Celine Confirms New CEO

Celine Confirms New CEO

Celine has confirmed Severine Merle’s appointment as its new CEO. She replaces Marco Gobbetti, who left the house last year for the same role at Burberry. Her appointment makes the third female CEO in the LVMH group of brands. She joins Celine from another of LVMH’s labels, menswear brand Berluti, where she is currently executive vice president.

Merle is expected to take up the position on April 1 and will report to Pierre-Yves Roussel, chairman and CEO of LVMH Fashion Group. Roussel has been filling in her new role since Gobbetti’s departure. Merle’s long history of working with LVMH brands suggests an alignment with the mechanisms of the fashion house. She’s previously worked with both Kenzo and Louis Vuitton and as such is likely to know the workings of LVMH brands inside and out.

“We see this as a smooth transition building on the project and continuing the momentum of the brand,” Roussel said. “Severine represents a good fit with the culture of the brand.”

Merle’s appointment coincides with other changes at the fashion house. The brand have eventually decided to launch e-commerce later this year despite longstanding resistance. “We believe it’s important that we show the breadth and depth of the collection,” said Roussel. “We want to be very product focused. It’s always been the motto of creative director Phoebe Philo since the very beginning.”

Celine Confirms New CEO