Between Two Classes: Silvio Campara (Golden Goose CEO)

“Business, like life, is a balance of mind, heart, and instinct.”

The hard-working team behind Between Two Classes is excited to share this special edition featuring the incomparable Silvio Campara, CEO of Italian luxury brand, Golden Goose. Silvio joined the company in 2013 as Commercial Director, becoming CEO in 2018. Since stepping into that role, Campara has overseen a tripling of the brand’s revenue and a proliferation of their signature sneakers. Here, we sit down with Silvio to ask him about his approach to leading a luxury brand and how intuition, emotional intelligence, and craftsmanship shape his vision for the future.

How has your approach to leading Golden Goose evolved under the ownership of Carlyle Group and now Permira, and what have you learned about navigating luxury fashion with private equity backing?

Campara: Since the acquisition by Carlyle Group and now Permira, my leadership has been guided by a desire to create value while adapting to the changing luxury market. Private equity backing has given us the opportunity to innovate and grow. The key lesson I've learned is how to balance maintaining brand heritage with the agility necessary to respond to new market trends. This dynamic approach has allowed us to evolve while staying true to our core values: emotional connection, craftsmanship, and creative collaboration.

Part of those core values is the shift you’ve outlined “from product to experience." Can you talk more about this idea, and how it shapes your approach to the fashion industry?

Campara: At Golden Goose, we believe that luxury is no longer just about the product — it’s about the experience and the emotional connection we create with our customers. We are a “love brand” that transcends mere aesthetics and fleeting trends. Customers, especially the GenZ, today want to feel good, not just look good. Through our Co-Creation experience, they become active participants in designing their own products, infusing them with personal stories and unique creativity. This deep involvement transforms customers into co-creators, fostering a sense of belonging. We believe this approach, focusing on self-expression and community, makes us stand out in a crowded luxury landscape.

By engaging our customers in the creative process, we cultivate a sense of shared values and individuality. This emotional connection has resulted in a 50% returning customers and a 20% higher retail performance compared to other luxury brands.

It was cool to see that “Co-Creation” experience happening at HBS with Golden Goose “Dream Makers” on-hand to help students personalize their apparel. How do you see the Co-Creation experience impacting your approach to design and product lifecycle? And how do you balance the need for consistency with the desire for innovation?

Campara: At Golden Goose, we prioritize culture over fleeting trends. Our focus is on creating a timeless brand that celebrates our customers’ creativity through Co-Creation. While trends come and go, culture endures, and this is reflected in everything we do — from design to the product life cycle.

Creativity is the foundation, but consistency is key. We create products that resonate with our customers’ values and identities, not just the latest fashion fads. Our approach to merchandising reflects this - rather than flooding the market with new shapes and silhouettes, we focus on tailoring products to local tastes and cultures. We believe our sneakers are timeless, which is why we never discount them or restock sold-out items. This scarcity strategy maintains the exclusivity and value of each product.

Co-creation is central to our brand. Our customers are not just buying a product; they are actively involved in the design process. This sense of ownership and creativity sets us apart from other luxury brands, as it allows individuals to express their uniqueness while still feeling part of the Golden Goose community. Additionally, our repair services emphasize sustainability and the longevity of our products, further strengthening the emotional connection with our customers. 

How do you think of the role of “intuition”, alongside data and analysis in pursuing what is definitely a novel approach to luxury fashion? And how do you integrate intuition into the decision-making process at Golden Goose, and how do you balance it with a data-driven approach?

Campara: While data is crucial in providing valuable insights, we believe that intuition allows us to anticipate deeper, emotional needs and desires that data alone can’t reveal. We use CRM data to understand customer preferences, but it’s through our direct interactions with the community and our understanding of the emotional undercurrents that we can truly connect with our customers.

Intuition plays a key role when creating new experiences or products. It’s not just about analyzing trends, it’s about anticipating what our customers will feel and how they will connect with what we’re creating. For example, our store teams and artisans — all of whom interact with customers daily — bring valuable intuition to the process, helping us blend insights from data with the emotional intelligence needed to innovate. This combination ensures our approach resonates deeply and authentically with the Golden Goose community.

Very interesting. Switching gears a bit, when asked recently how you deal with failure you said, “I love failure… that pain gives me the intensity to connect with a new part of me.” Can you expand on that?

Campara: At Golden Goose, we embrace “Perfect Imperfection,” a philosophy that reflects life itself — never perfect, but always authentic. For me, failure is not something to fear, but an opportunity for growth. Each challenge pushes me to discover new parts of myself and improve, both personally and professionally.

How does that play into your self-described process of “continuous self-improvement”?

Campara: I’m passionate about history, believing that understanding the past and present is essential for crafting a meaningful future. Self-improvement is about staying open to learning and evolving, using past lessons to guide future ambitions. This mindset shapes everything we do at Golden Goose, ensuring we continue to innovate while staying true to our core values.

During your talk at HBS, you described your role as a “Chief Emotional Officer.” Can you explain what this means to you and how you implement it in your day to day?

Campara: As Chief Emotional Officer, I focus on embedding emotional intelligence into every part of our business. Emotions are at the heart of innovation and customer loyalty. Business, like life, is a balance of mind, heart, and instinct. At Golden Goose, we value human connection over transactions. We don’t just sell products — we create immersive experiences that build emotional bonds and make people feel part of our community. By listening and understanding their emotional needs, we craft experiences that reflect our values, not just our products. At Golden, we want people to connect, create, and feel good about who they are.

Given that desire to have people connect, how do you think about retail and brick-and-mortar stores? 

Campara: Our stores are pioneers of our vision, designed to reflect the local culture and spirit of each city and its community. At Golden Goose, we see our physical locations as more than just retail spaces; they’re places to build meaningful connections with our customers. The goal is to create an environment where customers feel welcomed and engaged, connecting with both the brand and others through shared values and experiences.

While digital channels are essential for reaching new audiences, brick-and-mortar stores remain crucial for fostering deeper, personal relationships. They provide a tangible, immersive experience that online platforms can’t replicate. In our stores, customers can touch, feel, and experience the essence of Golden Goose firsthand. They become part of something larger than just shopping — they’re part of a community, and that sense of belonging is at the heart of our brand’s DNA.

How does the fashion school you recently launched play into that brand DNA?

Campara: The Golden Goose Academy, launched in October 2024 at HAUS Marghera in Venice, represents our commitment to craftsmanship, tradition, and people. This Academy is a cultural hub designed to offer professional development opportunities to both current employees and external talents. Through programs like the One-Year Dream Maker Program, participants gain hands-on experience in sneaker repair and co-creation, blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.

By fostering creativity and nurturing talent, the Academy shapes the next generation of Dream Makers — our skilled artisans. It also serves as a global training center, where we prepare our employees to bring the brand’s culture and expertise worldwide. By investing in education and talent development, we ensure that Golden Goose remains rooted in its core values while continuing to evolve and inspire future creators.

Peter Sykes (MBA ’26) is originally from Calgary, Canada. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2015 with a degree in Economics. Prior to HBS, Peter worked in strategic ops at Reservoir Media, an independent music company in New York, and for Morgan Stanley.