Alo celebrated the launch of its sunglasses collection in Saint-Tropez. Photo: Courtesy of Alo Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story When I get on Zoom to Alo’s international CEO Benedetta Petruzzo, I’m surprised to see she’s in the brand headquarters in LA. To the outside eye, the Alo brand, its trainers, and its A-list community of influencers have been firmly Euro-summering since May.
From the Alo mega-yacht, anchored at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix, to July takeovers of the Gigi luxury resorts across Saint-Tropez and Bodrum, to the brand new London wellness center (reserved for influencers and VIPs), opened in May, the brand has invested heavily in European activations, as it continues to scale its burgeoning business beyond the US.
Alo invited a star-studded guest list to its launch event in Saint-Tropez, including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Cindy Bruna, Alton Mason, and Peggy Gou.
Alo was founded in 2007 in Los Angeles by childhood friends Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge. Beyond the figures, a scroll of social media or a quick scan of the girlies at airports and Pilates reformer studios in major cities will tell you that Alo continues to capture serious athleisure market share. But for a long time, the bulk of its business, and its entire physical retail network, was in the US, which represents. Now, after entering Europe in 2023 with a London store , the brand has its sights on further international expansion, in brand awareness and distribution, with Europe first in line.
Petruzzo — formerly managing director of Christian Dior Couture (2024 to 2026) and CEO of Miu Miu (2023 to 2024) — was appointed at Alo in January to work alongside CEO and co-founder Danny Harris to steer the brand’s international expansion and continue to fulfill its luxury ambitions, following its launch of $3,000 handbags earlier this year.
The brand’s Euro summer was very much a priority for the executive in her early months at the company. “Europe is a critical market for Alo, but it is also strategically important because it evokes a certain spirit of living,” Petruzzo says. “‘Euro summer’ already means something to consumers. We recognize luxury lifestyles are evolving [to incorporate wellness], and being part of this change really drives Alo. That alignment is what makes us different from everyone else.”
Alo’s summer activations were a major investment. Chartering a super yacht in Cannes and Monaco during their busiest times of the year alone is likely millions of dollars, even before you fly out scores of stars. So how does the label measure the ROI? “Of course, we are lucky enough to be considered a successful brand in a traditional way. We are growing. People like the brand, engage with us on social media and buy the product. But for us, success means being relevant,” Petruzzo says. “You can measure [ROI] the traditional way. It can be EMV (earned media value, which attaches monetary value to online engagement), the number of new customers, or revenue. But we try not to look at ourselves just like a brand that has to sell, that has to open stores. That’s too easy. We want to grow into a global cultural ecosystem.”
Stassie Karanikolaou (left) and Alix Earle (right) were spotted on the Alo mega-yacht in Monaco during the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
Arguably, Alo’s European play this summer was as much a marketing exercise for US talents and audiences as it was for the local community. But this global awar…