A fashion brand brings back a former executive with a focus on independence
Lemaire's new managing director renews the brand's commitment to its core values.
The story
Lemaire has appointed Clarisse Godbillon as managing director, returning her after a year at Jacquemus. She replaces Laetitia Mergui, who left in February.
Source: wwd.com
Our reading
Clarisse Godbillon’s return to Lemaire feels less like a promotion and more like a reunion with a former partner who left for a while but never stopped being part of the group chat. The brand’s insistence on ‘independence’ and ‘longevity’ sounds like a couple trying to convince themselves they’re still in love, even as they’re both seeing other people.
Her new role includes overseeing the brand’s global expansion, which seems like a good time to start building a new office in a place that isn’t Paris, just to prove they’re not stuck in the same old routine.
It’s not clear if Godbillon’s new title means she’s now in charge of the brand’s emotional well-being, but given the emphasis on ‘client experience,’ it’s probably safe to assume she’s also the one who’ll have to explain why the new Shanghai flagship doesn’t have a coffee bar.
