In an industry loud with hype, Nadia Dhouib is the quiet force working behind-the-scenes to fix the system from the inside. From the Champs-Élysées to Mumbai, meet the executive connecting heritage and the future of retail together.
While the fashion industry obsesses over the next viral moment, Dhouib has spent the last two decades obsessing over something far more critical: structure, longevity, and experience.
Born in Carthage, Dhouib is one of the few Arab women to reach the highest echelons of the European luxury establishment. Her career is a masterclass in navigating complex systems, from historic French department stores to the explosive growth of the Indian market. Dhouib’s approach to leadership is a direct reflection of her upbringing in Tunisia, where she learned early on that you can’t have art without structure. After navigating the demanding French education system and graduating from Audencia Business School, she gravitated toward the parts of the industry people mostly overlook. She didn’t want to just work in fashion, but to understand the machinery behind it.
The Galeries Lafayette Era: An “Intrapreneur” in Paris
View this post on Instagram
Joining in 2005, she spent 15 years embedded in the retail giant Galeries Lafayette as a buyer, but her defining moment came in 2016.
She was handed the keys to the Champs-Élysées project—a massive undertaking to transform a 1932 Art Deco bank into a retail concept for the Instagram generation. Collaborating with heavy hitters like architect Bjarke Ingels, creative directors M/M Paris, and Jacquemus, Dhouib practically revolutionized what modern retail could look like, proving that department stores can still be radical and elevated.
Nadia Dhouib Leading Rabanne and Going Independent
When the pandemic forced the entire industry into an involuntary slowdown, something interesting happened. While everyone else was scrambling, Dhouib found her lane. Stores were shuttered, supply chains collapsed, and the fashion calendar was suddenly up for debate, but instead of panicking, she pivoted. She launched RethinkRetail Advisory, stepping out of the institution and into founder mode, helping major houses like Gucci and Rabih Kayrouz navigate a world that had abruptly become digital-first.
This strategic mindset led her to the Puig Group in 2022, where she took the reins as CEO of Fashion at Rabanne. Her mandate? Sharpen the brand’s direction. She restructured teams, expanded wholesale, and integrated sustainability as a business imperative.
The Next Chapter: India, Governance, and Giving Back
View this post on Instagram
In 2025, she solidified her boardroom expertise with a Corporate Director Certificate from Sciences Po and took on a massive new challenge: advising Reliance Retail on bringing Saks Fifth Avenue to India. It’s a move that places her at the center of the world’s next great luxury boom.
But perhaps most importantly, Dhouib is sending the elevator back down. As a mentor for Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) and Saudi 100 Brands, she is actively shaping the next generation of Arab talent. In a landscape that changes by the minute, she’s become a steady, thoughtful presence who understands that trends may come and go, but strong systems and cultural fluency are what last.
The Architects of the New Arab Era: Real power doesn’t always shout. In our new series, Who Is, Mille profiles the Arab visionaries operating at the highest levels of the global industry—the ones writing the checks, building the strategies, and shifting the culture from behind the scenes. From the Maghreb to the Gulf and beyond, these are the leaders defining what modern legacy looks like.
