French Connection taps new womenswear director

Highstreet fashion retailer French Connection has appointed global fashion design leader, Maria Chen as its womenswear director. Her starting date has yet to be revealed, according to Drapers, as the retailer declined to comment on her appointment.

Prior to being named womenswear director at French Connection, Maria Chen was vice president of global design at Gap, a role she held for two years. A fashion veteran in her own right, Chen has held a number of senior positions at companies such as Calvin Klein Jeans, Armani Exchange and All Saints.

Her appointment comes not long after the fashion retailer announced it would be making a number of changes to its management team in its trading update last month. "We have made operational and personnel changes to drive improvements in performance, notably in both design and merchandising," commented chief executive officer and chairman Stephen Marks at the time.