Why did LVMH change its management board, High Demand Fashion Jobs for 2023

plus the updated list of fashion jobs and internships

Jan 13, 2023

This is Inside Fashion - a newsletter brought to you by Glam Observer that covers each week the behind-the-scenes of fashion, industry news, career advice, profiles to follow, jobs, and more!

New faces at Louis Vuitton and Dior

LVMH has recently named new CEOs at Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Couture, who will assume their new roles on February 1.

The 3 names to remember are:

Pietro Beccari, Christian Dior Couture’s chief executive Pietro Beccari is set to succeed Michael Burke as CEO of Louis Vuitton.
Delphine Arnault, Louis Vuitton’s executive vice president for product since 2013, will replace Pietro Beccari as Dior’s president and CEO.
Michael Burke, who has led Louis Vuitton since 2012, will continue to work for LVMH as an advisor to the Group’s chairman Bernard Arnault.

Why are there changes within the Group?

There are several reasons for these organizational changes. This is what the sources say:

We view these management changes as positive for both the Louis Vuitton and Dior brands, and they underline the bench strength and long-term custodian approach at LVMH which we see as one of the group’s core competitive advantages,” RBC Europe said in a research note Wednesday morning. “It also reflects ongoing leadership transition within the Arnault family.”

What have been Arnault’s, Beccari’s, and Burke’s achievements so far?

Delphine Arnault

She began her career at LVMH in 2000 as head of business development at John Galliano, then in 2001 she joined the Executive Committee of Christian Dior Couture, where she served as Deputy Managing Director until 2013. In addition, she has served as a director for many other group brands, and outside firms like Gagosian, Ferrari, and Phoebe Philo.

Delphine is the daughter of LVMH’s chairman Bernard Arnault, and she is the only one of his 5 children to have served on LVMH’s executive committee so far. She arrived at Louis Vuitton in 2013 a time when Michael Burke began elevating Vuitton, and she assumed as the brand’s Executive Vice President.
Her father said the desirability of products “advanced significantly, enabling the brand to regularly set new sales records”. In 2018, Vuitton became the first luxury fashion brand to surpass €10 billion in annual sales, and according to HSBC, the brand’s revenues reached €20.6 billion last year.
In addition to her role at Vuitton, she has been the driving force behind the LVMH Prize, the group’s fund for young designers with whom she has built strong connections.

Pietro Beccari

He used to work for Henkel, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi before joining Dior in 2018, which is considered to be one of the major executive changes in the history of LVMH. He has done some great things there.
One of his biggest achievements at Dior is considered to be the transformation of its flagship 30 Avenue Montaigne store into a space with a restaurant, pastry café, a private apartment for VIP clients, and La Galerie de Dior. Other notable moments that happened during his time at Dior include events such as the Dior x Harrods in London for Christmas, Dior’s Pre-Fall 2023 fashion show in Egypt, and the “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, among others.
How has the Dior brand evolved under his leadership? Overall, according to BoF, Beccari managed to create a more consistent, wearable, and youthful Dior. He contributed to the growth of iconic Dior bags, such as the Book tote, Bobby camera bag, and he also relaunched Saddle, which helped Dior reduce its dependence on the flagship Lady Dior bag.
If we look at the numbers, under Pietro Beccari’s leadership the brand’s sales have roughly quadrupled to nearly €9 billion in 2022, according to HSBC estimates.
Finally, Beccari reactivated the market in the US and Europe, while pursuing rapid growth in China.

Michael Burke

He served as president and CEO of Louis Vuitton North America from 1993 until 1997 when he returned to Paris as Dior’s executive vice president and then as its worldwide managing director. He then joined Fendi as CEO in 2003 and kept this role before returning to Louis Vuitton in 2012.

Looking at the numbers, market sources say Vuitton’s revenues tripled during Burke’s leadership to exceed 21 billion euros. A notable moment is the sales boost of the Capucines bag collection that outsold those in monogram canvas and thus reduced the brand’s dependence on them, which contributed to expanding the product offer. He also turned ready-to-wear into a multibillion-euro business, one generating high levels of profitability in the range of 30%, according to WWD.

Michael Burke brought to the brand some key industry players, such as the late Virgil Abloh, who was the founder of Off-White and Vuitton’s artistic director of menswear since 2018; Francesca Amfitheatrof as Vuitton’s artistic director of watches and jewelry, and Nicolas Ghesquière, the brand’s creative director of women’s collections for the past decade.

Overall, in Bernard Arnault’s words, Michael Burke (who is one of Arnault’s most trusted deputies) “extended Louis Vuitton’s lead over competitors and promoted the heritage of Louis Vuitton while anchoring it in modernity”.

We are curious to see how the brands will evolve under their new leaders.

What's happening in the industry this week?💚

The Fashion week calendar is released

Are you excited about the upcoming fashion month? We are too, so we wanted to share the important dates of fashion weeks that will be taking place in New York, London, Milan, and Paris, so that you don’t miss watching your favorite shows online, reading the runway reviews, or even preparing to volunteer backstage.

P.S If you decide to do this, make sure you send your application in advance. Read the article we wrote here to learn more about volunteering during fashion week.

Milan Men’s Fashion Week: Jan 13-17, 2023
Paris Fashion week men’s: Jan 17-22, 2023
Paris Haute Couture: Jan 23-26, 2023
Paris fashion week fall-winter 2023: Feb 27-Mar 7, 2023
New York fashion week fall-winter 2023: Feb 10 - 15, 2023
London fashion week fall-winter 2023: Feb 17 - 21, 2023
Milan fashion week fall-winter 2023: Feb 21-27, 2023

Pitti Uomo’s 103rd edition closes today in Florence

Today is the last day of Pitti Uomo - the largest men’s clothing and accessories trade show - which is running at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence from Jan. 10 to 13. Held twice a year - in January and June - the event welcomes every year thousands of members of the international menswear industry: buyers, exhibitors, journalists, and spectators.

For a little history, Pitti Uomo was founded by Giovanni Battista Giorgini, an aristocratic Italian who was a key figure in the development of the Italian alta moda industry. He is considered to have been the first to perceive the global opportunity represented by Italian craftsmanship, as he invited key buyers and influencers from the United States to attend what he called the first “High Italian Fashion Show” in 1951. But it was not until 1972 that the first Pitti Uomo show took place.

So, what does Pitti Uomo mean for the fashion industry? First of all, Florence marked the birth of “Made in Italy” in the 20th century and placed the city on the map as a destination for style, way before Milan became one of the fashion capitals. Today, Pitti Uomo is the fashion industry’s leader in menswear shows. Every year, the most influential brands present their menswear collections at this event which, together with amazing street style looks, participates in shaping the trends. Also, exhibitors that show at Pitti Uomo gain visibility thanks to the buyers and the media. So this is an important event in the fashion annual calendar.

Supermodel Tatjana Patitz passed away

Tatjana Patitz was one of the original supermodels of the 80s and the 90s along with Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington, among others. Her career took off when she met Peter Lindbergh who included her in his famous 1988 photograph "White Shirts: Six Supermodels, Malibu." She also had a long-standing working relationship with great fashion photographers like the late Herb Ritts and Patrick Demarchelier. Tatjana was featured on the most iconic magazine covers and modeled for top luxury houses. She passed away at 56 from breast cancer.

Thom Browne won the trademark dispute against Adidas

On Thursday evening, the jury found that Thom Browne did not infringe on Adidas’ iconic 3 stripes trademark. For a little history, the two brands had this trademark dispute going on for a while, and Adidas particularly referred to Thom Browne’s Grosgrain Signature collection with the red, white, and blue-stripe logo. The latter was released beach in 2007, but Adidas claims it wasn’t made aware of the alleged infringements until 2018. However, Thom Browne says he has been using the 3 stripes for years, as it’s part of the brand’s ethos of combing classic tailoring with American sportswear.

Fashion Career Tip of the Week

Are you looking for fashion jobs that will be in high demand in 2023?

Maybe you have clear ideas about what fashion role is made for you or perhaps you are still undecided. Whatever the case, we answer your questions in our recent article where you will learn about:

10 fashion roles that companies will be hiring for this year
And how their duties will evolve according to the current industry’s needs and global imperatives.

Get to know about them here to stay informed and unlock more career possibilities for yourself.

Nice things 💖

A very colorful art installation took over the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs Elysées in Paris to celebrate the collaboration with the artist Yayoi Kusama.

What to watch this week 📺

This week, how about watching a documentary about iconic supermodels?

Models: The Film, directed by Peter Lindbergh and shot in New York in 1991, stares Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Stepanie Seymour, and the late Tajana Patitz. If you want to learn more about what their life and career were like back in the 90s, this is your go-to movie.