Under former Victoria Beckham CEO Marie Leblanc, the Maison Courrèges, owned by the Artemis fund, intends to continue the very positive trajectory set in motion by its predecessor Adrien Da Maia and creative director Nicolas Di Felice.
The fashion mercato continues to move at full speed.
But while some Houses are replacing their managers or creatives to try to regain growth, Courrèges is changing CEOs in a very buoyant context for its sales.
The fashion house, which in 2018 became part of Artémis, the holding company of the Pinault family, has just appointed Marie Leblanc, previously CEO of Victoria Beckham, as its new CEO. She will replace Adrien Da Maia as of November 4. After four years as CEO, Adrien Da Maia decided to pursue his own entrepreneurial adventure.
A holistic approach to fashion
Marie Leblanc brings with her a wealth of experience and a holistic approach to fashion.
In addition to graduating from ESCP Business School in 2004, she continued her studies with a two-year course in fashion design at the renowned Studio Berçot until 2006.
After starting out at Isabel Marant and American Retro, she joined the demanding world of luxury goods in 2012 as Senior Product Development Manager at Celine, then Collection Director for ready-to-wear at Sonia Rykiel, and finally Merchandising Manager for women’s fashion at Printemps.
In 2018, she joined the fashion house of the famous former Spice Girls, Victoria Beckham, before becoming its CEO at the end of 2019.
When her departure was announced in early October, eponymous founder and creative director Victoria Beckham described her as “the most incredible partner and CEO”, expressing her gratitude to have had “such a strong, intelligent and inspiring woman by her side”.
According to Fashion Network, Marie Leblanc “transformed the company into a profitable lifestyle brand”, overseeing “the complete repositioning of the brand and the transition to presenting seasonal collections at Paris Fashion Week”.
At Victoria Beckham, Ralph Toledano, President of the House, is temporarily taking over the reins until a new CEO is appointed.
The right person for Courrèges
“Marie’s unique talent lies in her ability to immerse herself totally in design, working in tandem with the artistic director, to ensure constant coherence between design and brand identity, while developing an operational strategy that supports and promotes that design,” praised François-Henri Pinault, in a statement, before adding that ”this is precisely what Courrèges needs to continue its growth trajectory.” The CEO of Kering and Artémis also thanked Adrien Da Maia for “leading the rebirth of the brand”.
In the same press release, Marie Leblanc said she was “deeply honored to join Courrèges, whose modernity, elegance and audacity have left their mark on fashion history”. She praised “the remarkable work of the artistic direction, which in four years has enabled us to make a strong creative statement and give new energy to thebrand”. While she believes that “Courrèges now embodies” “a clear statement, combining know-how and high standards with a customer reality”, she confided that she was “looking forward to meeting the teams and working with them to deploy the brand’s very great potential.”
Triple-digit growth in 2021 and 2022
The Adrien Da Maia-Nicolas Di Felice duo double Courrèges’ revenues in 2023 after already achieving triple-digit annual growth in 2021 and 2022, according to the company, which does not specify how high.
To achieve this, Courrèges has been able to count on the talent of creative director Nicolas de Felice, who trained at the renowned Brussels-based École de la Cambre and has worked for the demanding houses of Balenciaga, Dior and Louis Vuitton.
Proof of his talent’s recognition by the Fashion Sphere: he was chosen as guest designer by Jean-Paul Gaultier to design his Haute Couture show for Autumn-Winter 2024-25, and he chaired the jury at the latest Festival d’Hyères, from October 10 to 13.
In fact, he has successfully stamped his mark on Courrèges, making people appreciate his modern, fresh and effective creations, while respecting the House’s DNA. His silhouettes have brought iconic pieces such as the miniskirt up to date with new cuts and sustainable materials. Fashionistas follow them on Instagram, while the Emily in Paris series contributes to her visibility. Celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, the Blackpinks and Bella Hadid also fuel the buzz by attending her shows.
Dynamic trajectory
Buoyed by its new-found notoriety, the Maison has been able to expand its retail network. In addition to the renovation of the historic boutique on rue François-Ier, other boutiques have adopted the House’s codes on the Left Bank of Paris, in the Marais district, as well as in the United States (New York and Costa Mesa, California) and South Korea (Seoul and Busan).
With Belgian creative director Nicolas Di Felice, Marie Leblanc now has the exhilarating but demanding task of continuing this dynamic trajectory.
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Featured Photo : © Courrèges
