Pietro Beccari, an Italian at the helm of Louis Vuitton (with the rhythm of Pharrell Williams)- Corriere.it

Just two weeks after its official entry into Louis Vuitton as president and chief executive officer, Peter Beccari — in the Lvmh group for seventeen years — announced the arrival of new artistic director of men’s creations of the French fashion house. The successor of the late Virgil Abloh – who died at the age of just 41 in November 2021 – in fact the eclectic musician, music producer and designer Pharrell Williams (his song Happy by him is very famous and award-winning). The indiscretion, launched by Wall Street Journal on Tuesday 14 February, it was confirmed in the evening by Beccari himself, who commented on the news as follows: I am pleased to welcome back Pharrell, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men’s Creative Director . His creative vision beyond fashion will undoubtedly lead the House into an exciting new chapter.

The return of the designer musician

His first collection will debut on the Parisian catwalks of Men’s Fashion Week in June. The way (Pharrell Williams, ed) goes beyond the boundaries of the various worlds it explores, in line with Louis Vuitton’s cultural vocation, and reinforces its values ​​of innovation, pioneering spirit and entrepreneurship, reads the press release from the fashion house of the Lvmh group. Williams will therefore find himself taking the reins of the Louis Vuitton man, orphaned of a creative director by the untimely death of Abloh, who arrived at the maison in 2018 as the first black man to hold a role of this importance in a European luxury house. The appointment is therefore set for June, when we will see the first creations on the catwalk in Paris. A new challenge for the newly appointed president and CEO Beccari and for the fashion house which in 2022 exceeded 20 billion euros for the first time. Last year proved excellent for Louis Vuitton, as also confirmed by the group’s results presented on 23 January. Positive judgment on the women’s pr–porter fashion shows created by Nicolas Ghesquire, various innovations announced in the field of leather goods, watches and jewellery, as well as the collaboration with the artist Yayoi Kusama, who surprised with the revisiting of the most iconic creations of the brand.

But let’s take a step back and go back to the man who has been leading the flagship house of the Lvmh group since this month: Pietro Beccari. one of the Italians who is at the top of the most famous fashion houses in the world and who in recent years has managed with his work in various brands to shine so much that he now finds himself in the role of president and CEO of Louis Vuitton.

Born in 1967, he graduated in Economics and Commerce from the University of Parma. He started working in the Marketing department of Benckiser in Italy and Parmalat in the United States, then moved to Henkel in Germany, where he found himself holding the position of Vice President of the Haircare division. 2006 was the year that marked his entry into the Lvmh group, precisely in Louis Vuitton: here he was appointed executive vice president of Marketing and Communications. The work in his first experience in the Parisian fashion house had been appreciated for the Journeys advertising campaigns created with international stars of the caliber of Angelina Jolie, but also the astronaut Buzz Aldrin (the second man to have walked on the lunar soil, as part of the Apollo 11 mission) and the leader Gorbachev, portrayed by the lens of Annie Leibovitz.

The carreer

In 2012 it was the turn of Fendi, of which he was president and chief executive officer. A real turning point for his career, which also marked a new course for the Roman maison: here, in fact, Beccari focused on young consumers, with the aim of engaging a strategically important segment, arriving at increasing brand awareness among Millennials and Generation Z. The Fendi for Fountains project in the center of Rome dates back to 2013: the year before, the Trevi Fountain, one of the symbols of the Eternal City, had been restored by the Municipality, but the works had brought out the critical issues of the state of conservation, so much so as to push the mayor to make an appeal to make large companies aware of the issue. Fendi had been the only partner in the project born precisely with the aim of protecting the Trevi Fountain and the Quattro Fontane complex, providing a total of 2.2 million euros in funds for the restoration works.

In 2018 he was named president and CEO in Christian Dior Couture. Also in the same year, he was the first to receive the Alumnus of the Year award from the University of Parma, where he graduated in 1992. His career at Dior was marked by his professional partnership with Maria Grazia Chiuri, at Women’s creations, with Kim Jones for men and with Victoire de Castellane for jewellery, which brought its turnover from less than 3 billion in 2017 to 5.8 in 2021. Pietro Beccari has done an exceptional job for Christian Dior in the last five years – said Bernard Arnault at the time of the announcement of his move to Louis Vuitton on January 11 —. His leadership has accelerated the appeal and success of this iconic fashion house. Monsieur Dior’s values ​​of elegance and innovation have received new intensity, supported by highly talented designers. I am sure Pietro will guide Louis Vuitton to the next level of success and desirability.

From 1 February 2023, therefore, the new president and CEO: happens to Michael Burke, who had been at the helm of the company for ten years and will now take on new positions in Lvmh. Beccari is the first Italian to play such a high role in the French luxury house. On the relations between Italy and France he said al Courier: a nice derby, but on substantial things there is respect and collaboration. Political controversies are certainly not good for relationships. But luckily they pass and the substance of things remains. On the other hand, the great French maisons rely (also) on Made in Italy for production: Louis Vuitton has the footwear manufacturing in Fiesso d’Artico and by 2023 will open two new sites (one in the Marche region, in Civitanova, and one in Tuscany, in Pontassieve), but also Dior was present. Furthermore, Beccari is not the only Italian manager at the helm of such important brands: we remember Marco Bizzari at Gucci, Francesca Bellettini at Yves Saint Laurent, Andrea Guerra at Prada, Sabina Belli at Pomellato, Jacopo Venturini at Valentino. A sign that the Italian management school in fashion continues to attract interest and ensure success for brands.