April 27th, 2022 | The Golden Goose Takeover
GRLA was thrilled to host Silvio Campara, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Goose and Brandi Reed, in-Store Artisan of Golden Goose for the Houston, TX lab, for an in-person conversation and Q&A event. The event took place on Wednesday, April 27th at 10.30am-11.30am EDT in the Lohrfink Auditorium. There was also a co-creation post-reception where attendees had the opportunity to customize new Golden Goose sneakers with a specialized designer, as well as a chance to meet Mr. Campara.
In September 2018, Silvio Campara was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Venice-based label, Golden Goose, tasked with further accelerating the brand’s international growth and continuing his track record of boosting revenue and improving margins. His appointment to lead Golden Goose at this crucial stage is an indication of the respect he has built in the industry through his years of experience. Campara, a graduate of the prestigious Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, began his career in 2004, working in Alexander McQueen, and moving to Giorgio Armani in 2006, contributing to the launch of the Maison’s retail network in Asia.
In 2009 he specialized in buy-out operations, starting a long and fruitful collaboration with Style Capital, which sees him as the prota- gonist of Sundek’s retail expansion, before becoming an investor and Commercial Director in Golden Goose starting from 2013. Right from the start he supported the great renewal of the Venetian brand with significant improvements in sales and by creating the Golden Goose retail network, thus contributing to the consolidation of the brand’s distribution and to the creation of the luxury sneakers trend on a worldwide scale. Campara is a seasoned speaker, having taken part in several luxury panels and in 2019 he was invited as a speaker at the prestigious WWD CEO Summit. With the entry of Permira and the renaming of Campara as CEO, Golden Goose's growth objective as a global luxury player has been strengthened. In the course of Campara’s management, the brand has reached a turnover of €263 million in 2020.
Brandi Reed started her Golden Journey in November 2020, as an In-Store Artisan for the Houston LAB – the first LAB in the US! Reed has been an integral part of the Golden Goose brand experience, traveling throughout the US (and South America!) training new and aspiring Artisans.
During the Golden Goose Takeover, we heard from Mr. Campara and Ms. Reed about the iconic shoe brand, the design process, and Mr. Campara’s leadership. They spoke on the esteemed Golden Goose brand to educate students on the brand’s rich history, how the luxury market has evolved in recent years, and the keys to Golden Goose’s successes as a global leader in the luxury footwear industry. Mr. Campara also shared professional insights and potential opportunities for Georgetown students interested in pursuing a career in the luxury industry.