Days before the curtain was set to rise on Stefano Pilati’s collection for Yves Saint Laurent, PPR announced that this would be the last collection by the Italian, where it eventually emerged that Hedi Slimane had been appointed creative director across all categories. Maxime Simoens is said to be parting ways with Leonard, adding his name to the exasperating Dior designer rumour list. Tod’s has announced that it might part ways with Derek Lam later in the year when his contract is up.
Chris Burch has stepped down from his position as co-chair of the board at Tory Burch and is allegedly looking to sell his remaining shares via Barclays Capital (WWD http://luxurysociety.com/news/24783). Barneys New York’s vice president and fashion director, Amanda Brooks, has also resigned and will be relocating to England.
Sebastian Suhl, CEO, Givenchy
Sebastian Suhl has joined Givenchy as CEO, following Susan Whiteley’s decision to return to the UK for personal reasons, just one year after taking up the post. Mr. Suhl most recently served at Prada as its chief operating officer, where he had worked in various roles since 2001.
Marco Bizzarri & Patrizio di Marco, Executive Board, PPR
French luxury conglomerate PPR has expanded its executive board to include the heads of luxury brands Gucci and Bottega Veneta – respectively – as well as Puma boss Franz Koch. “The changes to the executive committee reflect PPR’s transformation … and give the CEOs of its major brands the opportunity to be more closely involved in the Group’s key strategic decision-making processes,” it said in a statement.
Hedi Slimane, Creative Director, Yves Saint Laurent
PPR’s Yves Saint Laurent has appointed Hedi Slimane as its new creative director, following the departure of Stefano Pilati. Mr. Slimane previously designed Yves Saint Laurent’s menswear collection until 2000. In his new post as creative director, Mr. Slimane will have “total creative responsibility for the brand image and all its collections,” explained PPR.
Tom LaSorda, CEO, Fisker
Former CEO and president of the Chrysler Group, Tom LaSorda, has been appointed CEO of Fisker Automotive, effective immediately, following his appointment to the board of directors last December. LaSorda’s appointment comes at a pivotal time in the automaker’s history, as the automaker has been struggling to restructure loans previously granted by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Jean-Victor Meyers, L’Oreal
Jean-Victor Meyers, grandson of L’Oréal owner Liliane Bettencourt, has been nominated to take his 89-year-old grandmother’s seat on the firm’s board of directors, making him the youngest director of a CAC 40 company, the leading businesses listed on the French stock exchange. Mr. Meyers studied economics and management at Institut Supérieur de Gestion and has worked for both Louis Vuitton and the French Red Cross.
Bruno Guillon, CEO, Mulberry
British fashion house Mulberry has secured Bruno Guillon as its newest CEO, in a package rumoured to be worth £3.4 million. Mr Guillion joins Mulberry after serving as managing director of Hermès, following stints at LVMH and Nina Ricci.
Jil Sander, Jil Sander
Jil Sander returns to Jil Sander as creative director after an eight-year absence, replacing Raf Simons who joined in 2005, after Ms. Sander left the company for the second time, director, who replaced Sander at the brand in 2005 after she left the company for a second time following “strategic and financial” disagreements with then owner Prada.
Lucy Yeomans, Editor in Chief, Net-a-Porter
Editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, Lucy Yeomans, has been tapped to join Net-A-Porter.com as the retail website’s editor-in-chief. Yeomans has been editing Harper’s since 2000, after working for Vogue at Condé Nast. Ms. Yeomans will report to the company’s managing director Alison Loehnis, and will be tasked with making Net-A-Porter the ultimate fashion magazine, merging content and commerce on a global scale.
Franck Dardenne, General Manager, LVMH Watch & Jewellery India
Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) has appointed Franck Dardenne as its new General Manager at LVMH Watch & Jewellery India, replacing Manishi Sanwal who has served in the post 2007. Mr Dardenne will head TAG Heuer, Zenith and Dior Timepieces in India and the sub-continent (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka).
Stephen Pettibone, head of Investor Relations, Starwood
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced Stephen Pettibone as Vice President of Investor Relations, effective immediately, following the departure of Jay Koval. Mr. Pettibone has been a member of Starwood’s finance team for nearly five years, most recently in the M&A function.
Laurence Kleinknecht, Press Director, Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent’s newest creative director, Hedi Slimane, has appointed long-time associate, Laurence Kleinknecht, as YSL’s new worldwide press director. Ms. Kleinknecht formerly worked with Mr. Slimane as head of men’s wear press at Dior Homme and continued to do the designer’s publicity in his post-Dior career as a photographer and fine artist.
Siddhartha Shukla, VP marketing & communications, Reed Krakoff
Reed Krakoff has appointed Siddhartha Shukla as its new vice president of marketing and communications. Most recently Mr. Shukla served as Yves Saint Laurent’s global communications director for five years, following a stint as PR director at Gucci.
Barbara Lavernos, Managing Director, L’Oreal Luxe Travel Retail
Barbara Lavernos has been appointed managing director of L’Oréal Luxe – Travel Retail Worldwide effective immediately. Ms. Lavernos joined L’Oréal in 1991, working within the consumer products division’s operational department and as chief procurement officer for the L’Oréal Group since 2004. She succeeds Eric Tarral who has been appointed to a new position within L’Oréal, which will be announced in due course.
Liz Fraser, President, Marc by Marc Jacobs
Liz Fraser has been appointed as president of Marc by Marc Jacobs, following tenure as senior vice president and general manager of Marc by Marc Jacobs Accessories. Ms. Fraser succeeds Carolyn Risoli who will now assume a consulting and special projects role at the company.
