The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Swiss luxury brand Bally is turning to the founder of LA-based streetwear brand Rhude as its new creative director.Rhuigi Villaseñor, who was born in Manila before launching his fashion career in LA, will oversee artistic direction across the brand starting with the Spring/Summer 2023 season, Bally said in a statement.
The move comes as the shoemaker owned by JAB Holdings attempts to relaunch its business after a lengthy sale process to Chinese group Ruyi fell through.
The brand’s triple-stripe sneakers and Scribe dress shoes once dominated American department store floors, with a client base ranging from office workers to rappers like Biz Markle and Ghostface Killah. But a too-abrupt shift away from wholesale in the early 2000s saw its business in that key market collapse.
The choice of Villaseñor, whose Varsity-inflected line of letterman jackets, high-top sneakers, and hoodies is a favorite of basketball stars including LeBron James and Kevin Durant, suggests the brand hopes to reconquer the US market, where luxury sales have grown rapidly since the pandemic.
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After A Deal That Wasn’t, Bally Tries To Get Back on Track
The Swiss shoemaker owned by JAB Holdings is charting a way out of the pandemic after a sale to China’s Ruyi fell through.
The designer has always been an arch perfectionist, a quality that has been central to his success but which clashes with the demands on creative directors today, writes Imran Amed.
This week, Prada and Miu Miu reported strong sales as LVMH slowed and Kering retreated sharply. In fashion’s so-called “quiet luxury” moment, consumers may care less about whether products have logos and more about what those logos stand for.
The luxury goods maker is seeking pricing harmonisation across the globe, and adjusts prices in different markets to ensure that the company is”fair to all [its] clients everywhere,” CEO Leena Nair said.
Hermes saw Chinese buyers snap up its luxury products as the Kelly bag maker showed its resilience amid a broader slowdown in demand for the sector.