Shelagh D’Arcy-Hinds is a seasoned global brand leader with a career spanning luxury, retail, and agency environments. She began in creative services at luxury houses like Giorgio Armani and Valentino before becoming the Global Director of Retail Development at Calvin Klein, where she focused on strategic brand expansion.
Her transition to the agency world as a Creative Director at Ogilvy and Seiden Group allowed her to apply this knowledge to high-profile brand repositioning projects for clients including Generalitat de Catalunya for Trade & Tourism and Coty Beauty.
Leveraging this experience, Shelagh founded her own agency, D’Arcy & Partners, in New York City, with collaborative partners including Landor, Peek Media, and Crossroads Films.
She led a wide range of projects, for brand positioning and storytelling for clients like IKEA and HGTV, to creating brand books and package designs for Elizabeth Arden and Eddie Bauer, The Pearl Island Qatar, and Burj Khalifa Dubai.and Wolffer Wine & Estate where she transformed a struggling winery into a leading lifestyle brand, increasing its awareness and profit. She also directed the creative concepts behind fragrances for Tom Ford, Kenzo, and CK1.
Her work with Wolffer ignited her passion for sustainability and clean agriculture. The research uncovered opportunities and inspired her to create her own venture, Cliffton Pomme Classique, a mission-driven beverage brand. As founder, she built a global supply chain and grew the test case business in New York before strategically moving production to South Africa’s Western Cape. This move aligned the brand with her core mission of sustainability, scalability and community empowerment.
Shelagh’s unique global experience gives her a deep understanding of the cultural nuances of growth markets. As a brand consultant, her specialty is working with brand development and storytelling in Africa and the Middle East helping international brands navigate a circular, digital, and AI-driven economy, ensuring their story and mission resonate with new and diverse audiences. Shelagh is a speaker at
The School of Visual Arts (SVA) and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She has led brand development workshops for entrepreneurs in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. Shelagh is an advisor to Mayshad Women, International Woman’s Group, Women for Peace, The African Rainforest, and DIFFA.