Justin O’Shea to Depart Brioni
Justin O’Shea to Depart Brioni
The news broke today that Brioni’s relatively new creative director Justin O’Shea will leave the company. Over the past several years, Brioni has made crucial shifts, and is currently in the process of a reinvention. The company was purchased by Kering in 2012, having closed the womenswear portion of the business the year prior, hiring Brendan Mullane as the new creative director, who was succeeded by O’Shea earlier this year. After less than seven months at the helm, O’Shea now moves on, to be succeeded by an unnamed individual.
Gianluca Flore, the company’s CEO, thanked O’Shea in a statement, and attributed the change to long-term plans for the brand. “The strategy of revitalisation of Brioni that started at the beginning of this year is set to continue being implemented through a long-term plan aimed to further establish the brand as a leader in the luxury menswear category.”
One of the most notable events in O’Shea’s 6-month tenure at the fashion house was his casting of Metallica in the brand’s advertisements that came out in late June, ahead of Paris’ July couture fashion week. In this and other changes, O’Shea brought what many have called a Gothic theme to the house, starting with the brand’s logo and continuing through the darker influences seen in the collection the Australian oversaw. The clothing itself saw more slender fits and luxurious details that reflected the director’s own aesthetic, including crocodile skin and chinchilla fur. Beyond aesthetic, O’Shea also introduced a see-now buy-now aspect to the brand, changing the date of the runway show to boot. It has also been reported that rather than a runway show this November, buyers will be shown the new collection in Milan.
A street-style star in his own right, O’Shea has become recognisable beyond the brands he represents. Have you seen O’Shea’s video ‘The Specialist’ for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week? He teaches a novice the ways of the selfie – an indisputable call to the youthful masses, or at least those viewers who might find selfie lessons amusing. One wonders whether O’Shea’s appointment was intended to be so brief from his installment – a quick shock to the system in order to reinvigorate the brand with his own style and newer techniques, then to be left for a more experienced designer to maintain and evolve.
Justin O’Shea to Depart Brioni
