Yahoo Finance Bally Names Gucci Alum Simone Bellotti Design Director
MILAN — Bally has named Simone Bellotti design director of the Swiss brand.
The appointment follows the exit earlier this month of Rhuigi Villaseñor, who held the title of creative director and had joined the company in January last year.
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Bellotti’s first collection for Bally will be presented with a show during Milan Fashion Week in September.
The designer quietly joined Bally last October after a 16-year tenure at Gucci. Previously, he held senior design positions at Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta and Gianfranco Ferré, boasting an experience in both both ready-to-wear tailoring and accessories — the latter category Bally’s core business.
Chief executive officer Nicolas Girotto said Bellotti’s work over the past nine months with the Bally team will allow him to “continue to interpret and rejuvenate our signature codes in the context of today. Simone’s passion and appreciation for Bally’s heritage, coupled with his extensive industry experience, will enable us to continue to execute on our vision of creating timeless and elegant products that uphold our legacy of craft and stand the test of time.”
Bellotti lauded Bally’s “extraordinary legacy. The house’s unique Swiss heritage, coupled with its beautiful history rooted in a pioneering spirit and relentless pursuit of excellence, is a powerful inspiration.”
Milan Fashion Week in September will also see the debut of former Valentino designer Sabato De Sarno at Gucci, following the exit of Alessandro Michele last November.
Bally is headquartered in Caslano, Switzerland, and has 1,500 employees worldwide.
It has more than 320 stores worldwide and 500 multibrand points of sale spanning across 60 countries. Its e-commerce platform serves 61 countries.
Menswear accounts for 60 percent of revenues and Girotto is set on growing the womenswear category, originally Bally’s core business.
Shoes account for 40 percent of sales, followed by accessories, which represent 35 percent of the total. Ready-to-wear makes up the remaining share.
While declining to provide a sales figure, as per parent JAB Holding Company’s policy, year-to-date sales rose 20 percent compared with 2022.
As reported, adding buzz to the brand, Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody is designing capsule collections to be unveiled in January next year.
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