PARIS, France — Today, Kering announced the appointment of Alexandre de Brettes as chief executive officer of Christopher Kane, effective 1 September. De Brettes' appointment is the first major hire since Kering took a 51 percent stake in Christopher Kane, in January 2013, betting on the long-term potential of the wunderkind London designer at the heart of the label in what was the first such investment since the luxury group backed Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney in 2001.

Alexandre de Brettes first joined the group in 2002 as deputy director of financial communications. He most recently served as director of financial communications and market intelligence.

"We are delighted that Alexandre is joining our company. His experience at Kering is invaluable to us and his understanding and appreciation of our creative culture was what drew us to him. Alexandre’s appointment puts the running of our business in very good hands and gives us a strong ally in the building of our company. Together, we will focus on organic global growth and protecting and nurturing the creative DNA of our business," Christopher Kane and Tammy Kane, his sister and long-time partner who is now deputy creative director of the brand, said in a statement.

“I am thrilled to join Christopher Kane. With Christopher, Tammy and the whole team, my role will be to bolster the growth of this extraordinary fashion house around the world, protecting its creative heart and capitalising on its unique identity,” added de Brettes.