Stella McCartney names Peter Chipchase new chief marketing officer

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Dec 1, 2020

Stella McCartney is pushing forward with its reorganisation efforts. One year after the appointment of new CEO Gabriele Maggio, the eco-friendly luxury fashion house led by its eponymous British designer has announced a new recruit: Peter Chipchase, the company's new chief marketing officer. Chipchase succeeds Caroline Deroche Pasquier, who left in October in order to take over global communications at Kering-owned Bottega Veneta in October, a role in which she replaced Yannick Angelloz-Nicoud.

In his new position, Chipchase will lead Stella McCartney's communication, marketing, image and social network teams and will report directly to Maggio. His mission will involve developing an innovative performance-driven strategic plan focused on brand and product communication and marketing. 
 
The manager has a somewhat atypical profile for the luxury industry, as he spent the last seven years serving as chief communications and strategy officer at Soho House, a chain of restaurants and private clubs founded in London. Prior to this, he was managing director at streetwear and motorcycle accessories brand John Doe. His previous experience also includes stints at a series of different marketing, advertising and public relations agencies. 

"He brings a refreshing outsider's perspective and a proven track record of global growth with him – giving our marketing and communication teams the disruptive direction necessary in order for us to continue to be leaders in the sustainable luxury fashion sector," commented Maggio in a release. 

"Covid-19 has changed how the fashion and luxury industry is looking at how it does things, so there is no better time to come in and help shape that future," said Chipchase, explaining that he couldn't refuse the offer of the post. 

This latest appointment comes at a time of change for the company, which was jointly owned by Kering before claiming its independence in 2018 and subsequently receiving the support of LVMH, which acquired a minority stake in the brand. Suffering from the effects of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Stella McCartney has been forced to undertake comprehensive restructuring efforts over the last few months, a process which has included a range of cost-cutting measures. 
 
"Following the critical spring period, we reorganised our strategies and revised the balance of our business in terms of its distribution and priorities, accelerating the development plan that we had established. Today our objective is to maintain our leadership position in terms of 360-degree sustainability," explained Maggio at the recent MFGS-Milano Fashion Global Summit 2020. 
 
"A new ecologically-focused culture is spreading. It's a time of great opportunities for us. We arrived in China late compared to other Asian markets, such as Japan. We need to continue to develop there and communicate our brand universe," he added.