Jacquemus opens a new chapter with the appointment of an external CEO for the first time. Until now, the Parisian fashion house was led by its founder and artistic director, Simon Porte Jacquemus. The firm has just appointed Bastien Daguzan, who has been at the helm of Paco Rabanne Mode for the past five years, as CEO.
The 38-year-old executive left the Puig group banner in April, where he was succeeded by Nadia Dhouib. Originally from southwest France, he graduated in international business law from the Sorbonne in Paris, and continued his training with a specialization in design and luxury at the French Fashion Institute. He began his fashion career in 2008 at Kris Van Assche, where he managed sales and development for five years.
In 2013, he became CEO of Lemaire, working closely with the duo Christophe Lemaire and Sarah Linh Tran. In particular, he promoted the brand’s collaboration with Uniqlo, which led Japanese giant Fast Retailing to take a minority stake in the brand, growing from €2 million to €10 million in three years (2015-2017).
In March 2017, Bastien Daguzan took over as head of Paco Rabanne’s fashion division, where he accompanied the repositioning of the brand alongside its artistic director Julien Dossena, steering it towards direct distribution. According to the press release, he generated triple-digit growth and quadrupled the number of multi-brand retailers, while actively participating in the launch of the first Pacollection fragrance range.
For Jacquemus, this is clearly a strategic appointment to better structure the company, which continues to grow and is preparing to further accelerate its development. In recent months, it has multiplied its projects, from its latest fashion show in Hawaii, through its automated ephemeral boutiques, to the imminent launch of its collaboration with Nike. He is also said to be planning the launch of a beauty line, to be developed by the Spanish group Puig, owner of Paco Rabanne.
Born in Provence, Simon Porte Jacquemus launched his brand in 2009 at the age of 19 and has since garnered unprecedented success with his solar and colorful fashion, including accessories such as his famous Lilliputian bags and giant straw hats. With more than 4.6 million followers on Instagram, the brand, whose clients include Rihanna and the Hadid sisters, employs around 100 people and turns over some €25 million. Its offer ranges from women’s ready-to-wear to menswear, including accessories (bags, shoes, eyewear, hats, jewelry).
