As the Middle East luxury giant marks 70 years, it orchestrates an ambitious pivot toward brand ownership and global expansion. For seven decades,Chalhoub Group has built its empire by bringing the world’s most prestigious luxury brands to the Middle East. Now, under third-generation, the company is rewriting its playbook entirely. The transformation is ambitious, aiming to evolve from regional distributor and retail partner into what the company’s vision 2033 describes as ‘an international luxury brand builder, bridging cultures and inspiring dreams’.

It’s a pivot encompassing proprietary brands, investments in emerging designers and the group’s first American flagship. The most visible sign of Chalhoub’s strategic shift is the creation of their own brands. This year saw the launch of handbag brand Makette, an initiative of the group’s fashion innovation lab. It represents a significant departure for a company that spent seven decades building other brands’ presence in the region. Perhaps the most ambitious element of Chalhoub’s new strategy is its expansion into the U.S., the world’s largest footwear market and territory, where Middle Eastern retail players have historically had little presence