Carven
Carven, the French heritage fashion brand under Shanghai Zhiyi Fashion Industrial Group, announced that its Design Director Mark Thomas will step down at the end of this month to pursue new career opportunities.
Carven stated that Mark Thomas’s vision and designs helped the brand establish a clear image and distinctive style, enabling Carven to regain a solid position on the fashion stage.
Mark Thomas has served as a Senior Designer at Carven since 2023 and was promoted to his current role in March 2025. Previously, he spent nearly four years as Senior Menswear Designer at Lacoste. He has also held positions as Creative Director at Helmut Lang and Head of Menswear at Joseph, and earlier worked at Givenchy, Neil Barrett, and Burberry. Mark Thomas graduated from Central Saint Martins and Ravensbourne University.
Carven will present its Spring/Summer 2027 collection at Paris Fashion Week, with further plans to be announced in due course this year.
Levi Strauss & Co
American denim company Levi Strauss & Co has appointed Anita Fung as Managing Director of Greater China for its Levi’s brand.
In her new role, Anita Fung will oversee omni-channel commercial operations across Greater China and report to Chief Commercial Officer Gianluca Flore, as the company continues to advance its direct-to-consumer strategy.
Anita Fung brings more than 20 years of experience in the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently, she held senior management roles at Burberry and Alexander McQueen, which is part of Kering. During her tenure, she was responsible for regional operations and helped expand brand influence and business scale.
AllSaints
British high street brand AllSaints has appointed Nichole Strydom as Chief Buying Officer, effective 5 May.
In her new position, Nichole Strydom will lead AllSaints’ global merchandising strategy, ensuring that the brand’s buying, merchandising management, and sourcing functions across all regions and channels operate in a more efficient, bolder, and smarter manner. She will also collaborate with newly appointed Creative Director Aaron Esh to bring his creative vision to life, driving growth through strong commercial execution and accelerating AllSaints’ ongoing international expansion.
Nichole Strydom has 20 years of experience in global fashion and retail. Most recently, she worked at international online retailer Zalando, where she oversaw strategic brand partnerships across 25 international markets. Earlier in her career, she held roles at South African fashion and footwear retailers Cosmo Footwear and Truworths.
DFI Retail Group
Martin Lindstrom, Chief Executive Officer of the IKEA business under DFI Retail Group, will step down at the end of May.
Martin Lindstrom has been with the company for 36 years. He joined IKEA in 1993 as an Operations Manager in Poland, where he began his career. In 1996, he took charge of IKEA’s Hong Kong business, serving in the role for four years.
He later moved to Taiwan, China, where he served as Deputy Manager from 1999 to 2000, followed by seven years as Franchise Development Manager. In that role, he helped IKEA expand into new markets across Asia.
In 2013, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the IKEA business under DFI Retail Group, overseeing franchise operations in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, China, and Indonesia.
| Source: Official press releases, FashionNetwork
| Image Credit: Personal social media accounts, official press releases
| Editor: Luxeplace
