Richemont names Laurent Malecaze as president & CEO of Chloé

Luxury group Richemont has appointed Laurent Malecaze to be the new President & CEO of Chloé, its Paris-based fashion house.
 

Malecaze succeeds Riccardo Bellini, who help oversee the recent surprise appointment of Chemena Kamali as the house’s new Creative Director.
 
Malecaze joins Chloe from another Richemont-controlled fashion house, Dunhill, where he was in charge of the turnaround of the London-based classical UK marque over the past two years. 

Previously, Malecaze led AZ Factory, a fledgling fashion brand started by Alber Elbaz, which is also part of the extended Richemont luxury empire. 
 
Prior to that, he was the CEO of New York-based The Webster, a luxury multi-brand retailer, after spending several years as a strategic consultant at Bain & Company.
 
“I am extremely honoured to be leading such an iconic French luxury Maison. I am thrilled to start this new chapter with the immensely talented Chemena Kamali,” commented the highly-experienced Malecaze.

He will report to Philippe Fortunato, CEO of Richemont’s Fashion and Accessories Maisons, who manages a slew of noted brands that include the house of Azzedine Alaïa.

“I am pleased to announce Laurent as the new President and CEO of Chloé. Laurent has a proven track record in partnering with great creative talents, and his ability to energise an organisation will be instrumental to lead Chloé during this period of creative renewal. I am confident his partnership with Chemena will usher in a sustained period of growth for the Maison,” stressed Fortunato in a release.
 
Richemont noted that a new CEO for Dunhill will be announced in due course, without providing a timeline. Richemont is regarded as the world’s third-largest prestige products conglomerate, whose emphasis is primarily on “hard luxury”, owning top-ranked jewelers such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Buccellati, as well as exceptional watch brands like IWC, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger LeCoultre.
 
Founded in 1952, Chloe has long been regarded as an influential marque in Paris fashion, in part because of the famous talents who have been designers at the house. These include Karl Lagerfeld, Martine Sitbon, Phoebe Philo, Stella McCartney and Claire Waight Keller. Its most recent designer was the much-admired Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst, whose own brand has been a critical and commercial success in the United States. However, Hearst’s collections for Chloe, though staged with great gusto on the streets of St Germain or the banks of the Seine, failed to create much traction for the house.
 
Bellini leaves Chloé after four years in the role. Reflecting on his time at Chloe, Bellini commented: “I am proud of four amazing years of business growth, transformation and successful results, the continuous elevation of the Maison and the leadership and pioneering role that Chloé plays today in sustainability…Today, Chloé has the solid foundations to continue to grow bigger and stronger and I am fully confident that Chemena Kamali as new Creative Director will unlock the full potential of the Maison.”
 
Bellini will officially leave Chloe at the end of this December.
 
Added Fortunato: “I would like to thank Riccardo for his dedication and leadership over the last four years at Chloé. He has helped reconnect Chloé with its purpose, bringing a unique point of differentiation within the industry and laying the foundations for its next cycle of growth.”