Joseph Ribkoff launches global DTC

Joseph Ribkoff has launched its first global direct-to-consumer platform, adding a new sales channel to a business long built on wholesale and boutiques. The Canadian womenswear label tied the launch to a refreshed brand line, “Elegance in Motion,” and a Fall 2026 campaign fronted by Elizabeth Hurley. The move gives the Montreal-founded company a single branded storefront for consumers across multiple markets, rather than relying mainly on department stores, specialty retailers and partners. Company executives and trade coverage presented the rollout as a growth step and a way to deepen direct contact with shoppers. ### Why is this launch more than just a new website? Joseph Ribkoff described the new site as its first global direct-to-consumer platform, making the launch a structural change in how the company sells. FashionNetwork reported the company said the platform builds on its global wholesale business and is intended to deepen customer relationships while expanding how consumers experience the brand. (us.fashionnetwork.com) The official Joseph Ribkoff site now carries the “Elegance in Motion | Since 1957” branding across regional storefronts, showing the DTC push is being presented as a companywide repositioning rather than a limited campaign page. The site also features shoppable new arrivals, category pages and campaign content tied to the broader relaunch. ### What is “Elegance in Motion” supposed to signal? (us.fashionnetwork.com) Joseph Ribkoff said “Elegance in Motion” reflects the idea that elegance evolves with the women who wear its clothes. FashionNetwork and the brand’s own campaign page both describe the concept as a renewed brand vision centered on confidence, individuality and modern ease. (josephribkoff.com) Brett Sugarman, vice-president of global marketing, said in coverage cited on Joseph Ribkoff’s press page that the moment represented more than a new campaign and reflected where the company is today and where it is going next. That framing places the slogan alongside a broader effort to update the label’s image without abandoning its long-running positioning in occasion and polished daywear. (us.fashionnetwork.com) ### Why did the company choose Elizabeth Hurley? Elizabeth Hurley is the face of Joseph Ribkoff’s Fall 2026 “She Icons” campaign, the creative centerpiece of the relaunch. The brand’s campaign page says Hurley was chosen as a woman whose confidence, elegance and presence continue to inspire across generations. FashionNetwork said the campaign was photographed and directed by Jake Rosenberg. (retail-insider.com) Stephen Belfer, Joseph Ribkoff’s president and chief executive, told WWD the campaign and platform launch were “a defining moment” in the company’s history. WWD, as carried by Yahoo Finance, said Hurley plays a central role in a broader strategy to scale the business and raise the brand’s profile. ### How does this fit the wider DTC shift in fashion? (josephribkoff.com) Direct-to-consumer expansion gives brands more control over pricing, merchandising, customer data and marketing than a wholesale-only model. In Joseph Ribkoff’s case, FashionNetwork said the company explicitly linked the platform to closer customer connections and long-term growth. (finance.yahoo.com) For a heritage mid-market label, the move also shows how older brands are using digital flagships and celebrity-led campaigns to refresh awareness while keeping existing wholesale operations in place. Joseph Ribkoff did not present the rollout as a retreat from wholesale; instead, it said the new platform builds on that business. (us.fashionnetwork.com) ### What can shoppers and industry watchers look for next? The Fall 2026 “She Icons” campaign is already live on Joseph Ribkoff’s official site, alongside product pages and regional e-commerce storefronts. The company’s “In the News” page is also carrying coverage of the DTC launch and Hurley partnership, providing the clearest public record of how it is sequencing the rollout. (us.fashionnetwork.com) In the near term, the next visible markers will be how prominently Joseph Ribkoff continues to feature Hurley across seasonal marketing, and whether the brand expands the direct platform with more editorial content, curated drops or additional market-specific storefronts. That is an inference based on the company’s live site structure and campaign-led launch materials. (josephribkoff.com)