Swims names marketing chief as its readies its first standalone store

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 13, 2018

Norwegian lifestyle brand Swims has named Andy Wyss its global marketing director as it prepares to open its first directly operated physical store. 

Wyss has 15 years of experience in international fashion and lifestyle and will be responsible for creating and leading the global marketing efforts and “cementing [the brand’s] position as a major player within the lifestyle space.”

The 12-year-old Swims brand is best known for its reinvention of the classic rubber galosh in its early days. But since then, the brand has expanded to include men’s footwear, outerwear and accessories and is currently stocked in 30 markets globally, including high-end departments stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Printemps, and KaDeWe.

The company was acquired by Differential Brands in 2016, which means that Wyss will be based at the US headquarters in Long Beach, California.  From there, he'll create and implement the company’s global marketing strategy and “will engage and collaborate with a team of top-tier brand, communications and content agencies from around the world.”

Wyss said that he is looking forward to “building a brand eco-system, that works both globally and locally and grows with the same pace and passion as the company itself.”

He also said that the label has “all the foundations of a significant, year-round, global brand. My tasks: refining and deploying brand identity, connecting with our consumers with optimised digital experiences and seeing the brand come to life in our first brick-and-mortar store later this year.”

Wyss has strong experience across both fashion and beauty. He joins following a six-year stint at beauty advertising agency, Select World in New York, and was previously head of PR and marketing at Pina di Falco Fashion Agency in Zurich, Switzerland.