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Written by Cameron Hillhouse; edited by Ciaran Howley
Dior’s current CEO Pietro Beccari was named the new CEO of Louis Vuitton last month taking over from Michael Burke. Many people are anticipating his takeover and what direction he will take the brand which is still to replace its previous Creative Director Virgil Abloh. Abloh has left big shoes to fill and now Beccari is left with the difficult task of finding someone to fill them.
Beccari’s appointment to the role is logical for LVMH. Beccari has been CEO at two of LVMH’s top houses over the past 10 years, Fendi (2012-2018) and Dior (2018-2023), he had a solid run at each; elevating their images and revenue during his tenure. LVMH had a record sales year in 2022 with revenues of €79 billion (around £70 billion). Louis Vuitton was the company’s top earner with revenue reaching over €20 billion (around £18 billion) according to HSBC estimates. This is a huge undertaking for anyone, but Beccari has been building up to this for years. It's now a case of waiting to see what he does with the opportunity.
Before being given the role of CEO at Fendi, Beccari was Executive Vice-President of Marketing and Communications for Louis Vuitton from 2006 to 2012. During this time he made his mark by being the brains behind Louis Vuitton’s multi faceted communications plan which included the famed “Core Values” Campaign focusing on travel. The Campaign included Angelina Jolie (pictured below) in botswana where her son Maddox was born. This was an interesting way to join together the company with an individual's personal journey and heritage.
The Campaign brought attention back to the brand's heritage and looked at the concept of travel in a new way for Vuitton, making it about an individual’s personal journey. It will be exciting to see what his vision is 10 years from his last time working for Louis Vuitton.
Core Values Campaign Angelina Jolie in Botswana
Following the “Core Values” campaign Beccari has continued to make a name for himself as a CEO who can celebrate a brand’s heritage in a new way engaging untapped audiences. Most notably during his time at Fendi he reinstated the brand as a major part of Italian culture and heritage. He did this in many ways including the “Fendi For Fountains” project which focused on restoring historic Italian fountains such as the Trevi Fountain. This was a unique and creative way for Beccari to show the company’s commitment to Italy’s heritage.
“I think what sets apart a fashion brand from a luxury brand is history and clients. My observation is that clients are now educated… They approach a brand not just to buy a product. They prepare themselves and they like to buy into a set of values.” Beccari told Business of Fashion in 2014. This interview shows Beccari’s innovative thinking and his understanding of the younger generation. He now has a huge opportunity to put a new twist on Vuittons longstanding and colourful history.
The question running through everyone's minds is who Beccari will choose to replace Virgil Abloh as designer for Louis Vuitton menswear. Abloh’s impact at Louis Vuitton is indisputable. From his very first show with the brand he pushed Vuitton out of its comfort zone and brought streetwear style to the traditional high end retailer. Abloh strengthened the relationship with a new and younger consumer through a selection of collaborations with other brands within and outside the fashion world.
Many will be waiting with baited breath, to see who Beccari chooses to work with as this will set the tone for where Beccari plans to take the brand. The relationship between CEO and Creative Director at any high end fashion house is sacred and the two need to work together on a joint vision for where they want to take the company.
He could choose someone else who will push the brand even further or as his track record shows at other brands he will pick a designer who will push the boundaries while also focusing heavily on the brand’s heritage in France. For Beccari his mission will be harnessing the power Vuitton and Abloh have built over previous years while putting his own twist on it rather than going into the role to make a huge statement.
At this year's Louis Vuitton Paris Fashion Week Show, Colm Dillane the founder and creative director of KidSuper collaborated with the mens department at Louis Vuitton to design this year's collection. The collection was well received, although Dillane was not announced as the new permanent designer. The collection didn't stray too far from Virgil's vision; this could be expected as Dillane has previously cited Abloh as one of his inspirations.
One of the largest undertakings for any new Louis Vuitton CEO is how they will redefine what they will bring to Vuitton’s deep history which is rooted in travel. Vuitton is the oldest luxury travel brand and the luggage is a large part of the brand’s history. He will again be following how Abloh interpreted and updated what travel means to the brand. Abloh expanded the definition of travel to include social mobility and a person's journey, his first show with the brand he used the story of “The Wizard of Oz” to portray a journey of introspection and a person realising their potential and dreams. This added another layer to Vuitton’s story.