Dior
French luxury brand Dior, under the LVMH Group, has strengthened its internal production organization by establishing a new “Industrial Division.” This initiative aims to enhance long-term production capacity and ensure the continuity of expertise and technical know-how.
Simultaneously, Giorgio Striano has been appointed Chief Industrial Officer to lead the division, effective January 2, 2025. In his new role, Giorgio Striano will be based in Milan and will join Dior’s Executive Committee. He will oversee all industrial activities of Dior, reporting directly to Delphine Arnault, Chairwoman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture.
Giorgio Striano brings extensive industry experience to the position. He was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of European eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica and its subsidiary Luxottica. Previously, he held leadership roles in industrial operations and related business units across Asia and the United States. His career began at consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble.
In addition, Nicolas Carré has been appointed Industrial Director of Dior’s leather goods, footwear, and fashion jewelry departments. Based in Florence, his role is effective December 1, succeeding Patrice Guillemin, who has been promoted to Industrial Projects Director and will join the Executive Committee.
Nicolas Carré is an expert in leather goods and production. He previously worked at Louis Vuitton for over 20 years, holding various roles in the brand’s industrial departments in France, the United States, and Italy. His most recent position was Industrial Director of Leather Goods and Accessories at Louis Vuitton. Before this, he served as Group Development Manager for women’s leather goods and Director of the Asnières workshop.
Michael Kors / Capri Holdings
Michael Kors, a brand under the American luxury group Capri Holdings, has announced the departure of its CEO, Cedric Wilmotte. The role will be assumed by the group’s Chairman and CEO, John Idol, effective December 2.
In addition, Philippa Newman, a long-time Michael Kors executive, has been promoted to Chief Product Officer.
Philippa Newman has been with the brand for over 14 years, most recently serving as President of the Accessories and Footwear Division. In her new position, she will work closely with the brand’s Creative Director, overseeing product planning, production, licensing, and design across all categories. She will report directly to John Idol.
Crocs
The American casual footwear group Crocs has appointed Steven Smith as Chief Creative Innovation Officer, effective December 2.
In this role, Steven Smith will oversee both the Crocs and HeyDude brands, focusing on launching new shoe models and driving the evolution of brand design.
Renowned for his expertise in sneaker design, Steven Smith is often referred to as the “Father of Dad Shoes.” He has designed footwear for brands including adidas, Nike, Reebok, and New Balance. His most recent work was with Yeezy, a collaboration between artist Ye (formerly Kanye West) and adidas. He also contributed to Ye’s Donda Design team.
Throughout his career, Steven Smith has created numerous iconic designs, such as the New Balance 574 (1988), New Balance 550 and 1500 (1989), Reebok Instapump Fury, Nike Air Zoom Spiridon Caged 2, and Fila Grant Hill.
Nike
U.S. sportswear giant Nike has appointed Treasure Heinle as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective January 6, 2025.
In her new role, Treasure Heinle will succeed the retiring Monique Matheson, leading Nike’s global HR functions and overseeing the company’s talent vision and strategy. As a member of the senior leadership team, she will report directly to Elliott Hill, Nike’s President and CEO.
Treasure Heinle joined Nike in 2012 as Vice President of Human Resources Business Partner for North America. She later led HR functions for Nike’s Global Operations and Global Consumer and Marketplace teams and was promoted to Chief Talent Officer in 2022.
Before joining Nike, Heinle held HR leadership roles at Danaher, Tektronix, and In-Focus.
K-Way
Italian fashion group BasicNet and British private equity fund Permira have jointly announced the appointment of Luca Lo Curzio as CEO of the French outdoor apparel brand K-Way, with his term expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
In this role, Luca Lo Curzio will lead the team in strengthening K-Way’s leadership position in the outerwear market and driving growth across multiple channels, particularly DTC (direct-to-consumer). Under his leadership, K-Way will focus on consolidating its market dominance in Italy and France, expanding its global reach, and enhancing its digital and e-commerce capabilities.
Luca Lo Curzio brings over 20 years of experience in the retail and luxury sectors, having held key leadership positions at several leading luxury and consumer goods companies. Since 2001, he has worked with L’Oréal, Danone, Bain & Company, Luxottica, Zegna, and Jil Sander, most recently serving as CEO of Jil Sander.
Hodinkee
Hodinkee, a luxury watch media brand owned by the UK’s largest watch and jewelry distributor, Watches of Switzerland, has appointed James Stacey as Editor-in-Chief.
James Stacey has been writing about watches since 2007 and has been a long-term collaborator with Hodinkee since 2017. In his new role, he will work closely with Hodinkee’s founder, Benjamin Clymer, who has returned to the company as President, to modernize and revitalize the brand.
Hodinkee will refocus on watch-related content as its core business, including news about new releases, expert product reviews, original photography, and engaging content such as the “Talking Watches” video series and its biannual magazine. Additionally, James Stacey and Benjamin Clymer aim to enhance Hodinkee’s social media strategy and explore opportunities in new areas, such as streaming.
| Sources: Official press releases, FashionNetwork, Fashion Magazine, MFFashion
| Image Credit: Company websites, personal social media accounts
| Editor: LeZhi
