SDHconsulting

-Insight

-Experience

-Passion

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About

Steven D. Hamilton

"The exposure I receive as a consultant teaches me the importance of adaptability when working with clients and their evolving needs and goals. The solid experience gained while at Bergdorf's, Gucci and Giorgio Armani provides me the insight needed in today's fluid luxury sectors." SDH

Principal and Founder of SDHconsulting has a distinguished background as a leading merchant, retailer, and senior executive for Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Bergdorf Goodman. He has successfully developed and grown profitable businesses in a wide range of industries. He is also a practicing member of ASID. (American Society of Interior Designers)

As Executive Vice President, GMM and Director of Stores for Giorgio Armani Corp. USA, Mr. Hamilton catapulted this leading design house into a retail power. Directing an over $200 million operation with over 1,000 employees in 26 locations, he created a cohesive retail and merchandising division while launching new stores. His tenure there saw significantly improved sell-thus, increased market share, launched a successful home brand and developed a national retail staff as well as a corporate merchandising team with an elevated team spirit and self-motivation.

At Gucci, Mr. Hamilton was Worldwide Product Director, and was one of the original 42 member BOD who transformed this relatively small family business into a Wall Street icon. During his tenure worldwide sales volume exploded from $200 million to over $3 billion in the first year after the company's IPO. His first-hand exposure to the international luxury community was invaluable. He gained exemplary merchandising skills at Bergdorf Goodman in Men's & Women's apparel and was a key member in opening the store's men's freestanding location across Fifth Avenue.

Currently Mr. Hamilton is applying this vast experience to clients in retail, wholesale, e-commerce, merchandising, store site selection and development, lease and terms negotiation, and is a member of ASID to better represent his clients while developing interiors. His high taste level, dedication to quality, loyalty to staff and sense of integrity makes him a multi-faceted executive who knows how to strengthen and grow businesses in today's highly competitive and volatile markets.

Core Competencies:

Retail Management - Fashion and Home Merchandising - Store Development - Architect Liaison - Interior Design

-Retail Management

-RTW, Fashion Accessory and Home Merchandising

The Bergdorf experience instills the importance of superior customer service, the critical relationship of the merchandising office with the store's staff, and what luxury truly is about! At Gucci having a worldwide responsibility tutors one on the nuances of shopping in diverse markets/countries yet always maintaining a brand's integrity.

-Store Development

-Architect Liaison

The importance of a store's location, lease/expense affordability along with passionate staffing will predominately decide if a door succeeds. The delicate balance between a brand's creative vision, an architect's standards and what are actually the needs of a retail store is vital to an enduring end product.

-Interior Design

Mr. Armani often said when in one of his stores, it must arouse the feeling as though the client is in one of his homes. Interior design has always been important but translating from commercial to residential, a bold taste vs a demure one, if it is a sales conducive space but still pleasant, is in the "listen" to the client before and during every project if one is to truly satisfy all those included.

Client Development Projects:

A prime location with a highly procured design aesthetic is the foremost means for conveyance of any brand's DNA to a market. Whether a free-standing street location, shopping center, a shop on a wholesale partners selling floor or a duty free presence, a brand's store identity must speak for itself. At SDH we believe implicitly in the importance of site procurement and development

so no detail is too small to ignore, it's our passion.