The Aura Blockchain Consortium, a group that counts the companies behind luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Prada among its ranks, is adding to its C-suite with Thursday’s announcement of a new CEO.
The Swiss non-profit association has announced the appointment of tech entrepreneur Romain Carrere as CEO. He will also take on the role of General Secretary. Carrere joins at a critical point for Aura as the platform approaches what is being billed as “a new phase of growth.”
“We are delighted to have Romain join our Consortium,” said Lorenzo Bertelli, Chairman of Aura Blockchain Consortium as well as Marketing Director and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Prada Group, in a statement. “With his extensive background, he brings invaluable experience that will help steer the Consortium into a new strategic phase and fulfill our vision on a global scale.”
As Coach Swallows Versace, A Crypto Divide Grows in Luxury Fashion
Tapestry, the New York-based fashion conglomerate that owns Coach and Kate Spade, among other brands, announced Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Capri Holdings—the parent company of Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors—for roughly $8.5 billion. While the deal is only the latest merger of top brands to impact the steadily consolidating luxury fashion industry, it marks perhaps the most sizable effort an American firm has made yet to take on the dominance of mega-powerful European fashion...
With over 15 years experience as a tech entrepreneur, Carrere advises Web3 startups as well as luxury brands on their digital strategies, and how to leverage blockchain to achieve their goals. He holds a Master’s degree from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from Bentley University.
Carrere has also been involved in delegations, including representing French entrepreneurs at the G20 summit in Tokyo. In a statement, Carrere pledged that he would continue to innovate and push boundaries through the use of blockchain technology.
“I look forward to driving adoption of this technology,” he said, “and raising the overall customer experience to a level never achieved before in the luxury industry.”
Carrere succeeds General Secretary Daniela Ott, whom Bertelli praised for setting “a solid foundation that enables us all to face this next exciting chapter.”
Founded in 2021 by LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co.), Prada Group, Richemont (Cartier), and OTB Group (Diesel), the Aura Blockchain Consortium was joined in 2022 by the Mercedes-Benz Group. Aura provides NFT minting, software as a service (SaaS), and authentication functionality to member companies on a permissioned blockchain that is compatible with Ethereum.
Use cases include Christian Dior’s token-linked B33 sneakers collection, where its SaaS solution let owners access their shoes’ certificate of authenticity and gain insights into the manufacturing process. Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton’s Via Treasure Trunks leveraged Aura’s Multi-Token Minter service.
Pharrell Is the Future of Fashion—And the Future Looks Creative AF
Bad World is an occasional column by Toni Thai Sterrett, a filmmaker, futurist, and founder focused on the intersection of fashion and technology. Welcome to the Bad World, where we embrace the future of fashion in all of its elements. At the moment, the conversation around sustainability is the loudest. We can talk about a more sustainable world without having to sacrifice individuality, style, and pleasure. We just talk about it in a real and authentic way. Now let's dive into something I love...
Most recently, Aura partnered with digital assets solutions provider Coinhouse to offer a range of customized digital currency solutions to member brands. These include auto-conversion of cryptocurrencies into euros. The partnership will also support member brands’ wallets with cryptocurrencies and implement know-your-transaction (KYT) analysis to combat money laundering.
