Frasers Group CEO Michael Murray Photo: Thomas Chéné Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story Tonight, at a luxury hotel in the 8th arrondissement, Frasers Group CEO Michael Murray is hosting a cocktail party during Paris Fashion Week. The event will celebrate Frasers Group Luxury, a new division of the business comprising Flannels, The Webster, and recently acquired British department store Harvey Nichols. The portfolio also includes Boss, which Frasers is hoping to acquire: The group just upped its stake to 47.89% in August, and Murray was recently made chairman of the board.
It’s the first time Frasers has held a luxury event at Paris Fashion Week, but as the group continues with brand acquisitions, Murray is keen to underline its elevated positioning. The 500-strong guestlist, he says, will include leading luxury CEOs who partner with Frasers across its retail portfolio, franchisees and partners from across Europe, and industry insiders in town for Paris Fashion Week.
The soirée also intends to elucidate Frasers Group’s luxury strategy, amid scrutiny and negative press about the group and its activities in recent years — notably over e-tailer Matches, which Frasers acquired and then placed into administration in 2024. Hulcan, the luxury group which purchased the Matches IP and brand Raey from Frasers , now counts Frasers as an investor.
At the event, Murray will also communicate the group’s plans for Harvey Nichols, which it acquired for an undisclosed sum on August 13 , prompting speculation on its future. The Harvey Nichols team will be present including CEO Julia Goddard . Like when Frasers bought Matches, the deal prompted calls from some industry figures for Frasers to address outstanding payments owed to Harvey Nichols’s suppliers before its administration.
Murray took over as CEO from his father-in-law, Frasers Group founder and majority shareholder Mike Ashley, in 2022. At 36, Murray’s one of the youngest executives in the FTSE 100. While scores of luxury retailers have faltered in recent years, Frasers Group (which comprises the luxury division, the sports division, including Sports Direct, Everlast and Slazenger, plus real estate and financial services) has grown under his stewardship, mainly due to international expansion.
Michael Murray was appointed CEO of Frasers Group in 2022.
The group reported an 8.7% revenue increase to £5.3 billion for fiscal 2026. However, amid Murray’s ambitious investment strategy, adjusted pre-tax profit fell 4% to £538 million. The group didn’t provide guidance for fiscal 2027, citing uncertainty around its takeover offers and the scale and timing of future investments. The group’s Premium Lifestyle business, which includes, Flannels, Cruise, Van Mildert, Jack Wills, House of Fraser and tailoring label Gieves & Hawkes, alongside the newer luxury acquisitions, represented 18.3% of the group’s revenue in fiscal 2026.
A few days before the cocktail, Murray and I met in Paris’s Hotel Costes to unpack the Matches acquisition and liquidation, his intentions for Boss and his plans for Harvey Nichols, some of which he has never discussed before.
Vogue : First of all, tell me about Monday’s event. Why did it make sense for Frasers to host something like this at Paris Fashion Week for the first time?
We want to give clarity on what we’re doing. We bought The Webster about a year ago. We recently bought Harvey Nichols. We invested in Hulcan, which is the owner of Mile, which bought…