Under Armour appoints John Varvatos as chief design officer

Under Armour announced on Tuesday the appointment of John Varvatos to the role of chief design officer, effective September 11.

The fashion industry veteran started consulting for the U.S. sportswear giant earlier this year,” and brings his deep expertise in style and form to the company,” according to a press release.

Varvatos will lead the creative design direction of the company and oversee the design studios in New York, Baltimore and Portland, Oregon.

​“I am so excited to join Under Armour, an iconic American brand,” said Varvatos. “The innovation, design and mission of the brand has never been more relevant as consumers demand clothes that function for both sport and everyday activities.  I cannot wait to unveil that next chapter in Under Armour’s incredible story.”

Varvatos steps into the new Under Armour role with decades of fashion experience, having worked with brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Converse, and his namesake brand, John Varvatos. He is credited for creating both the boxer brief at Calvin Klein and the laceless sneaker for Converse during the fifteen year collaboration with the John Varvatos brand. 

“We are thrilled to welcome John into the Under Armour family” said Stephanie Linnartz, Under Armour president and chief executive officer.

“His track record and thirty year career speaks for itself. John will work in partnership with our product team to bring apparel, footwear and accessories from concept to commercialization, blending performance and style.”

Varvatos’ appointment comes at a time when the Baltimore, Maryland-based Under Armour is looking to inject freshness into its business, on waning sales in recent quarters.

In its most recent trading in August, quarterly revenue fell 2.4% to $1.32 billion, slightly ahead of analysts’ estimate of $1.30 billion.
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Like its rivals, Under Armour has seen demand for its products hit in North America, its largest market, though this has been partly offset by a strong rebound in China.

During the quarter, the company’s Asia-Pacific sales rose 14.5%, while its North American revenue fell 9.1%.