Valérie Hermann signs on with Ralph Lauren group

By

Florent Gilles

Published
Feb 19, 2014

Reed Krakoff will soon be replacing his president and CEO Valérie Hermann, reported Women's Wear Daily on Tuesday. In April, Hermann will be joining another New York company, Ralph Lauren, where she will serve as CEO of the company's luxury division. The post was specially created by Ralph Lauren himself, who Valérie Hermann will report to directly. Her job will be to develop all the group's luxury businesses: the Black Label and Purple Label lines, jewelry, eyewear, watches (in a joint venture with the Richemont Group), leather goods and perfumes.

The French executive was called to New York in 2011 to oversee the launch of the contemporary luxury brand Reed Krakoff created by the former artistic director of Coach while still working for the group.

Meanwhile Reed Krakoff has bought his line from the New York group and yielded his position to Stuart Vevers, who showed his first Coach collection just a few days ago at New York Fashion Week.

Valerie Hermann was head of Yves Saint Laurent for six years between 2005 and 2011 before coming to the U.S. She said she was "extremely grateful to Reed Krakoff for giving me the opportunity to come to the U.S. and develop, together with him and a wonderful team, what is certainly going to be one of the most exciting American luxury brands."