Dragons of Walton Street Opens Dubai Flagship for Luxury Kids’ Furniture

MILAN — Dragons of Walton Street, the British luxury children’s interiors brand founded in 1979 by the late Rosie Fisher, is entering a new phase under chief executive officer Simona Struzzi. The firm will open its first flagship in Dubai this fall. 

Long known for its hand-painted furniture and whimsical motifs — and for furnishing the royal nursery for Princess Diana following Prince William’s birth in 1982 — the brand is repositioning itself for a global luxury audience.

In 2023, the company appointed Struzzi, a luxury furniture sector veteran, as CEO. In 2024, it established the Dragon’s Atelier in the English countryside under award-winning illustrator and artist Hannah Horn. Lana Aviosor, a Monaco-based entrepreneur, took ownership of the business and began steering its international expansion.

“We took Dubai as the first because Dubai is such a condensed market and is a very global melting pot of taste and culture, where we can gain a broad overview of how parents from different demographics are working,” Struzzi told WWD.

The Dubai flagship, expected to open in September or October, will be followed by further expansion in markets including the U.K., Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Singapore. The 5,382-square-foot flagship will open on Dubai’s Al Khayat Avenue in the Al Quoz area.

Before the dawn of the Iran conflict, the United Arab Emirates was primed for growth. The influx of Russian and Indian migrants and the growing jet-set population has been a key driver of new design events and the design industry and economy as a whole. The nation’s central bank said the economy grew 6.2 percent in 2025, though the UAE central bank predicts growth will slow, rising just 1.7 percent in 2026. “The softer outlook primarily reflects a cautious approach to hydrocarbon production, some logistical frictions in key trade corridors, and heightened uncertainty influencing trade and investment flows. A gradual normalization of energy markets and transportation networks would support an improvement in growth conditions over time.”

The UAE’s Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre reported 11.3 million residents at the end of 2024. Midyear 2025 estimates showed that total rose to about 11.4 million residents, with expatriates making up the clear majority of residents. There are more than 200 nationalities in Dubai.

Struzzi, who is based in Dubai, remains optimistic about the region’s economic performance and retail prospects. “While recent events have understandably created uncertainty, we continue to have great confidence in the GCC and its future. Dubai has long been a place of innovation, resilience and international collaboration making it a natural home for the next chapter of Dragons of Walton Street.”

The Dubai store marks the first solid brick-and-mortar opening under the new leadership. In 2015 Dragons of Walton Street opened a concession within Harrods in London, which helped build brand awareness to a wider, global audience.

A central part of the relaunch is the appointment of Italian designer Carlo Colombo as creative director, infusing a contemporary spirit into the children’s furniture brand. “We are adding that additional layer of contemporary design to the brand, which is really unique to the children’s furniture market,” Struzzi said of the rare union of children’s luxury furniture and world-class design. His collection reinterprets Dragons’ illustrated heritage through sculptural, three-dimensional forms, including the Hippo armchair, Dragon sofa, the Little One chair and the Dinos Didi floor lamps.

For now, the company’s focus is on building awareness and establishing itself as a leader in luxury children’s furniture. “We want to expand the awareness of the new Dragons as much as we can,” said Struzzi, who has extensive experience representing Italian furniture makers in the Middle East. She served as the regional commercial manager in Qatar for B&B Italia and as the retail and marketing manager for Vivente, the exclusive supplier of high-end Italian brands like Molteni&C and Dada Kitchens in Dubai. “We would like to become a benchmark for children furniture.”