Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh step down from Nina Ricci
After three and a half years at the helm of the artistic direction of Nina Ricci, Dutch designers Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh have left their position in order to focus on their own label, Botter; a brand inspired by the creators’ Caribbean heritage. As reported by the Puig-owned brand, the decision to end their partnership was the result of a mutual agreement with the designers.
“The house Nina Ricci warmly thanks Lisi and Rushemy for their poetic interpretations of the brand’s collections, which brought a fresh approach and a new sense of modernity to Nina Ricci which we will continue working on going forward,” announced the brand in a brief statement on Monday, Jan. 31. “We wish them great success in expressing their talent with their own label and look forward to opening a new creative and innovative direction of Nina Ricci,” it added.
The winners of the 2018 Hyères Festival stated: "After three and a half incredible years at the creative helm of Nina Ricci, we have decided by mutual agreement to end our partnership," while additionally expressing their gratitude to Nina Ricci and Puig and to their team for their work and support.
"We are proud to have been able to put our creativity at the service of this iconic maison. We feel this is the right time to dedicate all of our attention to Botter, which is now entering exciting times and which we want to take to another level," they said about their ambitions for Botter moving forward.
Nina Ricci is part of the portfolio of luxury fashion brands owned by the Barcelona-based company Puig, alongside brands such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Paco Rabanne, Carolina Herrera and Dries Van Noten. The conglomerate is best known for specializing in the creation and distribution of fragrances. The Catalan fashion group has recently been attempting to rejuvenate and reposition the Nina Ricci brand, founded in 1932. Over the past few years, the fashion brand has seen the arrival of numerous creative directors, including Peter Copping, Nathalie Gervais, Massimo Giussani, James Aguiar, Lars Nilsson and Guillaume Henry.
The brand’s repositioning efforts led to its most recent strategic decision: the closure of its historic flagship store in Paris last April, located at 39 Avenue Montaigne, in order for the brand to concentrate on a more digital-centric retail strategy. The brand has also been gradually positioning itself into a more accessible luxury market. For the Fall/Winter 2021 collection, the number of garments was reduced by 30% and prices were reduced by 20%. On the management side, the firm's former CEO since 2018, Charlotte Tasset Ferrec, stepped down from her position last September. Just a few months later, she was appointed CEO of the ready-to-wear brand Maje.
Puig closed the 2020 financial year with a loss of 72 million euros, after reducing its sales by 24% to 1.5 billion euros due to the pandemic. By 2023, the Catalan company aims to increase its turnover to 3 billion euros. A figure which, according to the group's plans, should rise to 4 billion euros by 2025.
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