Balmain appoints former Givenchy exec as CEO

Luxury house Balmain has named Matteo Sgarbossa as its new chief executive officer, a post he will take up from May 6.

Sgarbossa will be joining the brand from Givenchy, where he is currently serving as an international director and executive committee member.

He will succeed Jean-Jacques Guével, who had announced his intention to step down from the helm in March after four years in order to “pursue other interests”.

Both moves were reported by WWD, to which Balmain’s chairman Rachid Mohamed Rachid confirmed the news, stating that the latest appointment marked “another moment that reflects [the brand’s] grand ambitions”.

Rachid continued: “Matteo’s strong leadership skills and extensive experience in the fashion and luxury goods industry at senior levels make him the ideal person to lead Balmain.

“I trust that his energy and global market knowledge will be crucial in this new phase of Balmain and his partnership with Olivier Rousteing will lead to a very successful chapter in the history of the house.”

The media outlet noted that in his new role, Sgarbossa would oversee the acceleration of Balmain’s international success across geographies, helping to improve the product offering and elevating the retail experience, all while building on “solid foundations” set in recent years.