Stuart Weitzman stepping down at eponymous label
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Business
Stuart Weitzman, the man who became famous for the nudist heel, will be stepping down from his eponymous label. Weitzman served as both creative director and executive chairman of his brand.
For 25 years, Weitzman designed shoes under his name. He will be replaced by Giovanni Morelli, who was most recently the leather goods designer at Loewe. Morelli has a very extensive design resume, with stints at luxury goods brands like Prada, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, and Burberry.
"In Giovanni, we have found a creative director who will ensure that the unique DNA of the brand will be preserved while infusing his creative vision for a modern age," said Weitzman in a statement. "Giovanni is respected for his attention to detail, respect of quality and craftsmanship and for his modern sensibility that is always pushing new design boundaries."
In 2015, Coach acquired Stuart Weitzman for 574 million dollars, and has been working on elevating the footwear line's presence ever since. Last year in August 2015, Weitzman tapped Gisele Bundchen for the brand's first ever commercial. The brand has worked on appealing to the millennial generation with advertisements featuring models like Gigi Hadid, Joan Smalls, and Lily Aldridge. Just last July, the brand also poached Wendy Kahn from Valentino to be their new chief executive officer and president.
“I look forward to partnering with Giovanni in the seasons and years ahead,” said Kahn. “His creative direction and proven design leadership will be invaluable assets to the company as we write the next chapter of growth across geographies and accessories categories for this iconic American brand.”Morelli's appointment will be effective on May 5 2017, at which point Weitzman will become chairman of the brand.