Dive Brief:
- British luxury menswear brand Dunhill has named Simon Holloway its creative director, parent company Richemont announced Wednesday.
- Holloway comes from James Purdey & Sons, a gunmaker based in London where he also served as creative director. Richemont also owns the brand, which is an official supplier to the British royal family.
- Richemont praised Holloway in a statement, saying he “successfully laid the foundations” for a clothing and accessories collection at James Purdey & Sons.
Dive Insight:
Holloway is replacing Mark Weston, who recently stepped down as Dunhill’s creative director after a five-year run with the brand. Weston was known for bringing a casual touch and sporty flair to his collections, appealing to younger consumers and those working from home during the pandemic.
Weston left Dunhill shortly after Laurent Malecaze took over the brand as CEO in early 2022. In a Wednesday statement, Richemont said Dunhill under Malecaze was moving forward with “a rejuvenated strategic direction.”
Malecaze praised Holloway’s appointment, noting that the British designer has a clear understanding of the Dunhill brand. Holloway is known for his expertise with luxury fabrics and leather. He has also served stints at Ralph Lauren and Italian cashmere brand Agnona, where he designed ready-to-wear, knitwear, shoes, accessories, fragrance and home collections.
“His creative energy coupled with his decades of experience in luxury, will be instrumental as we evolve and expand our House’s iconic codes in the context of today’s client,” Malecaze said in a statement.
Dunhill is part of Richemont’s stable of luxury apparel brands, which include Alaïa, Chloe and Peter Millar. Sales for these companies reached $1.4 billion (1.3 billion euros) in the first half of fiscal 2023, according to the company’s latest earnings release. That represented a 27% increase over the same period last year.
