Kenzo names Sylvie Colin as new CEO

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Sep 8, 2017

There's a game of musical chairs in full swing amongst the upper echelons of the fashion world. Only a few days ago, we learnt that Isabelle Guichot, CEO of Balenciaga from 2007 to 2016, would be taking over from Sylvie Colin at the helm of the French women's ready-to-wear brand Maje, part of the SMCP group. Now we know Colin's new position: CEO of Kenzo. 

She won't have much time to relax, as the brand announced in a statement that she's expected to take the reins of the Parisian house starting on September 25.

Sylvie Colin took over at Maje in April 2014, after working for the brand Caroll (Vivarte). A graduate from Sorbonne University in Paris and the ESCEM School of Business and Management, the French manager has previously worked for the Groupe Chantelle lingerie company, as director of marketing and collections, and for Etam. Suffice to say that with Kenzo she is taking her first steps into the luxury sector. 

With Colin's arrival, the Parisian brand, under the creative direction of Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, has filled the position of CEO left empty by Eric Marechalle. He had been running the house since 2011 and is preparing to take over at Marc Jacobs, another label in luxury group LVMH's portfolio, where he succeeds Sebastian Suhl. Now the only question that remains to be answered is what Suhl's next destination will be!