
Nadja Swarovski
Nadja Swarovski is an Executive Board member of Swarovski Crystal Business and Chairperson of the Swarovski Foundation. Nadja joined the family company founded by her great-great-grandfather Daniel Swarovski in 1995. Since joining she has positioned the Swarovski brand as a leading force in the fashion industry and an enabler of creativity.
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About Nadja Swarovski
In 1995, Nadja Swarovski entered the family business founded by her great-great-grandfather Daniel Swarovski in 1895 in Austria, with the mission to bring Swarovski to the forefront of the fashion industry and elevate the brand’s perception. Her grandfather, Manfred Swarovski, worked with Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, which inspired her quest to find her equivalent of Mr. Dior. She encountered Alexander McQueen in the late 90s, who was her first collaborator. His use of crystal in his fashion collections set the trend for the use of crystal as a creative ingredient within fashion.
With her team, she began showcasing Swarovski’s crystal range to the fashion, jewelry, architecture, lighting, design, and home décor industries globally, encouraging designers to discover crystal’s creative potential. The resulting collaborations and partnerships pushed the boundaries of the innovative use of crystal, resulting in a new perception of their product and brand.
Nadja created the chandelier collection Swarovski Crystal Place in 2002 and the haute couture jewelry brand Atelier Swarovski in 2007, inviting architects, fashion, and jewelry designers to create collections. Penelope Cruz, the face of Atelier Swarovski, embodied the values of Atelier Swarovski – caring for people and the planet.
She established Swarovski’s Sustainability Department in 2012, commencing work with the UNGC, becoming a signatory of the UNWEP, aiming to reach all UNDSGs. Nadja’s CSR team obtained numerous certifications for their manufacturing plants in Austria and Asia and RJC certifications for Atelier Swarovski and their B2B components business.
Nadja founded the Swarovski Foundation in 2013, which she chaired until December 2021, with the mission to foster culture and creativity, promote human empowerment, and preserve the environment. She headed up the Swarovski Waterschool, which is active on six continents, teaching youths about water conservation. Both philanthropic organizations are focused on the delivery of the UNSDSs.
In 2011, Nadja became the first female executive board member at Swarovski. In 2016, she was made a Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and in 2019, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts London. Nadja holds board-level positions at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, FIT Foundation, is the President of Fashion Council Germany, and a member of The Nature Conservancy’s European Council for Global Conservation – organizations that she adores and with which she shares values.