Adding more design muscle to a linchpin category, Louis Vuitton has snared acclaimed leather goods designer Johnny Coca, WWD has learned.
The hire further reinforces the upscaling drive spearheaded by Vuitton chairman and chief executive officer Michael Burke — and adds to a steady addition of top creative and management talent at the fast-growing brand, considered the largest in the luxury sector by revenues. In a statement provided first to WWD, Coca said, “It’s with great pride that I join Nicolas Ghesquière and the Louis Vuitton teams to further develop the women’s handbag collections. For me, the journey now has come full circle, to the place where I was lucky enough to hone my passion firsthand and learn the fundamentals of leather craftsmanship in the ateliers at Asnières. It opens a new chapter in my own creative adventure, in an extraordinary laboratory that blends heritage and modernity.
While the single creative director model remains the dominant one at European heritage brands, Coca’s arrival suggests mega-luxury players can also thrive with multiple marquee talents. In addition to Ghesquière, prized for his daring, cutting-edge approach to fashion, Vuitton boasts Virgil Abloh as its men’s artistic director and Francesca Amfitheatrof as artistic director of watches and jewelry, both of whom joined in 2018.
Before the coronavirus pandemic forced store closures and sapped demand for luxury goods, Vuitton was charting steady double-digit growth, reflecting robust demand for its leather goods, which accounts for the lion’s share of revenues, and steady progress with ready-to-wear. At Mulberry, Coca helped transform the British brand into a luxury lifestyle proposition, creating new bag families including the Amberley and Iris, introducing eyewear and sneaker categories and relaunching men’s accessories and jewelry ranges. He oversaw women’s and men’s leather accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear and soft accessories, and all aspects of the brand’s image.
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