Top Talent Joins Exodus From Gucci

[stylegurrl]

FT.com

 

[faust]

Hmm, doesn't seem to bother the stock market just yet. Their stock has been flat for about half a year now...

 

[Spike413]

Mabye the heads at PPR will realize just how important a "celebrity" designer is if that pattern continues. Could you imagine if more people decided to leave their posts at Gucci? I mean, that would be just what Serge and a the rest of the PPR heads deserve, I can't wait for the drama to unfold!

 

[Atelier]

Will he? Won't he? From today's WWD:

Friday April 16, 2004
Gucci Japan Denies Rumors

TOKYO — A spokeswoman for Gucci Japan on Thursday denied as “sheer speculation by the press” a report that Toshiaki Tashiro, president of the company, is resigning from his post.

“There is no truth to such a report,” she added. The reports of Tashiro’s departure first surfaced in The Financial Times on Wednesday.

Tashiro, according to the spokeswoman, is in Basel, Switzerland, this week on a business trip for the company and is expected to return to Tokyo on Saturday. “President Tashiro is very active, working hard for Gucci,” she asserted emphatically.

Tashiro joined Gucci Japan as president in March 1997 after heading Barneys Japan, a unit of Isetan Department Stores, for many years.

Sales of Gucci-branded merchandise in Japan in the fourth quarter of 2003 increased 2.2 percent from a year earlier to $163.9 million, or 136.9 million euros, at current exchange rates. This represented a 29.3 percent share of all Gucci-branded merchandise sales in that quarter worldwide, up 5.4 percent, according to information from Gucci Japan, referring to the 2003 business report of the Gucci Division.

The fourth quarter brought Japanese sales of Gucci-branded merchandise in 2003 to $498.2 million, or 416.2 million euros, up 1.9 percent, or occupying a 27.3 percent share of global Gucci sales of $1.82 billion, or 1.52 billion euros.

The departures of Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole from Gucci Group at the end of the month have increased speculation that Tashiro will join other senior executives and leave the company. One source in Japan said Tashiro is very close to De Sole. Tashiro’s contract with Gucci Japan, or Gucci Group Japan Ltd. as it is presently called, is said to expire next month, which is another reason for the rumor of his imminent departure, some sources believe.

— Tsukasa Furukawa

 

[Atelier]

Well, he did. From today's WWD.

Gucci Japan President Resigns

By Amanda Kaiser

MILAN — Toshiaki Tashiro, president of Gucci Japan, is stepping down, the latest high-level executive to leave the Italian company since last month’s departures of president and chief executive officer Domenico De Sole and creative director Tom Ford.

A Gucci spokesman confirmed Tuesday that Tashiro is leaving at the end of June “for personal reasons.” He could not provide further information on Tashiro’s departure or possible successors, and Tashiro could not be reached for comment at press time.

Gucci Japan last month denied a report in The Financial Times that Tashiro was preparing to leave.

Tashiro joined Gucci Japan as president in March 1997 after heading Barneys Japan, a unit of Isetan Department Stores, for many years.

Japan accounted for 27.34 percent of the Gucci division’s 1.52 billion euros, or $1.81 billion at current exchange rates, of revenue in fiscal 2003. Gucci brand sales in Japan rose 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter to 136.9 million euros, or $162.3 million, while sales for the full year grew only 1.9 percent to 416.2 million euros, or $493.5 million.

Tashiro joins a growing list of defections at Gucci, which includes chief financial officer Robert Singer and communications directors Lisa Schiek and Tomaso Galli. Another De Sole disciple, Brian Blake, head of Gucci’s watch division and jeweler Boucheron, left prior to De Sole’s departure and subsequently joined Burberry as worldwide president and chief operating officer.

On the style front, Boucheron creative director Solange Azagury-Partridge said earlier this month she had left the jewelry, watch and fragrance house.

 

[botoxmolecula]

I don't want to be cruel but i hope Solanga Azagury-Partridge will leave Boucheron.
She has destroyed everything with her fake design.
She has no talents, no class.

 

[pennyfei]

It's all about business side of fashion. How much is it gonna affect the creative quality, i don't know!