Lanvin: Siddhartha Shukla succeeds Arnaud Bazin as deputy general manager
Lanvin is making a change at the top. A year after leaving Versace to become the Parisian label's deputy CEO, Arnaud Bazin has been dismissed. Lanvin, owned by the fashion and luxury division of giant Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, recently rechristened Lanvin Group, said that Bazin will be replaced at the end of the year by Siddhartha Shukla, an Asian-American executive and luxury expert who has been appointed deputy general manager.
“Based in Paris, Shukla will oversee Lanvin’s global expansion, concentrating on commercial development, product strategy, digital excellence and brand positioning initiatives,” said Lanvin in a press release, indicating that Shukla will work alongside fellow deputy GM Grace Zhao, who is in charge of Lanvin’s business in China and the Asia-Pacific region, and will report to the label’s and the Lanvin Group’s president, Joann Cheng, as the group continues to operate with twin headquarters in Paris and Shanghai.
“Throughout his career, Siddhartha Shukla has been at the forefront in business transformation, product innovation and brand marketing, questioning the status quo and paving the way for fresh growth opportunities. His in-depth knowledge of the sector, his diverse career, both with century-old luxury houses and in the contemporary segment, and his global vision, make him the ideal leader for Lanvin,” said Cheng.
Shukla, 43, speaks four languages and has already notched up a wealth of experience in the course of his career. A Yale graduate, he formerly worked at premium US label Theory, which he joined in 2013 as chief marketing officer, rapidly climbing the corporate ladder to become in two years the label’s chief brand officer. He had previously spent a year at Reed Krakoff, as vice-president marketing and communications. In the 12 years before then, he had been in charge of international communications at Gucci, between 2000 and 2006, and at Yves Saint Laurent, until 2012.
“At this crucial stage in its evolution, Lanvin has a huge opportunity to define and assume a unique position on the global market, thanks to a renewed vision and energy. Nowadays, fashion needs new operational systems fed by innovative ideas and ingenuity. I can’t wait to establish at Lanvin a model that will be able to offer exceptional products and experiences for our customers and at the same time exceptional commercial results for our shareholders,” said Shukla.
Lanvin, whose design is overseen by Bruno Sialelli, is expected to return to its 2019, pre-pandemic sales levels in 2021, thanks to its strong commercial performance in China and the USA and to the growing success of its accessories. Lanvin’s collections are distributed via 25 monobrand stores and some 300 retailers worldwide.
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