Inditex appoints former Dior and Carven creative director Serge Ruffieux as design director for John Galliano at Zara
Madrid – Coinciding with the launch of the first collection designed by John Galliano for Zara, Inditex has hired Serge Ruffieux on a freelance basis. The renowned Italian-Swiss creative and designer stepped into the role of design director for Galliano's team at Inditex and Zara in October 2026.
Ruffieux announced his appointment at the Spanish fashion multinational via his social media channels. Since early October, he has served as design director under the creative direction of Galliano. Neither the Paris-based designer nor the Spanish company has revealed further details about the position. However, based on his title, Ruffieux is expected to lead the creative strategy and oversee design and product development for Galliano's upcoming Zara collections. Following an announcement by Inditex's flagship chain in mid-March, these proposals are scheduled to launch at the beginning of each new season, from autumn/winter 2026 through to 2027.
In this role, Ruffieux will oversee the realisation of Galliano's concepts and sketches for at least three additional seasonal collections for Inditex's main fashion brand. The Italian-Swiss designer has focused heavily on such responsibilities throughout his established career in the luxury sector. He has held senior positions at houses including Moschino, Sonia Rykiel, Cacharel and Dior. At Dior, he previously worked under Galliano's creative direction. He also led the artistic direction of the design team following the departure of Raf Simons in October 2025 until the arrival of Maria Grazia Chiuri in July 2016. Ruffieux then left the historic French house to become creative director at French label Carven. He held that post for nearly two years, from December 2016 to November 2018. Subsequently, he developed creative initiatives for brands such as Pucci, Jimmy Choo and Marni. In 2021, he launched his own footwear and accessories brand, 13 09 SR, alongside French journalist Emilie Faure. Ruffieux now adds this latest chapter to his career by joining Inditex as design director under Galliano.
From the Spanish company's perspective, bringing a profile like Ruffieux into Inditex aligns with the clear intentions of the multinational chaired by Marta Ortega. The group is moving beyond its initial goal of democratising fashion to take that commitment a step further through the democratisation of couture and fashion design. FashionUnited termed this strategy “fast couture” in September 2024, and Inditex continues to scale it with Ruffieux's appointment. It remains to be seen how this strategy will evolve in the coming months as the two-year creative collaboration agreed between Zara and Galliano approaches its conclusion.