Hidden Gems: Meet Fouad Elfa of Prestigier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Fouad Elfa.

Hi Fouad, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always loved luxury. The finer things in life have always been a fascination of mine. From the beautiful timepieces to the luxurious vehicles and estates, I’ve always wanted to experience it for myself. I would read about them in magazines and daydream about one day being able to afford such things. As I got older, my fascination and appreciation only grew. I began to follow the luxury market closely, learning about the different brands and designers.

However, as I’ve become more and more immersed in the luxury industry as a consumer over the years, I started to notice a lot of gaps in the market. In particular, I noticed a lack of human touch when buying luxury online. It felt like I was buying something from amazon and I didn’t feel the luxurious experience I was expecting.

Being a hardcore luxury enthusiast myself, this was frustrating to experience. I started to think about how I could solve this problem and fill the gaps in the industry. This is when Prestigier was born.

During the first 6-month phase, I delved into comprehending the fundamental issues that exist in the luxury industry. This involved carrying out extensive research, engaging with industry experts, and interacting with potential users. My paramount objective was to ensure that the product I create addressed real and important problems faced by the industry. Following this, I dedicated the next few months to designing the platform’s UI/UX and building the operating system. Finally, to bring the platform to life, I hired an experienced team of full-stack developers to handle the complete development process.

Prestigier is an online destination bringing the essence of the luxury shopping experience to customers worldwide by offering the most desirable pieces and assets from renowned luxury sellers and highly coveted emerging brands. Beyond a highly curated selection, Prestigier provides an unparalleled shopping experience through the most cutting-edge and immersive technology.

Above all, Prestigier is a place to be inspired, to stroll, to discover, to learn, and to dream about the world of luxury.

We aim to shift the narrative entirely by bridging the gap between the traditional luxury boutique experience and online shopping, doing so in a way that empowers you.

Luxury is about more than just the product — it’s about the entire experience. And that’s what we’re here to provide.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our journey has been fraught with challenges that required tremendous effort to overcome. The most significant hurdle we encountered was the lack of financial resources, as Prestigier was entirely bootstrapped. Consequently, I had to exercise the utmost care and diligence in budgeting to ensure that we did not run out of funds. As a one-person team during the early days, I had to handle multiple roles and learn a wide array of skills to bring the startup to life. This proved to be a daunting task, as some of the responsibilities I had to assume were not within my area of expertise or preference. Nevertheless, as the founder, I had to overcome these challenges.

Another major challenge we faced was during the development phase. We had hired a team of developers in Ukraine before the war. Initially, the project progressed smoothly without any delays. However, once the conflict erupted, the developers had to take a few months off due to safety concerns. Furthermore, the team encountered a hostile working environment as the energy infrastructure was destroyed, leading to a mere 4-8 hours of electricity per day.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Prestigier is an online destination bringing the essence of the luxury shopping experience to customers worldwide by offering the most desirable pieces and assets from renowned luxury sellers and highly coveted emerging brands. Beyond a highly curated selection, Prestigier provides an unparalleled shopping experience through the most cutting-edge and immersive technology.

We created the Prestigier Promise to ensure the complete satisfaction of both buyers and sellers with the highest level of personalized service, fully verified and vetted seller listings, branded luxury storefronts, and secured transactions for both buyers and sellers. We promise to make your satisfaction our most important mandate.

On Prestigier, we ensure that “sellers and brands of all sizes, including those with zero e-commerce operational experience, can launch their brands smoothly on a global marketplace.

Prestigier not only connects sellers with buyers but also allows people to experience and discover the story behind the products they own.

It is important for us to show our customers the manufacturing processes and the workshops – storytelling is a key growth driver for us.

We also have more info about our economic and environmental impact on this page: https://about.prestigier.com/impact/

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, sports were a major part of my life. My parents instilled a strict “no technology” policy, so I spent most of my time outside. Internet access was limited to supervised usage, courtesy of my parents.

During my childhood, I discovered a passion for building and creating things, whether it was through playing with Lego bricks or exploring my interests in fashion, architecture, cars, and luxury. I saved up enough money to purchase my first computer at the age of 16, which I knew could be a life-changing device if utilized to its fullest potential.

About a year later, I embarked on my first online business venture.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://prestigier.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/foudy/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/fouadelfa