Gabriele Maggio Named CEO of Elisabetta Franchi
The former Stella McCartney executive is expected to spearhead a further global development of the brand.
MILAN — Gabriele Maggio has been named chief executive officer of Elisabetta Franchi, in a step that signals a new chapter that includes further international expansion and the strengthening of its position as a luxury fashion brand.
Maggio, whose career in fashion spans more than 25 years, was previously president and CEO of Stella McCartney, which he exited in December, succeeded by Amandine Ohayon. He had joined the company in October 2019 at a pivotal time for McCartney, as the brand began its new partnership with minority owner LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and the designer became a special adviser to LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault and the executive committee members on sustainability. Maggio successfully led the brand's restructuring and international development, continuing McCartney's mission to campaign and effect change in the sustainability space as a luxury fashion house.
Prior to McCartney, Maggio was general manager of Moschino. He previously held several senior executive and boardlevel positions at both Gucci and Bottega Veneta. His curriculum also includes experiences at Giorgio Armani and Prada.
“The appointment of Gabriele Maggio is another milestone in the history of the company,” said Elisabetta Franchi, who founded her namesake firm 1998. “His distinguished career and deep understanding of the luxury fashion industry make him the perfect partner to help lead the brand to the next level of success and desirability.”
“We've been friends for so long, and I have always admired Elisabetta as one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in Italian fashion. She has a razor-sharp vision, clear objectives and knows her customer extremely well,” Maggio told WWD. “She is a self-made woman, and I think that I can work on an already well-oiled machine to make it even more efficient and effective,” said Maggio.
"Through Elisabetta's strong values and commitment to positive impact, she has built a loyal community of women who epitomize strength and independence,” continued Maggio, saying that he will work closely with Franchi “to drive the next phase of brand growth, delivering exceptional experiences to our customers."
The brand stages its seasonal shows in Milan and is scheduled to unveil its fall 2024 collection on Feb. 24. For spring, Franchi, who designs the collections, set the stage for the show with flashing and moving head lights, fans screaming to a Depeche Mode concert blaring in the background as she turned to one of her favorite bands.
The energy was there, as Jessica Stam opened the show wearing a sparkly halter top evening dress with a cutout and a high slit under an oversize denim jacket wrapped around her elbows and over sturdy motorcycle boots — the best outfit for a concert, Franchi said at the time.
Parent company Betty Blue SpA is based in Granarolo Emilia, a town outside Bologna, and it relies on its own production chain. The brand is present in 78 countries and counts about 100 monobrand stores.
It is currently moving the existing Milan boutique from Via Manzoni near the
Armani Hotel to another location on the same street at the corner of tony shopping street Via Spiga.
Elisabetta Franchi was expected to launch an initial public offering on the AIM segment for small caps of the Italian Stock Exchange in 2020, but the project was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.