other with internationalisation is therefore a key talking point. Another right now is the lack of specialist craftsmanship and the training of new talents in our sector.
What is the biggest challenge to the growth of the luxury industry in your country, both domestically and internationally?
Sweden has some dominant brands that are very well-known abroad, not belonging to the luxury sector. It can be a challenge to make it known internationally that Sweden also has some highly innovative, unique luxury brands. We also need to focus on the quality of the education within the craft sector and to make the new generation interested in specialised craftsmanship.
What are the calendar highlights of that your company organises throughout the year?
We had a very interesting and fruitful meeting with Meisterkreis’ members when they visited Stockholm in May. Earlier we organised a conference were Swedish high-end brands, people from the foreign ministry and press were invited. There, we presented a study of the Swedish luxury market that Gustaf III Kommitté had comissioned. We were honoured to have Walpole Chairman Michael Ward as a guest speaker, and the audience was very pleased. We are greatly looking forward to visit Altagamma during the ECCIA meeting this November. We also make visits with the Gustaf III Komitté members to different member companies to exchange ideas and practices.
What has been the proudest moment for you in your tenure as CEO?
I am proud to be founder of Gustaf III Kommitté and that we now have 14 of some of Sweden’s finest brands as members. We will also invite brands from our neighbouring countries later on. We have a good team and our board is highly professional. Our meeting in Stockholm with Meisterkreis and the special performance of Mr Ward are real highlights of our journey as an organisation so far. I am also proud to be part of the work to bring the art of craftsmanship into the future and participating to influence decision-makers such as Ursula von der Leyen within an important network as ECCIA.
Which person in your country’s luxury sector inspires you?
The art of craftsmanship is fascinating and those craftspeople being experts in their field are well worth our admiration. From exceptional craft knowledge to succeeding in creating a brand with a unique product, is such an inspiring sector.
In Sweden the word “luxury” is scarcely used, even considering our great craft history. But in combination with sustainability and quality, the market is growing and gaining both acceptance and respect.
Why is an organisation like ECCIA important?
The luxury sector has a very specific business model, and it is crucial that decision-makers are aware of this. As a large European alliance, we can strengthen our presence among decision-makers and secure a future were specialist craftsmanship and unique objects, made to last, will continue to flourish.
> Find out more about all the member organisations within ECCIA and its work here
> For more information on Walpole's international work and ECCIA, please contact Charlotte Keesing on [email protected]
