The Latest Appointments at Net a Porter, Bentley Motors, Li & Fung, Coty Prestige, De Beers, Alfred Dunhill, Yoox, Smythson, Sergio Rossi & Sonia Rykiel
The Latest Appointments: PPR, Cadillac & Baccarat
Over the last decade, collaborations between luxury brands and contemporary artists have gone beyond mere artistic partnerships towards a new kind of luxury branding.
PARIS – Art and fashion have always developed side by side, for fashion, like art, often gives visual expression to the cultural zeitgeist. During the 1920s, Salvador Dalí created dresses for Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiapparelli. In the 1930s, Ferragamo’s shoes commissioned designs for advertisements from Futurist painter Lucio Venna, while Gianni Versace commissioned works from artists such as Alighiero Boetti and Roy Lichtenstein for the launch of his collections. Yves Saint Laurent’s vast art collection, recently auctioned at Christie’s in Paris, testified to his great love of art and revealed the influence of a variety of artists on his own designs.
In the 1980s, relationships between luxury brands and artists were advanced when Alain Dominique Perrin created the Fondation Cartier. In the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, a book marking the foundation’s 20th anniversary, Perrin says he makes “a connection between all the different sorts of arts, and luxury goods are a kind of art. Luxury goods are handicrafts of art, applied art.”
The Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemparain building in Paris
The Latest Appointments at Net a Porter, Bentley Motors, Li & Fung, Coty Prestige, De Beers, Alfred Dunhill, Yoox, Smythson, Sergio Rossi & Sonia Rykiel
The Latest Appointments at Net a Porter, Bentley Motors, Li & Fung, Coty Prestige, De Beers, Alfred Dunhill, Yoox, Smythson, Sergio Rossi & Sonia Rykiel.
Condé Nast is said to have eliminated 60 positions at its New York headquarters, citing “the challenges of the U.S. economy.” The layoffs come after magazines were asked to reduce their annual budget by 10 percent according to Fashionista, which claim the layoffs were due to and are part of next year’s business plan.
In other publishing news, Nina Lawrence, publisher of W Magazine – and long-time employee of Condé Nast – has announced her sudden departure to become The Wall Street Journal’s new vice president of global marketing, advertising sales. Ms. Lawrence joins WSJ effective November 1st, a spokeswoman for Condé Nast said there were no plans to name a publisher in the interim (WWD).
Eraldo Poletto, CEO, Alfred Dunhill
Eraldo Poletto has been named CEO of Alfred Dunhill, effective November 5th, succeeding Christopher Colfer, who stepped down as CEO of Alfred Dunhill after seven years to take up a group position at Compagnie Financière Richemont. Mr. Poletto most recently served as CEO of Furla, following tenure at Retail Brand Alliance, including president of strategic development and international business.
Source: WWD
Steve DeLuca, SVP, AmEx Publishing
American Express Publishing has appointed Steve DeLuca to the newly created role of SVP and publishing director. Mr. DeLuca was recruited three years ago from Condé Nast’s Details, and has managed a 62% increase in advertising revenue at Departures, under his leadership. He will add oversight for Travel + Leisure while continuing to act as publisher of Departures and Black Ink.
Source: AdWeek
James Taffin de Givenchy, Creative Head, Baccarat
Baccarat has appointed James Taffin de Givenchy creative director, effective immediately. The nephew of Hubert de Givenchy will oversee the design of all the company’s collections, including home, decor, lighting and jewellery, alongside the management of artist and designer commissions for the brand. He will continue to design his own New York based Taffin jewellery collection.
Source: WWD
Matthew Woolsey, SVP Digital, Barneys
Following service as managing director at Group SJR, a digital, media, design and market research firm, Matthew Woolsey has been named senior vice president of digital, in a new role for Barneys New York. Mr. Woolsey worked on the re-launch of Barney’s e-commerce site and the debut of the warehouse sale online. He will now spearhead all further development of barneys.com.
Source: WWD
Luc Donckerwolke, Head of Design, Bentley
Luc Donckerwolke has been named head of design at Bentley, replacing Dirk van Braeckel, who will be joining a central design team overseeing all design functions at the Volkswagen Group. Mr. Donckerwolke most recently served as the head of advanced design for Volkswagen, and is credited with the design of the Murcielago and Gallardo supercars from Lamborghini.
Source: Motor Authority
Robert Ferguson, Global Brand Chief, Cadillac
General Motors has created the new position of global brand chief for Cadillac, appointing Robert Ferguson to handle marketing, brand management and advertising for Cadillac in the global marketplace. Mr. Ferguson assumes the position immediately and will report directly to Chief Executive Dan Akerson.
Source: Reuters
Jean Mortier, President, Coty Prestige
Jean Mortier has been named president of Coty Prestige, following the promotion of Michele Scannavini to CEO of the Coty Group. Mortier has played a key part in Coty’s global management structure according to WWD, serving as senior vice president, commercial, since 2005, after working as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Unilever’s Calvin Klein Cosmetics division.
Peggy Elsrode has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, succeeding Mr. Mortier.
Source: WWD
Cynthia Carroll, Chairman, De Beers
Following Anglo American’s purchase of an additional 40 percent stake in De Beers, Cynthia Carroll, CEO of Anglo American, has been named De Beers newest chairman. The mining company purchased the additional shareholding from the Oppenheimer family, and Nicky Oppenheimer had most recently served as De Beers’ chairman, stepping down from that role last month.
Source: WWD
Carine Roitfeld, Global Fashion Director, Harper’s Bazaar
Carine Roitfeld has been named the global fashion director of Harper’s Bazaar, which has 26 editions internationally. The former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief will work with creative director, Stephen Gan, on several stories a year for various editions, alongside covers of some international editions. She will continue to work as the editor in chief of her own bi-annual CR Fashion Book.
Source: Fashionologie
Ed Lam, CFO, Li & Fung
Former Citigroup executive, Ed Lam, has been tapped as chief financial officer at Li & Fung, in a bid to bolster its future growth and on-going acquisitions push. Effective November 5th, Mr. Lam will report to the group’s chief operating officer, Spencer Fung. He most recently worked as head of Hong Kong corporate and investment for Citi, after holding positions at Morgan Stanley and Coopers & Lybrand.
Source: WWD
Lisa Bridgett, Director of Sales, Net-a-Porter Group
Net-a-porter Group has named Lisa Bridgett director of sales and marketing for Net-A-Porter.com, effective immediately. Ms. Bridgett most recently senior director of e-commerce and digital marketing for Europe at Ralph Lauren, after service as global director of digital marketing at EMI Music.
Source: WWD
Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability Officer, PPR
As Jochen Zeitz prepares to give up his operational duties at PPR, Marie-Claire Daveu has been named chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs. Ms. Daveau was principal private secretary to the French minister of ecology, sustainable development, transport and housing until March 2012. Her previous posts include head of sustainable development for the Sanofi-Aventis group.
Source: WWD
Tim Crout, President USA, Sergio Rossi
Tim Crout has joined Sergio Rossi as president of Sergio Rossi USA, after working with the brand from 2002 to 2004. Mr. Crout was recently in charge of Emilio Pucci’s business development in North and Central America, after service with Chanel, Celine and Hermes. He succeeds Caden Stobart, who left to join footwear label Alexandre Birman as global president.
Source: WWD
Rory O’Hanlon, Design Director, Smythson
British luxury leather goods brand, Smythson, has announced the appointment of Rory O’Hanlon to the new position of Design Director, effective immediately. Mr. O’Hanlon will be responsible for the design direction across all product categories, following service as divisional vice president at Coach.
Source: Fashion United
Geraldo da Conceicao, Artistic Director, Sonia Rykiel
Sonia Rykiel has appointed Geraldo da Conceicao as its new artistic director. Da Conceicao will leave his post as a design director at Louis Vuitton in women’s ready-to-wear, to join the French fashion house this month and show his first collection on the runway in February for the fall season. He has previously worked in senior design roles at Miu Miu and Yves Saint Laurent.
Source: WWD
Clement Kwan, Director North America, Yoox
Yoox Group has promoted Clement Kwan to director of North America, effective immediately. Mr. Kwan was most recently European sales and marketing director of the group’s multi-brand division in Milan, after working for companies such as Dolce & Gabbana, Theory and Diesel USA.
Source: WWD
For more in the series of The Latest Appointments, please see our most recent editions as follows:
– The Latest Appointments: Mulberry, DVF & Ralph Lauren
– The Latest Appointments: Burberry, Coty & Condé Nast
– The Latest Appointments: Bentley, Bugatti & Hermès
Creative Strategist, Digital
Sophie Doran is currently Senior Creative Strategist, Digital at Karla Otto. Prior to this role, she was the Paris-based editor-in-chief of Luxury Society. Prior to joining Luxury Society, Sophie completed her MBA in Melbourne, Australia, with a focus on luxury brand dynamics and leadership, whilst simultaneously working in management roles for several luxury retailers.