Azzaro appoints new creative director
France-based fashion house Azzaro has named Brazilian-born Mathilde Castello Branco to be its new creative director, it was announced on 2 September, 2011.
“Mathilde Castello Branco’s arrival marks a new step in the development of the house of Azzaro,” the house said in a statement.
The new creative director joins Azzaro from Lanvin, where she worked alongside that house’s designer Alber Elbaz for the past decade. Castello Branco succeeds Vanessa Seward.
Ms Seward entered Azzaro back in 2002 when designer and founder Loris Azzaro appointed her as his first assistant. One year later, following Mr Azzaro's death, Ms Seward was named creative director of the brand.
Castello Branco, 39, took up her new position on 1 September 2011, the release noted. Her first designs for Azzaro will be unveiled in January for pre-autumn 2012.
The new creative director was born in Sao Paolo, Brazil and first moved to Paris when she was 20 to study at both École Duperré and the Atelier Chardon Savard before taking up her first job, as a design assistant in Hermes, during the period when Martin Margiela was the brand’s women’s designer.
Ms Branco has been given a larger remit than Ms Seward by Maria Reig, owner of the Reig Capital group, the private equity firm based in Andorra that acquired control of the Azzaro brand in 2006. Unlike Ms Seward, Castello Branco will also be responsible for the men’s wear and fragrances of Azzaro.
“I have always admired Loris Azzaro’s modernity and creations, and I was impressed by Mathilde’s career and personality. Since acquiring the brand in 2006, we have succeeded in ‘reviving’ it. The brand is now ready to focus on this important new step,” said Ms Reig.
