Luxury in Transit: How Furla Is Rethinking Fashion for the Travelling Consumer
4 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
Eraldo Poletto is a travel retail and fashion industry veteran who first joined the iconic Italian brand Furla in 2010. After leaving in 2016, he returned in late 2024 to a world that looks markedly different – for fashion, for travellers, and for travel retail itself.
Once best known for its colourful leather goods and Italian craftsmanship, Furla is now reshaping how travellers experience luxury on the move. The brand is evolving quickly, with travel retail emerging as both a testing ground and a global showcase.
TRunblocked.com’s Contributing Editor Colleen Morgan sat down with Eraldo to discuss reinvention, relevance, and why the next wave of airport retail may belong to brands with something real to say. He believes that Furla can help ‘flip the script’. Why not?
Colleen Morgan (CM): Eraldo, you returned to lead Furla at a challenging time for both fashion and travel retail. Did you come back to finish what you started, or to start something no one saw coming?
Eraldo Poletto (EP): I’d say a bit of both. When I returned, I saw an opportunity to build on Furla’s heritage while reshaping the brand for a very different market landscape. The world of fashion and travel retail has evolved dramatically in a short time, and rather than simply picking up where I left off, I came back with a fresh perspective. There was unfinished business, yes, but also a clear mandate to rethink our approach and push the brand into spaces we hadn’t explored before.
CM: Airport retail is no longer about “buy two, get one free.” It’s about experience, emotion, and online engagement. How is Furla turning transient spaces into places people actually want to shop?
EP: Today’s traveller expects more than product – they expect discovery. Our vision is to make airport environments feel less transactional and more experiential. Spaces that echo the warmth and ease of Italian design: open layouts, tactile materials, and clear storytelling around our collections.
We’re also working in the direction of integrating digital layers that allow travellers to browse and learn about the brand before they even reach the terminal. By blending physical presence with digital touchpoints, we can turn a passing moment into a meaningful interaction.
CM: How do you keep Furla’s distinctive Italian DNA intact when your customer might be a Gen Z traveller in Seoul one day and a business flyer in Dubai the next?
EP: For us, “Italian DNA” is not a style cliché – it’s a mindset rooted in quality, joyfulness, and approachable sophistication. Those values translate universally. Whether the shopper is a young Gen Z traveller in Tokyo or a business passenger in Dubai, what resonates is authenticity: clean design, thoughtful functionality, and a sense of optimism in our colours and shapes.
We adapt to local tastes where it makes sense, but the core always remains unmistakably Italian.
CM: Today’s traveller is digital-savvy, conscious, and less patient. How is Furla adapting to that mindset – both in product and in the way you communicate brand values?
EP: We’re addressing this in two ways: product and communication. On the product side, travellers want lightweight pieces, smart organisation, and versatility – items that fit seamlessly into fast, mobile lifestyles. In communication, clarity and speed matter. We’re simplifying our messaging and leaning into digital channels to tell stories in formats that match how people consume information on the move.
CM: Furla has been quietly expanding beyond handbags into eyewear, footwear, and travel accessories. Is the long-term vision to evolve from an accessories house into a full lifestyle brand – and what role can travel retail play in accelerating that shift?
EP: Furla has always had the potential to extend beyond handbags, because our philosophy translates across categories. The introduction of eyewear, footwear, and travel accessories is a natural evolution.
Travel retail is a powerful accelerator for this shift: it exposes the full breadth of our offer to an international audience in moments when they’re particularly open to discovery. It allows us to show that Furla is not only a handbag brand, but a lifestyle rooted in Italian creativity.
CM: Luxury fashion accessories in travel retail are often seen as “impulse buys” rather than statement pieces. Is that fair, and how is Furla challenging that perception?
EP: Impulse plays a role, of course, but that doesn’t diminish the value of the product. Our challenge is to elevate that moment by offering pieces that feel considered, crafted, and emotionally resonant.
When someone chooses a Furla product on their way to a new destination, it becomes part of their travel story. That isn’t an impulse – it’s a connection. We focus on strong silhouettes, recognizable signatures, and quality materials so that even a spontaneous purchase becomes a long-term companion.
CM: Some critics argue that travel retail is dominated by beauty and liquor, leaving fashion and accessories fighting for attention. Is the category underrated, and if so, how can brands like Furla flip the script?
EP: Fashion in travel retail is still maturing. Beauty and liquor dominate because they built early, consistent ecosystems. But the opportunity for fashion is significant. Brands like ours can flip the script by offering clear storytelling, curated assortments, and environments where travellers can interact quickly and meaningfully with the product.
Fashion shouldn’t play catch-up; it should define its own rules – combining inspiration with convenience.
CM: Sustainability and craftsmanship have always been part of Furla’s story. How do you turn those values into something travellers can actually see, feel, and connect with in the duty-free environment?
EP: You make it visible. That means transparent material stories, touch-and-feel displays, and design details that demonstrate craftsmanship without needing explanation.
The industry is increasingly using signage, QR codes, and digital content to show the process behind materials, durability, and environmental commitments we’ve made. Travellers connect with what they can see and understand – and sustainability should be something you encounter, not just read about.
CM: Finally, what’s your boldest prediction for what the travel retail world will look like in 2030? And where does Furla fit in that future?
EP: By 2030, travel retail will be fully hybrid: physical spaces powered by data, personalisation, and pre-travel engagement. Stores will feel less like shops and more like brand micro-worlds – efficient, curated, and digitally integrated.
Furla will thrive in that environment because our brand experience is warm, optimistic, and easy to translate across formats. We see ourselves as part of a new generation of travel retail – lighter, more emotional, more meaningful. A place where travellers discover the joy of beautiful things.
