Damir Doma announces new CEO, mulls return to Paris Fashion Week

Damir Doma has turned over a new leaf. The Milan-based Croatian designer is restructuring his women’s and men’s ready-to-wear label, having hired as CEO French manager Christophe Mélard, who took charge of the company in January, as Doma told FashionNetwork.com.

Mélard was the CEO of luxury footwear brand Sergio Rossi from 2009 to 2014. Previously, he had joined the Kering group in 2005, as chief financial officer of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté and president of Roger & Gallet, which has since been sold to L'Oréal.

Mélard has succeeded Jeremy Rocher, the investor who has been the majority shareholder of Damir Doma since 2010, and was its CEO from 2014. Between 2016 and 2018, Rocher was assisted by co-CEO Gianluca Casile but, as Doma told FashionNetwork.com, he no longer wishes to be involved in day-to-day operations, though he maintains his stake in the company.

Doma, 38, is keen to give new impetus to his label, which moved to Milan in 2015 to be closer to its suppliers and manufacturers, and also to show at the Milan Fashion Week. Now, 12 years after launching his eponymous label, Doma has radically changed strategy, and licensed the production of his collections to the Bologna-based Jato Group.

“This allows me to devote more time to design work,” said Doma, who was recently also appointed creative director of Italian label Frankie Morello.

Doma wants to boost his label's visibility, and announced he will stage an event in Paris next January. He would like to feature again on the Parisian runway calendar, which he left four years ago when he chose to show in Milan at the Fashion Week Men. However, Doma reckons that the latter has lost influence compared to the women’s week.

Damir Doma announces new CEO, mulls return to Paris Fashion Week

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