Joseph ropes in Mario Arena as creative director

British contemporary designer brand Joseph has announced the appointment of Mario Arena as creative director. His first collection for Joseph will be spring summer 2026, which will land in stores in October 2025.

Commenting on his appointment at Joseph, Arena said: “Joseph Ettedgui was a visionary who pushed the boundaries in design and retailing. The rich heritage and timeless design codes have always been an inspiration to me in my career. I look forward to bringing to life a new vision for this iconic brand.”

The company said in a statement that Arena joins Joseph with over 30 years experience in the design and development of luxury collections. Most recently he was at JW Anderson where he was director of product and design (ready-to-wear, accessories and runway).

Prior to this Arena held the position of director of design and innovation (ready-to-wear and accessories) at Nanushka and head of ready-to-wear at Christopher Kane.

Commenting on Arena’s appointment, Barbara Campos, Joseph CEO said: “Mario is a highly talented creative and has a wealth of experience within contemporary luxury. I look forward to working with Mario as we enter this exciting new chapter.”

Before joining Christopher Kane, Arena launched his own label ‘Enlist’ and was creative director/founder of Arena International a strategic design & trend studio where he collaborated with brands such as Celine and LVMH.

The company added that Arena will be based in London in a newly created design department. The new office houses a newly appointed design team, atelier, product development team and production team and is located within the brand’s existing London head office.