The John Galliano label, now owned by Christian Dior Couture (LVMH), is giving a boost to its commercial strategy two years after being relaunched. The ready-to-wear label founded by John Galliano, now designed by his former assistant Bill Gaytten, has appointed Sébastien Roubaud as its commercial director, a position which was not featured within the organisation for many years.
Production and distribution were until now managed by Italian group Modalis through a licence agreement, which the fashion label has recently terminated.
"We wish to have more control on our product, so we are restarting from scratch with distribution, now run internally. The collections will be produced in Italy by our partners, as well as in Paris, in the atelier we share with Dior, where we plan to create our couture items," Sébastien Roubaud has told FashionNetwork.
John Galliano's new Commercial Director has worked for over ten years in the luxury goods industry, in both marketing and sales (Dior Homme, Hermès). In 2008 he launched StudioHomme.com, France's first online designer boutique, which was bought in 2012 by the Net-à-Porter group, and he was recently in charge of sales at Japanese label Kolor.
"We want to refocus on couture values, more in synch with our label's luxury spirit, blending Parisian chic with British cheek. We will shy away from haute couture, but we are keen to reintroduce highly sophisticated items to complement a range which is positioned in the premium contemporary segment," said Roubaud.
In the last few years John Galliano has ramped up its visibility, taking centre stage again with a new visual identity created by Frank Durand, and new advertising campaigns featuring Christy Turlington, Eddie Campbell and Amber Valletta, photographed by the Ines & Vinoodh duo. And above all, by returning to the runways.
The label has also renovated and relaunched its historic Paris store at 386, rue Saint-Honoré, and opened a second one in the French capital in rue des Archives, featuring a new interiors style. A make-over that was necessary, as John Galliano strives to go back to its former splendour.
