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Levi’s CEO to retire
Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh will retire in April 2024 after holding the position for more than a decade. Michelle Gass, Levi’s current president, will succeed Bergh effective Jan. 29. Bergh was elected executive vice chair of Levi’s board and he will hold this position until he retires. He will also serve as senior advisor to the board until the end of the 2024 fiscal year. {Business of Fashion/paywalled}
The debate on how much time creative directors need to succeed
Many executives hope creative directors will instantly launch a new creative era and increase brand sales, based on the success stories of Alessandro Michele at Gucci or Daniel Lee at Bottega Veneta, but this isn’t always the case. Some critics are saying creative directors need more time. “The truth is that brands only risk their own credibility when they do this,” said Sarah Mower, Vogue chief critic, BFC’s ambassador for emerging talent and chair of the BFC Newgen committee. “The way it puts the ‘blame’ on designers after putting them in the spotlight, and then damaging their reputations makes me very uncomfortable. Turning around the fortunes — and the design style — of any company takes longer than five minutes. It can’t just be on the creative director to do this cosmetically.” Analysts say there should be early signs that the creative director is right for the role and that results should be seen within the first few collections, but this could potentially stifle young designers’ creativity. {Vogue Business/paywalled}
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