LVMH Lures Apple Executive, Proof that Luxury is Going Digital

During rehe last few years, Apple has reeled in some of the most talented names from the fashion world. Now, it’s the other way around as fashion starts to get serious about technology.

A senior Apple executive by the name of Ian Rogers shocked the company last week with news that he was leaving the company. Rogers led the developments of Apple’s Beats 1 radio service and was responsible for spearheading Apple’s online radio strategy. At the time of the breaking news, the only known fact was that Rogers would be moving to Europe to work in a completely different industry.

It has now been confirmed by Quartz and other sources that the ex senior Apple executive will be taking on the role of chief digital officer at LVMH, the famed and luxurious fashion group that owns brands such as Dior, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, and Bulgari. Rogers’ whole career has been focused on digital music and he is now more ready than ever to take on a new challenge and assist the LVMH brand by developing their e-commerce channels.

This is an obvious sign that not only LVMH, but other luxury fashion brands are welcoming and making the best of the digital world and what it has to offer. The reason why many luxury brands have hesitated about venturing into digital is because they are afraid of losing the sensory experience that their brands offer. Seeing a piece of two-dimensional clothing online as compared to seeing it physically is very different. The experience of actually touching an item of clothing and understanding it gets lost in the digital world.

Despite this, customers are shopping online more and more every day. It is predicted that online sales “will more than double to approximately $22.5 billion in the next five years,” as per McKinsey consulting firm. Luxury brands are missing out if they don’t start taking advantage of this growing trend that could potentially only add on to their success. Fashion luxury brands, it’s time to get digital.