A crystal giant in jewellery and decorative pieces, Swarovski established Swarovski Lighting in 2011 to focus on premium illumination demand. In the same year, the company introduced its lighting division at Euroluce, Europe’s leading design show in Milan, Italy. Since then, the company has been offering customers the opportunity to transform spaces into inspirational interiors. Roger Carthew joined Swarovski in 2013 and was immediately charmed by the beautiful products, design, quality and technology involved in the creation process. A year later, he assumed the role of Senior Vice President at Swarovski Lighting and was excited about the opportunity of sharing its state-of-the-art selections with the world. Last month, Swarovski Lighting unveiled its latest lighting collection in Jakarta wherein Roger shared with Indonesia Design his insight on design, elegance and the future of Swarovski Lighting.
What sets apart the design of Swarovski Lighting in the market?
Swarovski has 123 years of quality, precision crystal cutting and is really mastering the relationship between crystal and light. And we are also known for our design capability. Not only are our products unique, but we also put quality to the fore of manufacturing with beautiful design in lighting.
Traditionally, crystals were used for refracting and reflecting light. Now, the company is using crystals to control, conduct and colour the light. Not only do our designers create trademarked designs for all types of lights, but they also work with outside designers on projects as well as on artistic installations. For the company's product line, they are tasked with reimagining how and where light can be used in a totally new way. The combination of both market-leading precision cut crystal and one-of-a-kind design is what makes us standout from our counterparts.
In your own words, how do you define design?
This is a very subjective question, but one thing for sure, design is a lot more than just looking great. It should function smoothly and enhance surrounding space or environment. It should be sustainable, revive a light footprint, shape culture and find its place in history.
How about the role of design in Swarovski Lighting?
We pay attention to every detail from the beginning of the design process until the product is placed in the customer’s home. Our heritage of ground breaking collaborations with designers, innovators and craftsmen demonstrates how Swarovski is an integral part of the language of design. We believe that crystal opens the senses, guides our understanding and gives a sense of security.
Does it mean that Swarovski Lighting customers are demanding unique design?
We find that consumers aren’t buying a lighting fixture just to have the light hanging in their living or dining room, but they try to tell the story of their home. When the two stories combine, consumers have an emotional connection to the product and their space. So, we add intrigue and innovation to art, architecture and design.
What’s the market segmentation for Swarovski Lighting?
We're predominantly a retail business and we operate our projects in hospitality space. We work with a global network of select authorized lighting partners in the luxury decorative lighting segment. Projects are executed with the support of our experienced in-house lighting designers and engineers specialising in the custom modification of our two premium lighting brands, Swarovski and Schonbek as well as bespoke lighting solutions. This way we are able to offer a fully integrated service from concept to completion.
Is the company planning to branch out into more product variants in the future?
We are very excited with the launch of new Infinite Aura family that adds technology and connectivity to our portfolio. As the world changes, we will continue to be at the forefront of combining design, technology and quality to ensure we provide the most favourable products to our customers.
Moving on to the business in Indonesia, can you tell us a little about Swarovski’s collaboration with Medici as the distributor for Indonesia’s market?
Medici has been a long-term, trusted partner with excellent sales performance and strong capabilities in both retail and project business. I see that they always aim to keep sustainable growth, and this is in line with Swarovski’s business philosophy. Another important aspect is that Medici always opens their doors for people to experience a touch of glamour and to add a brilliant sparkle to their everyday lives. We also want to make sure that we can have a beautiful show room to display our products, and that’s what we see in Medici. Also worth to mention is that Medici has great networking with renowned architects, designers and high-end customers.
How confident are you in the future of Swarovski Lighting, in Indonesia as well as globally?
I think all businesses today should be customer centric. You really have to put customers at the centre of your business, regardless of the business core you engage. And that’s what we do across the world where we have established our presence. Indonesia, being Southeast Asia’s largest economy, continues to thrive with the increasing number of affluent people; many of whom are our potential customers. This is where we bring our design language to be incorporated with the sparkle of our crystal to satisfy their appetite for luxury that adds an emotional quality of their lives.