Richemont names new president, CEO for Chloé

Luxury conglomerate Richemont has announced that the current president and chief executive officer of its brand Chloé, Riccardo Bellini, will be stepping down from the helm position and replaced by Laurent Malecaze.

In a release, the group said that Bellini had “decided not to renew his mandate” after four years in the role, with the decision being made “in full collaboration” with Richemont in order to ensure smooth onboarding amid the announcement of the brand’s latest creative director, Chemena Kamali.

During his time as president and CEO, Bellini was credited with leading a “successful elevation and transformation” of Chloé, having overseen strong results financially and creatively.

Speaking on this period, Bellini commented in the release: “I am proud of four amazing years of business growth, transformation and successful results, the continuous elevation of the maison and the leadership and pioneering role that Chloé plays today in sustainability.

“I am thankful to my incredible teams and to Richemont for the great support and partnership throughout. Today Chloé has the solid foundations to continue to grow bigger and stronger and I am fully confident that Chemena Kamali as new creative director will unlock the full potential of the maison. I wish her and the entire Chloé team all the best future success.”

Former Dunhill CEO to take Chloé helm

Malecaze, who will step into Bellini’s role from the end of December 2023, joins the brand from Richemont-owned Dunhill, where he has led a turnaround of the business over the last two years. He had also previously overseen Alber Elbaz’s AZ Factory, another Richemont fashion house.

Prior to joining the luxury fashion giant, Malecaze had served as CEO of luxury retailer The Webster.

CEO of Richemont’s fashion division, Philippe Fortunato, said on the appointment: “Laurent has a proven track record in partnering with great creative talents, and his ability to energise an organisation will be instrumental to lead Chloé during this period of creative renewal. I am confident his partnership with Chemena will usher in a sustained period of growth for the maison.”

Richemont added that a new CEO of Dunhill would be announced in due course.