A Gucci veteran now leads a brand that once made accessories for YSL
The fashion world's latest leadership shuffle.
The story
Borbonese appoints Marie-Laure Lequain, a Gucci veteran, as its new CEO, succeeding Stefano Fero. Lequain has experience in merchandising, digital channels, and category development.
Source: wwd.com
Our reading
Marie-Laure Lequain, a woman who has spent 15 years at Gucci, is now the CEO of Borbonese, a brand that once supplied accessories to Yves Saint Laurent. The transition is smooth, as if she’s just moved from one luxury echo chamber to another.
Her job is to ‘elevate’ Borbonese, which means turning a 1910 leather goods label into something that feels relevant to people who still think ‘bird’s-eye pattern’ is a design choice, not a mistake.
Lequain’s first task is to give the brand a ‘contemporary expression,’ which in fashion means making something old feel new, but not too new—just enough to justify a higher price tag.
