LK Bennett, the upmarket clothing and footwear retailer, has appointed Didier Drouet, former chief executive of fashion house Emilio Pucci, as its new chief executive.
Drouet, who will take over with immediate effect, replaces the retailer’s executive chairman Robert Bensoussan, who has held the role on an interim basis since the departure of Margaret McDonald in October 2010. Bensoussan will continue in his role as executive chairman.
Drouet is a veteran of high-end and luxury fashion and footwear brands. He was most recently chief executive at Pucci, owned by luxury goods group LVMH, but has also headed high-end French footwear label Stéphané Kélian. Prior to that, he was international retail director at Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo.
Bensoussan said: “Didier Drouet has a wealth of international experience in the fields of fashion, accessories and luxury, which will strengthen the growth of LK Bennett and capitalise on the many opportunities we have to develop the business both in the UK and internationally.”
Drouet added: “I am excited to join the LK Bennett team and look forward to building on the foundations in place to further develop the brand globally.”
It has been reported that LK Bennett is planning to open a further 10 stores in major US cities over the next three years as part of a global push, with a particular focus on the US. The expansion comes after the retailer secured a £16m credit facility from Lloyds Banking Group in May.
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