ceo

Head Of Zenith Watches Departs: Farwell Thierry Nataf

Since 2001 the very flamboyant Thierry Nataf has been at the helm of Zenith watches, part of the LVMH luxury group. He has undoubtedly had a profound effect on the brand, though his 'touch' has been controversial, especially in terms of marketing and the focus on extremely niche products for what was supposed to be a more mainstream luxury brand. The recent economic downturn has effectuated in an over 25% decrease in Zenith watch sales - something no one is happy about.

The reason for Nataf's departure from the CEO position at Zenith watches is unclear, and rumors indicate that he will remain at LVMH, but in a different group (who watch brands include Tag Heuer, Hublot, Dior, and Louis Vuitton). The successor who will lead Zenith through this difficult economic period has not yet been announced. It will no doubt take sometime before the new leader's effect on the brand is observable, but I hope that LVMH is wise enough to place someone capable of reinvigorating Zenith's former glory.

Via WorldTempus (in French).

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: ceo, resign, thierry nataf, ThierryNataf, watch, zenith

New Burberry CEO Wants Less "Check"

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

According to the Wall Street Journal, only a few days into her new gig, Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts said that she wants to see more diversity in the label. Their signature plaid, a.k.a. "check," is a bit overexposed at the moment due to its tremendous popularity over the past few years and the rise in counterfeit or look-a-like goods. They're not eliminating the check, but they're scaling it back already. For example, their new fall quilted jackets (the one pictured is $495) all feature solid colors and the square-toe pumps ($365) have only the smallest amount of checked piping.

The general plan is to always keep the check, but to promote other brand symbols, such as a mounted knight that was trademarked by the company over a century ago. The company has also hired several new designers to focus on adding accessories to the brand, giving consumers options beyond just clothes.

Tags: apparel, brand, burberry, ceo, check, design, plaid