Gucci welcomes communications professional from Givenchy as part of restructuring

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Gucci, “Casual Grandeur” SS25 collection. Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight.

Italian fashion house Gucci, a subsidiary of luxury giant Kering, confirmed to fashion magazine WWD that it is making a number of changes to its team in line with a restructuring. Valérie Leberichel will join Gucci as senior vice president of global communications at the end of December, reporting directly to Stefano Cantino, who will succeed CEO Jean-François Palus and take a seat at Kering's boardroom from 1 January 2025.

Leberichel will be responsible for improving Gucci’s brand perception. The brand has been in trouble since late 2022 and is currently undergoing a restructuring. Sales of Gucci, one of the largest names in Kering’s portfolio, fell by 26 percent to 1.64 billion euros.

Gucci, the brand that accounts for almost 50 percent of Kering’s revenue and two-thirds of its operating profitability, has been particularly affected by market conditions, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The Chinese luxury market, which represents up to a third of the global market, has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and strict containment measures. Although the situation has improved, uncertainties remain, such as geopolitical tensions, rising inflation and slowing economic growth. These factors have made Chinese consumers more selective in their spending.

Leberichel has over 27 years of experience in marketing and communications strategy at fashion companies Celine and the Prada Group. She currently holds the role of global vice president of communications at Givenchy, which is also undergoing a strategic reorientation under the creative leadership of former Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton.

Leberichel began her career as PR manager at Jean Louis Scherrer and later became communications director at Issey Miyake Europe. In 2002, she joined Celine as communications manager, a role she held for over a decade. In 2013, she moved to the Prada Group, where she took on the role of global communications and external relations director for the Miu Miu brand. In 2019, she oversaw global communications for Miu Miu and headed communications for Prada France.

As for Gucci's collections under creative director Sabato de Sarno, who was appointed in January 2023, "the aesthetic direction has been well received," CFO Armelle Poulou told reporters earlier this month, adding that the new offering has been very well received by Gucci's existing customer base.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL. It was translated to English using an AI tool called Genesis and edited by Rachel Douglass..

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