EXCLUSIVE: Loro Piana Wraps Harrods in Cashmere for Whimsical Anniversary Takeover

LONDON — Loro Piana is floating into Harrods on clouds of cashmere and vicuña for a grand-scale holiday takeover marking the Italian brand’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

The Workshop of Wonders, which opens Thursday and runs until Jan. 2, is a family affair, an ode to textile craft, and a moment of Christmas whimsy meant to appeal to people of all ages, whether they’re Loro Piana devotees, Harrods regulars, or pedestrians strolling past the 36 window displays that run along Brompton Road and Hans Crescent.

No one is more eager to open the doors than Loro Piana’s chief executive officer Damien Bertrand who, with his team, helped to design the windows with their floating baby goats, vicuñas perched on clouds, and bales of wool spinning on a little wooden Ferris wheel.

Bertrand said the goal was to show the Loro Piana journey “from sheep to shop” and pay tribute to the people (and animals) around the world who supply, manufacture and create the luxury brand’s buttery-soft textiles, clothing and accessories.

In an interview, Bertrand said the windows, which also feature little wooden cogs and wheels, bolts of cloth, and finished clothing, are “a celebration of Loro Piana’s people,” ranging from the company’s Piedmont, Italy, headquarters, to Mongolia, China, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Argentina and Bolivia. 

“They are all part of this beautiful chain of hands that transform raw materials into unique products that all have a little bit of each person’s soul in them,” said Bertrand.

He said Harrods, with its grand facade that features 3,890 LED bulbs, was the only place that Loro Piana could have told its story, and the timing couldn’t be better.

“Christmas is a moment of celebration. When I was a boy, I can remember going to Printemps and Galeries Lafayette with my parents on a Sunday afternoon to see the holiday windows, and it was such a big moment for me,” said Bertrand.

He’s hoping other families with children will do the same, and gaze upward at the giant Christmas tree above the entrance that’s swathed in soft fabric fresh out of an old-style wooden mill lit up in lights.

They can also follow the story of Loro Piana through the windows which are filled with puppets, animals, and mills like a luxe version of Santa’s workshop.

In the main window, a rotating globe rests on top of a miniature version of Loro Piana’s factory in Quarona, Italy, while a Harrods Green Man sits on the clouds above the globe, symbolizing the long-standing ties between the two brands.

Starting on Dec. 12, those windows will come alive further with a physical-digital interactive game. A QR code will take guests on a window-to-window trail from Brompton Road to Hans Crescent, allowing them to travel to the places where Loro Piana sources and makes its wool.

The game, developed by Monogrid, will challenge players to find 10 hidden holiday symbols, discover facts about the brand and win prizes.

“People will be able to learn, to touch, to play. It’s perfect for the family and for anyone aged 7 to 97,” said Bertrand.

Inside, on the ground floor there will be two pop-ups, which were also designed by Bertrand and the team to tell more of Loro Piana’s story.

The first pop-up, at Door 6, has a workshop-inspired display, with a leather worktable and a large industrial wheel that showcases Loro Piana’s leather goods and accessories. Items on offer include scarves, socks and beanies in cashmere, wool, and silk twill, some of which are decorated with signature bear and thistle flower motifs.

Customers can also have initials embroidered on the brand’s signature fringed cashmere scarf while they wait.

The pop-up at Door 9 is selling a variety of interiors gifts, including Loro Piana’s first book, “Master of Fibers,” written by Nicholas Foulkes and published by Assouline.

The 196-page book features 150 illustrations and is contained in a luxury clamshell case covered in the Loro Piana Tela Sergio fabric, which is made from cotton and linen.

Customers can also browse holiday trees wrapped in wool and cashmere; stuffed animals in the shape of goats, alpacas, elk, and deer; animal-shaped pencil tops; festive ornaments, and a wood-and-glass snow globe with a cashmere goat inside.

In that space Loro Piana is inviting guests to hand-knit festive decorations around wooden shapes of vicuñas, wreaths, tassels, pompoms, and fairies.

The brand has used the takeover as an opportunity to open its first, fully dedicated interiors store upstairs. The store showcases the full Art of Good Living collection, which spans home decor and textiles, holiday decorations and plush children’s toys.

Loro Piana has opened a newborn baby “pop-in” shop at Harrods, which will preview a new stroller-bassinet, created in collaboration with Inglesina. It’s made from water-repellent linen and cotton canvas and includes a mat for the baby and hand warmers for the parents using a signature blend of cashmere and silk.

To mark the event, Loro Piana has created an exclusive capsule of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories.

It includes tailored clothing and fabrics with equestrian touches, checks, and dedicated colorways, such as the signature Harrods green.

Evening looks for women include hand-embroidered silk gowns, knitted column dresses, black velvet ballet flats and high-heeled sandals embroidered with Loro Piana’s signature thistle flowers in gold.

Loro Piana is the latest in a series of brands that have created theatrical-grade takeovers of Harrods in recent years.

For Christmas 2022, Dior created an animated gingerbread installation called “The Fabulous World of Dior.” A few months later, Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama opened a five-week takeover that featured robotics, augmented reality and gaming.

Earlier this year, Burberry transformed Harrods into a luxe campground filled with the brand’s latest check patterns and “knight blue” color palette. Burberry’s takeover, which took place in March, was the first major event of Harrods’ 175th anniversary year.

Harrods’ managing director Michael Ward said the collaborations work on a number of levels.

“Harrods’ strategy is to work with our brands to create unique, immersive experiences, and a retail environment that elevates the shopping experience from transactional to immersive. These events are not only beneficial for driving sales and footfall, but they also create memorable experiences that resonate with our customers. The future of retail is experiential, and we are committed to being pioneers in that journey,” said Ward.

He added Harrods wants each partner brand to use the store as a stage “to demonstrate their values, their creativity, and their interpretation of Christmas magic, and to benefit from the global reach that these partnerships provide.”

The collaborations are also money-spinners. Harrods data indicates that brand takeovers result in a “significant” increase in footfall, and sales, among both existing and new customers, said Ward.

“They are not only marketing initiatives, but also strategic investments in enhancing our customer base. During these events, we often see a rise in engagement from a younger demographic eager to experience the luxury brands we showcase.

“The influx of customers translates to higher sales figures, while also strengthening Harrods’ position as a premier destination for luxury shopping. Moreover, these takeovers foster brand loyalty and create a lasting impact that extends well beyond the duration of the event,” he said.

Loro Piana already has stores on Sloane Street and Bond Street in London, but Bertrand said some will always prefer to shop for the brand at Harrods.

“People who come to Loro Piana are a little bit like family. If they are comfortable with the team in Harrods, they’ll go to Harrods — even if they live in another part of town,” said Bertrand.

Harrods isn’t the only British institution that Loro Piana is partnering with as part of its anniversary celebrations in London.

The brand is also funding a series of scholarships and bursaries for students at the Royal Academy Schools at the Royal Academy of Arts on Piccadilly.

Founded in 1769, the RA Schools are the longest established schools of fine art in the U.K. and offer up to 17 artists each year the opportunity to undertake a free, three-year, postgraduate program.

Loro Piana is supporting the public program in the Weston Studio, the RA Schools’ dedicated, on-site public project space for exhibitions.

Bertrand said that on an earlier visit to London he was impressed with the work of the Royal Academy Schools, and the independence the students are given.

He said that while textile production and fine art don’t have much in common, “there are bridges, and connections” between the two, “and if we can give back to these young talents and artists, if we can give them the opportunity to develop their passions, then we will.”