William Brobston spent 15 years in the luxury retail industry, holding leadership roles with European and American luxury apparel & fine jewelry brands.
As demands for sustainable practices grow, the luxury fashion industry finds itself at a crossroads—pioneering innovation while grappling with the weight of long-held tradition and prestige. Consumers are no longer just asking for change; they are demanding it: Consumers call upon industry leaders to take decisive action to pave the way for lasting, meaningful progress.
As the second-largest contributor to global carbon emissions (up to 8%), the fashion industry's commitment to sustainability is not just an ethical obligation—it's a matter of survival. To put this in perspective, fashion emits roughly the same amount of greenhouse gases per year as the entire economies of France, Germany, and the UK combined.
Consumers are paying attention. According to the National Retail Federation, between 50% and 75% of shoppers would pay more for sustainable products, and 62% of young consumers actively seek out brands that align with their environmental values. The message is clear: sustainability is no longer an option—it's the future of fashion.
Over the last few years, the industry has seen both established and emerging visionary brands undertake this mission. By championing circular fashion and implementing bio-based materials, visionary designers are revolutionizing how we think about fashion. It’s no surprise that the industry's push to introduce new and singular trends has created a surplus of waste among consumers and fashion brands. It was estimated that consumers waste around $460 billion on clothing items they no longer wear. In comparison corporations could save up to $500 billion in reduced losses alone if they adopt a circular economic model.
“Our industry holds a responsibility, and it needs to rise to the occasion… Luxury should be more timeless in its design. It should last your entire lifetime… Resale, the afterlife, the next life, the rentability—luxury is where that happens.”
– Stella McCartney
Setting the bar high for the industry, several emerging designers have built their brands around sustainability.
Founder of Melke, Gage partners with KOCO in India which works to provide financial independence to women. 50-60% of her SS25 collection incorporates deadstock using sustainability to fuel her creativity. She recently presented five looks with Hidden Valley Ranch at NYFW, reflecting her quirky, Midwestern roots.
Brooklyn-based, Greer uses natural dyes and deadstock for vibrant pieces sold online and in NYC as part of a local circular supply chain. He was chosen to collaborate with TheRealReal to upcycle damaged inventory into a summer solstice–inspired collection.
Mexico City native Campillo sources natural local materials, in partnership with small family-owned suppliers, ensuring fair value wages. His collections celebrate Mexican heritage and earned him a place as a 2025 LVMH Prize semi-finalist.
Known for melting and collaging materials into couture looks, Shevelev’s work has appeared on major celebrities and in exhibitions like The Met’s "In America: A Lexicon of American Fashion." She recently won a TV competition hosted by Julia Fox, incorporating sustainable materials and dyes.
As sustainability becomes a priority, fashion brands are hiring accordingly—adding roles across departments to champion these values. Procurement, operations, and merchandising all contribute to building a greener fashion future.
Featured roles:
Know any emerging designers making an impact on the industry? We’d love to feature them. Reach out to share their stories!
Ever feel like you’re ready for more but someone else just can’t see it? How many times have you been told there’s room for growth, but not given the space to grow?
I once reached out to a recruiter, eager to pivot from my Sales Associate role into management. After years in luxury retail, running Studio Services, coaching team members, and even training managers—I knew I had what it took.
Her response deflated me:
“Amy, I can’t submit you for management positions because you’ve never been a manager.”
That moment stuck with me. Her words weren’t just about experience—they were about limits. Limits she was placing on me. I realized it wasn’t personal. It was likely the way she viewed the working world.
I smiled, nodded, and pretended to agree, but I knew I wasn’t going to stay boxed in as a Sales Associate my entire career.
Ironically, right before that moment, I had the chance to visit Necker Island and meet Richard Branson alongside other entrepreneurs. That experience changed me. I saw firsthand that successful people act on their ideas—they don’t stay stuck in a box.
I took a Sales Associate position at a multi-line store that encouraged creativity and offered true room for growth. (The store owner is one of the most talented stylists.) I saw it not as a step back, but a step forward. I would be surrounded and inspired by talented and successful coworkers.
I showed up every day as my best self. I was promoted to Store Director. I took on styling and shoot production to contribute to the website. With that, I built my own personal styling site. Which led to an in-house styling opportunity with Global Brands Group, where I joined the marketing team.
I made the pivot myself.
When the company sold, I pivoted again. This time into wholesale. Each step might’ve looked unconventional, but every move was forward. It was a step where I could apply my established skillset.
I applied myself. I offered my styling, sales, and my leadership experience.
The perfect opportunity might not look like the perfect job at first. The right candidate might not have the matching job title—yet.
Don’t give up.
Sometimes, there really is room for growth.
I love my in depth conversations with my friend Carlo Pignataro about the Luxury business: Last week, over an espresso at The Arts Club Dubai, we took a deep dive into the current status of the retail industry, from our own individual perceptions. Here is a recap of our #coffeebreak.
Why is no one proud to be a retail associate in the luxury industry anymore?
Why is there such a painful disconnect between the poetic narratives brands project online and the cold, transactional experience inside many boutiques?
Why, after decades of preaching “client experience,” are so many sales conversations still stuck at “How can I help you?” and “Let me check in the back”?
It’s time to face the crisis and take meaningful steps forward.
Between the two of us, we’ve spent more than fifty years on the frontlines of luxury.
Amedeo, sixth-generation cameo carver turned global entrepreneur, co-founder of FARAONE MENNELLA by RFMAS and creator of the irreverent, rock-and-roll brand AMEDEO, knows what it means to build a brand that thrives on human connection—not just product.
Carlo, an expert in customer experience and human behavior, has trained top luxury players worldwide. He’s the author of best-selling books Sell with Style and Serve with Style, and host of the podcast Lux & Friends, which explores the intersection of luxury, innovation, and human behavior.
This is not a theoretical piece. It’s a call to action grounded in real-life experience—and built around solutions that work.
Let’s say it clearly: sales associates are the face of your brand. Not your Instagram grid. Not your campaign shot in Iceland.
And yet, they’re often treated like accessories—not protagonists.
The issue runs deeper than culture—it’s structural.
Because retail associates work physically far from where decisions are made, they are often left out of the conversation. The distance isn’t just geographic—it becomes informational and emotional.
Many find out about product launches, brand partnerships, and events through press articles, social media—or worse, through their own clients.
How disempowering is it for someone you call a “brand ambassador” to hear company news secondhand?
Disconnection leads to disengagement. And disengagement breeds mediocrity.
I’ve spent twenty years shaking hands in my own boutiques—from Capri to New York. If your sales team doesn’t love your brand, neither will your clients. Period. — Amedeo
To thrive in luxury retail, one needs far more than transactional selling skills. It requires emotional intelligence, cultural fluency, aesthetic sensibility, and social awareness.
Yet too often, recruiters and HR professionals are tasked with selecting boutique staff—without ever having experienced luxury retail from the inside.
This disconnect is not just problematic—it’s costly.
If you don’t understand what luxury feels like, how can you possibly decide who is right to deliver it? — Carlo
To perform in a high-stakes environment, you must know how to live in a bubble to create a bubble.
Recruitment decisions in luxury cannot be generic. They must be grounded in a deep understanding of the codes, rituals, and expectations that define the world of high-end retail.
Most training programs in luxury retail feel like a PowerPoint punishment.
“This is our founder. These are our SKUs. Here’s how to smile without showing teeth.”
But we’re not here to create clones—we’re here to create storytellers. Empaths. Cultural interpreters. People who can read a room and make magic happen.
Let’s teach them to:
Bring in opera. Cinema. Travel. Art. Politics. Anything that helps them connect beyond the product.
If your client’s obsessed with opera and all you can talk about is calfskin straps, you’re not selling luxury—you’re selling leather goods.— Carlo
Luxury isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about knowing what matters to the person in front of you.
Every brand says, “Client experience is our priority.”
Then they turn around and reward whoever sells the most units before lunch.
Luxury is not fast fashion. Stop acting like it.
Incentivize the associate who remembers a client’s dog’s name, not just the one who sells the most earrings in an hour.— Amedeo
Here’s what smart incentives look like:
If you want magic, you have to reward the magicians.
You’re spending $500,000 on a chandelier and paying the person under it like they drive for Uber? Come on.
Your people are the scent, the music, the lighting, the smile.
They’re the live experience of your brand. If you won’t invest in them, don’t be surprised when they treat your clients like a chore.
Boutique staff deal with the fallout of every bad corporate decision.
Too many sizes, wrong color, clunky POS system, confusing CRM—guess who’s left explaining it to the client?
But no one asks them anything. And when they do, it goes into a black hole of “thank you for your feedback” emails.
Turn feedback into strategy. Empower the floor to speak up—and make it safe, not political, to do so.
A boutique isn’t a store. It’s a stage. And the sales associate? They’re not just staff—they’re performers. Curators of mood. Conductors of ambiance. Hosts of your most exclusive show. - Amedeo Scognamiglio
Train them like performers. Dress them like icons. Let them improvise.
If retail is theater, the client shouldn’t leave with just a purchase—they should leave with a memory.
Want better sales associates? Start treating them like humans with curiosity.
You don’t future-proof retail by eliminating people. You do it by elevating them.
Luxury still attracts dreamers—people enchanted by the beauty, the ritual, the codes. But once they step behind the curtain, they’re often met with bureaucracy, burnout, and beige HR policies.
That’s how you lose them.
It’s time to flip the script. Rethink recruitment, rewrite training, rewire incentives—and for the love of craft, respect the people on the floor.
Because in the age of algorithms and automated checkouts, the only thing that still feels luxurious… is a human who cares.
Let’s make retail a calling again. And let’s make it something people say with pride: “I work in luxury retail.”
Sign up now to receive curated job alerts from the luxury industry directly to your inbox. Stay ahead of the competition and find your perfect career match.
