Missoni names new Creative Director as Filippo Grazioli steps down
This week we’ve seen quite the reshuffling at luxury houses. Yesterday, Celine announced its Artistic Director Hedi Slimane was set to be replaced by Michael Rider and now Missoni has announced Creative Director Filippo Grazioli is stepping down.
According to the Italian knitwear house, Filippo Grazioli is stepping down as creative director of Missoni after just over two years to pursue "new creative and artistic challenges". He will be replaced by Missoni veteran Alberto Caliri, who joined the company in 1998.
This isn't Caliri's first rodeo as Creative Director of Missoni. He previously held the role on an interim basis after Angela Missoni, the Founder's daughter, stepped down in 2021.
Grazioli joined the house in 2022 to oversee the womenswear and menswear collections, as well as the brand’s lifestyle sector. Grazioli joined Missoni from Burberry, where he worked under Riccardo Tisci as Collections Director. He also served worked under Tisci at Givenchy. Prior to that, Grazioli was the senior womenswear designer for Hermès.
"Alberto has the ability to envision a garment by just looking at a yarn and this is because of his 'mestiere,' or craft and expertise. Anyone can approach fashion, but excellence requires 'mestiere'," Livio Proli, CEO at Missoni, told WWD.
Prioli underscored that the decision to promote Caliri was strategic, following the closure of M Missoni. The plan is to bring the signature line's online platform in-house and invest in internal production.
"We are thinking of one lifestyle collection that covers menswear, womenswear and home, and not three single lines. Alberto will be able to bring cohesion, harmony and consistency across the board," he added.
This announcement comes after a slew of top jobs opened up at mega brands over the past few months. Just yesterday, LVMH announced that Hedi Slimane would exit Celine after seven years at the helm. In the same breath, just moments later, the luxury house announced Michael Rider, who was previously the Creative Director at Polo Ralph Lauren, would take the helm as Hedi Slimane's successor.
Rumours have been swirling for months that he will take over at Chanel after its Creative Director Virginie Viard stepped down in June. Plus, his last show for Celine, which was in presentation format at Paris Fashion Week, was almost reminiscent of a stripped-back Chanel.
After all, this may be what Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's former Creative Director, may have wanted. Lagerfeld was once a fan of the designer, citing Slimane's figure-pinching tailoring at Dior Homme as the reason he ditched junk food. However, with the position yet to be announced, Simon Porte Jacquemus of Jacquemus may still be in the running.