The Latest Appointments: Burberry, Schiaparelli & Ritz-Carlton

Burberry Chairman Sir John Peace, with Angela Ahrendts and Christopher Bailey

Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts will join Apple in 2014, as Marc Jacobs departs Louis Vuitton to focus on the IPO of his eponymous brand

LVMH has confirmed that Marc Jacob’s Spring 2014 collection for Louis Vuitton will indeed be the designer’s last (WWD). Jacobs leaves Vuitton after a 16-year run during which he orchestrated the transformation of the leather-goods giant from a stodgy luggage house to a global fashion force.

Jacobs’ successor at Vuitton has not been named, nor has a decision been made, though industry speculation continues to point to Nicolas Ghesquière as the front-runner. The designer himself will now focus on an eventual public offering for the Marc Jacobs brand, set to happen in the coming three years.

Over in London, The Board of Walpole British Luxury has announced that Julia Carrick, who has been the CEO of Walpole since 2000, has decided to step down from her role. Carrick will continue her close relationship with Walpole and become Walpole’s first Global Ambassador and a member of the Walpole Advisory Council.

But the most unexpected news of the week came at the hands of Angela Ahrendts, who will leave her position as Burberry CEO in Spring 2014, to become head of retail operations at Apple. Ahrendts, 53, will oversee more than 400 retail outlets and Apple’s online store, the Cupertino, California-based company revealed to Bloomberg.

Christopher Bailey, who for the past six years has been chief creative officer at Burberry, the largest British luxury-goods producer, will replace Ahrendts as CEO.

Frederic de Narp, CEO, Bally

Former Harry Winston president and CEO, Frédéric de Narp, will join Bally as CEO effective 4 November 2013. Prior to his leadership role with Harry Winston, Mr de Narp spent 18 years with Cartier where he held a series of international luxury retail positions throughout Asia and Europe. In 2005, he moved to New York to oversee Cartier North America, as President and CEO, before joining Harry Winston, Inc. in 2010.

Source: Labelux

Daniel Kearns, Artistic Director, Façonnable

Façonnable has appointed Daniel Kearns as its new artistic director. Prior to his new role, Kearns worked for Yves Saint Laurent, where he was men’s wear design director under Stefano Pilati, its previous creative director. He has also worked for the likes of John Galliano and Lee Alexander McQueen. Kearns is to show his first collections in November during the pre-fall men’s market in New York.

Source: Pambianco News

Jane Reeve, CEO, Italian Chamber of Fashion

The Italian Chamber of Fashion has officially confirmed the appointment of Jane Reeve as its CEO. Reeve leaves the post of CEO of advertising and marketing agency J. Walter Thompson Italy to devote herself to Italian fashion. Now the Board of Directors of the Association will proceed to the ratification and the conferring of powers at the meeting scheduled for October 16.

Source: Pambianco News

Florian Craen, EVP, Hermès

Florian Craen has been named executive vice president of sales and distribution at Hermès International. He will be taking over from Beatriz González-Cristóbal who left the company in the spring for personal reasons, after a 13-year stint at the luxury French brand. A Harvard Business School graduate, Craen joined the company in 1997. From 2009 until present, Craen was managing director of the North Asia area.

Source: FashionMag

Claire Roblet, Director of Market Intelligence, Kering

Kering has announced the appointment of Claire Roblet as Director of financial communications and market intelligence, effective October 7th 2013. She will lead the Group’s financial communications, financial publications, analyst and investor relations and market intelligence, suceeding Alexandre de Brettes, who was appointed CEO of Christopher Kane fashion house at the beginning of September.

Source: Kering

JW Anderson, Creative Director, Loewe

JW Anderson will become creative director at LVMH’s Loewe, as part of the conglomerates minority-stake acquisition in his namesake brand. Anderson will succeed Stuart Vevers at Spanish heritage label Loewe, after he resigned to take the top job at Coach.

Source: Vogue UK

Darren Spaziani, Accessories Designer, Louis Vuitton

Darren Spaziani has been re-hired by Louis Vuitton as chief accessories designer, charged with the task of propelling Louis Vuitton to an even higher level of exclusivity. Spaziani previously worked with the label from 2004 to 2006, followed by positions at Balenciaga, Proenza Schouler, Tory Burch, and Diane von Furstenberg.

Source: Fashionista

Luciano Santel, COO, Moncler

Luciano Santel, who most recently served as managing director and general manager of Stefanel, has been appointed COO for Moncler. Moncler has also appointed Sergio Buongiovanni as member of the board to assist President, Remo Ruffini, in major strategic decisions the group will have to face for future development.

Source: Pambianco News

Manel Adell, Board, Puig

Ex-Desigual boss Manel Adell has joined the board of directors at fashion and fragrance company Puig. He will be joining former Louis Vuitton exec, Jordi Constans, who came to the group in March this year. Manel Adell – who played a key role in the international expansion of Bang & Olufsen – took over at Desigual in 2002 remained at the company for 10 years.

Source: FashionMag

Edward French, Chief Marketing Officer, Ritz-Carlton

Edward French has been named as the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. As a member of the Corporate Operating Committee, he will oversee the strategic positioning of one of the world’s most iconic and powerful luxury hotel brands. Prior to his current role, French was SVP, Marketing Platforms, which included overseeing the operations, marketing and strategic direction of the loyalty programs.

Source: Ritz-Carlton

Yvan Mispelaere, Creative Director, Roberto Cavalli

One year after his surprise departure from Diane von Furstenberg, French designer Yvan Mispelaere has been announced as the design director of Roberto Cavalli, a newly-created position. Prior to his two-and-a-half year tenure at Diane von Furstenberg, Mispelaere held design roles at Chloé, Valentino and Gucci.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Creative Director, Rochas

Alessandro Dell’Acqua has replaced Marco Zanini as the creative director of Rochas, following Zanini’s departure to newly revived couture house Schiaparelli. Dell’Acqua will continue to design for his own brand – No.21 – which showed in Milan last week, and will present his first collection for Rochas in Paris in February 2014.

Source: Vogue UK

Marigay McKee, President, Saks Fifth Avenue

Marigay McKee, chief merchant at Harrods, one of Britain’s most famous department stores, has been named as the new president of Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks is in the process of being taken over by Canadian retailer Hudson’s Bay Company, and has confirmed that CEO Stephen Sadove, and president & chief merchant, Ronald Frasch, will be leaving the business.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

Marco Zanini, Creative Director, Schiaparelli

Marco Zanini has been named the creative director of Schiaparelli. The designer – who left Rochas last week – will present his first collection at Couture Week in Paris in January 2014.
Zanini has previously served in design teams at houses including Versace, Halston and Dolce & Gabbana, and received much critical acclaim at Rochas.

Source: Vogue UK

Nathan Levy, Managing Director US, Sonia Rykiel

French fashion label Sonia Rykiel has appointed Nathan Levy as managing director in America. The newly created role, which is part of the brand’s development strategy in the U.S., will see Levy overseeing the commercial management and the implementation of the company’s retail and wholesale activities in the region.

Source: Fashion United

Francesca Amfitheatrof, Design Director, Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. has announced the appointment of Francesca Amfitheatrof as Design Director effective immediately, where she will oversee design of all Tiffany product categories. Amfitheatrof’s background is as a jewelry designer and silversmith, developing jewelry for fashion brands, including Chanel, Fendi and Marni.

Source: Tiffany & Co.

Frederic Cumenal, President, Tiffany & Co.

The Board of Directors of Tiffany & Co. has appointed Frederic Cumenal to the position of President of Tiffany & Co. and also appointed him to a newly-created seat on the Company’s Board. Cumenal joined Tiffany in 2011 from LVMH’s Moet & Chandon, where he was president and chief executive officer.

Source: Tiffany & Co.

Shafi Syed, VP Development, Trump Hotels

Shafi Syed has joined Trump Hotel Collection as vice president of development and acquisitions for India, the Middle East and Africa (IMEA). An industry veteran with more than 20 years of related experience, Syed will steer expansion efforts from new regional headquarters in Dubai – a strategic hub in a region crucial to achieving the brand’s goal of 30 hotels by the year 2020.

Source: Market Watch

For more in the series of The Latest Appointments, please see our most recent editions as follows:

- The Latest Appointments: Kering, Dior & Four Seasons
- The Latest Appointments: Saint Laurent, Buccellati & Hermès
- The Latest Appointments: Harry Winston, Dunhill & Audemars Piguet