Cannes_2026_WEDNESDAY_ISSUE_DIGITAL

Fashion forward: The new rules of engagement Today, 10:00 – 11:00 Jean Mineur Auditorium, Level 3, Palais des Festivals T his morning’s TFWA workshop – ‘Fashion forward: the new rules of engagement’ – will hear from Anna Marchesini, Head of Business Development at m1nd-set; Liam Dewis, Director – Travel Retail and Emerging Markets at Coach; and luxury expert Stefan Dembinski, President of EOS. Together, they will examine how industry stakeholders can adapt their offer, storytelling and in-store experience to drive sales and unlock future growth. The session will be moderated by Nicole Daniells, Member Services Manager, TFWA. Making fashion more relevant to the travel moment The key message from Anna Marchesini, Head of Business Development, m1nd-set, will be that fashion in travel retail has strong potential, but it can no longer rely only on visibility, prestige or the idea that travellers will naturally browse because they have time. The category needs to work harder to prove its relevance in the travel moment. “What we see very clearly is that fashion visitors are open to buying: around six in ten fashion visitors purchased fashion during their airport journey,” says Marchesini. “But conversion depends on whether the offer feels useful, easy, distinctive and worth buying at the airport rather than elsewhere. The main takeaway I would like the audience to remember is that the ‘new rules of engagement’ are very practical. Travellers want a stronger brand mix, clearer value, easier returns and exchanges, products that fit the journey, and an experience that is enjoyable without being complicated. Fashion has to become more travel-native: more curated, more convenient and more clearly differentiated from downtown and online shopping.” Building connections through experience and authenticity Liam Dewis, Director – Travel Retail and Emerging Markets, Coach, will share a core message that fashion in travel retail can no longer rely solely on product and location. Today’s traveller expects relevance, experience, and emotional connection. “At Coach, we see travel retail as far more than a sales channel,” says Dewis. “It is an opportunity to introduce the brand to a truly global audience and build lasting consumer relationships. The brands that will succeed are those that combine compelling storytelling, experiential retail, and a seamless connection between physical and digital touchpoints.” Dewis will also discuss how younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, are reshaping Liam Dewis, Director, Travel Retail & Emerging Markets, Coach Stefan Dembinski, President and Founder, EOS Nicole Daniells, Member Services Manager, TFWA Anna Marchesini, Head of Business Development, m1nd-set expectations around retail. “They are looking for authenticity, self-expression, and memorable experiences rather than purely transactional shopping. This is closely aligned with Coach’s purpose of inspiring consumers to express their individuality and have the courage to be themselves.” Bringing flagship-level luxury to the right travel retail locations Stefan Dembinski, President and Founder, EOS, will discuss how real luxury fashion is not a travel-retail-wide category – it is rather in a handful of key airports and terminals that it will thrive, “exactly as it only works in a handful of streets and malls in the domestic market”. Second, in those right locations, luxury fashion is a tremendous opportunity, but only when both the maison and the airport are genuinely willing to engage on the same terms. “And third, luxury travellers don’t lower their expectations at the airport: they expect the same brand experience, product offering, personal attention and quality of service they’d find in a flagship boutique in Paris, Milan or New York,” says Dembinski. “My ambition for this workshop is to make the case that these key airports and terminals can become a meaningful, complementary part of the luxury experience – not a diluted version of it.” Wednesday 30 September 2026 10 T F W A D A I L Y