MILAN – Former Fendi chairman and chief executive officer Serge Brunschwig is expected to join Jil Sander as its new CEO, according to sources.
He would succeed Luca Lo Curzio, who exited Jil Sander in November.
Brunschwig is also expected to be named chief strategy officer of Jil Sander parent OTB Group and report to Ubaldo Minelli, who is CEO of the Italian fashion company.
Brunschwig was named chairman and CEO of Fendi in February 2018, succeeding Pietro Beccari, who moved over to Dior and is now at Louis Vuitton.
Brunschwig exited Fendi at the end of May last year and at the time, an internal note obtained by WWD stated that Brunschwig was to take on new responsibilities within Fendi’s parent LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. However, last weekend the executive revealed that he had departed from LVMH on his LinkedIn account, with a post that began: “Farewell #LVMH.”
Before Fendi, Brunschwig was Dior Homme’s chairman and CEO from 2015. He’s recognized for his extensive experience in luxury retail, operations and brand management, building Dior Homme’s retail network and developing its ready-to-wear and accessories.
He had joined Christian Dior Couture in 2008 as chief operating officer.
Low-key and methodical, a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications and Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, Brunschwig joined LVMH in 1995, working for Louis Vuitton and Sephora, with a particular expertise in emerging markets like Asia and the Middle East. From 1995 to 1999 he headed the Vuitton business in Southeast Asia, ultimately rising to president of LVMH Fashion Group for the Asia-Pacific region.
Before joining Dior, Brunschwig served as chairman and CEO of Celine from 2006.
Lo Curzio reported to OTB Group CEO Ubaldo Minelli, who had held the role of Jil Sander’s CEO since the brand was acquired in April 2021.
OTB, founded by Renzo Rosso, also comprises Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, Viktor & Rolf and a stake in Amiri, as well as production arms Staff International and Brave Kid.
At Fendi, Brunschwig steered the company through the death of Karl Lagerfeld in February 2019, and the arrival of Kim Jones, who was appointed artistic director of couture and womenswear in 2020, and of Delfina Delettrez Fendi, the fourth generation of the Fendi family, who joined the label as artistic director of jewelry. Her mother, Silvia Venturini Fendi, serves as artistic director of accessories and menswear collections. Jones exited Fendi in October and Brunschwig was succeeded by Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou.
Under Brunschwig’s watch Fendi signed a joint venture in 2021 with Design Holding, forming Fashion Furniture Design (FF Design) to develop the Fendi Casa business.
Brunschwig continued to build Fendi’s retail network while also developing the brand’s key manufacturing assets and protecting Made in Italy craftsmanship. He also spearheaded the renovation of Fendi’s Milan headquarters and of a new boutique on the corner of Via Montenapoleone that is currently being refurbished and is expected to open in the fall.
In October 2022, he unveiled Fendi’s new sprawling state-of-the-art accessories plant in Italy’s Capannuccia, a 30-minute drive from Florence. The plant, which telegraphs Fendi’s ongoing commitment toward sustainability and social responsibility, offers improved efficiency and a beautiful location to work in, surrounded by olive trees and a park. It was the stage for Fendi’s men’s spring 2024 show.
The executive also initiated the construction of a new shoe factory in Fermo, in Italy’s Marche region, a key footwear production hub in the country.
Brunschwig has long committed with Fendi to the training of young talents and to protecting Italy’s cultural heritage through several restoration works, including for example that of the Temple of Venus and Rome.
