One more discharge among the top management of the top companies in the fashion. The latest in chronological order, which has caused quite a stir, is that of Pierpaolo Piccioli who interrupted his collaboration with the Maison Valentino. But in the last 10 days there have been other notable resignations that have shocked the world of fashion: in addition to Piccioli, two other creative directors are leaving, Walter Chiapponi e Dries Van Noten, and a super manager, Antonio Belloni, former right-hand man of Bernard Arnault who also leaves the board of directors of LVMH.
We wonder why and what is happening. Perhaps the fact that these fashion companies, which have very particular times and rhythms with the alternation of collections and seasons, find themselves clashing, after the listing at Business Square with a world, that of finance, which instead requires different times, with immediate successes in terms of turnover. Certainly, especially with Piccioli's exit, we must note the end of an era.
The reasons behind the exits of Chiapponi and Dries Vanå Noten
Just about ten days ago, on March 14th, just after signing a collection, Walter Chiapponi announced his exit from Blumarine “for personal reasons”. In fact, the designer who had previously worked at Tod's has been marked by painful deaths in recent days (the loss of his close friend Davide Renne and his 14-year-old nephew Noha) and for this reason he has decided to take a break to concentrate "on new initiatives and projects with a social and humanitarian background".
Then there was the resignation of Dries Vanå Noten, 66 years old and a glorious career, which began in the 80s with the Antwerp group. On March 19th he announced that, after the spring summer 2025 men's collection, he will no longer be the creative director of the brand he founded in 1985. In this case it is a classic case of deserved board, in which continuity is ensured by a team of creatives who grew up with the designer: "I feel it's time to make room for a new generation of talents." To prepare for the transition, Van Noten sold his company to the Spanish group Puig in 2018.
Toni Belloni leaves the position of general director after 23 years
The general director of LVMH, Toni Belloni, Bernard Arnault's right-hand man for 23 years will leave his position after the meeting scheduled for April 18th. Belloni will now become president of LVMH Italia, will maintain responsibilities within the group and will take care of "some strategic missions". Stephane Bianchi, current head of the watches and jewelery division, will take his place.
The Piccioli “case”: the end of an era
But what causes even more controversy is the "chance" Petioles. The official press release speaks of “joint decision” of the designer and the fashion house controlled by Mayhoola, and of which Kering owns 30% of the shares. “Not all stories have a beginning and an end, some live a kind of eternal present that shines with an intense light, so strong that it leaves no shadows” says Piccioli himself in a post on Instagram. “I have been in this company for 25 years, and for 25 years I have existed and lived together with the people who with me have woven the threads of this beautiful story that is mine and ours”.
Having joined the Valentino maison in 1999, first to design accessories and then as creative director (from 2008 with Maria Grazia Chiuri and from 2016 alone), Piccioli has always designed collections that have made the history and success of the Maison. What is certain is that Piccioli has also made history in the sector precisely because of his own long stay: today the average time of collaborations between creative directors and brands is three years, at most five. Piccioli's 25 years represent a way of thinking which is no longer part of the fashion system and marks the end of an era, started with Valentino Garavani and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti, both very close to Piccioli, in which the stylists knew the names of all the workers, worked side by side with the seamstresses in an atmosphere of mutual respect and esteem. “Everything existed and exists thanks to the people I met, with whom I worked,” Piccioli writes again.
An uncertain future now lies ahead. On the one hand because the Piccioli collection just presented in Paris is at risk. On the other, because the group has another headache: the 20% drop in sales of the other top brand, Gucci. Meanwhile, Piccioli's full successors have left, even if there is no confirmation: the names of Maria Grazia Chiuri (now at Dior) and Alessandro Michele are circulating, even if it seems unlikely that after the divorce with Gucci the designer will be able to return to the same group.
