Photo courtesy of Brioni

A tattooed, shaven-headed Aussie with no formal design training is not perhaps the person one might expect to be appointed to take the helm of a traditional Italian menswear label founded in 1945 and known for its sedate, saleable suiting. And yet, as of April 1, Justin O’Shea, the former Fashion Director of luxury ecommerce site MyTheresa, will do just that.

O’Shea’s commercial credentials are evident. Over the course of his seven years working as a buyer and, latterly, as Global Fashion Director of MyTheresa, he helped build the company from a small store in Munich to a global online retailer with annual revenues of US$130 million. This retail nous will no doubt be advantageous to a brand experiencing struggling sales and fierce competition from LVMH-owned Berluti. O'Shea states that:

“I feel very honored to be the Creative Director of Brioni, one of the world’s most prestigious and celebrated menswear brands. I am looking forward to apply my vision and bring a new approach by connecting the brand’s iconic elements and unparalleled sartorial patrimony to the customer of today. I am confident this house has all the pieces of the puzzle to play with to bring a new enthusiasm in the male universe.”

Photo by Jason Lloyd Evans

Brioni,  owned since 2012 by French luxury conglomerate Kering, recently announced plans to “revitalise” the brand; with a redesign of their 46 stores, a new website and—the same morning that O’Shea’s appointment was announced—a brand new Instagram account. These efforts to harness a social following will be boosted by O’Shea’s 80,000-strong Instagram following, which is sure to raise Brioni’s profile among the fashion crowd and lend a younger, sexier face to the traditional brand. However the question remains as to whether you can count among these followers customers for Brioni’s US$1,700 cashmere and wool jumpers, or US$6,000 cashmere coats.

 Ultimately the appointment reflects the changing nature of the term ‘Creative Director’, and the increasing confluence between commerce and design. Once thought to denote the role of head fashion designer, the remit of today’s creative directors tends to be more nebulous, with many—think Christopher Bailey as joint Creative Director and CEO—involved in branding and business as well as aesthetics. While O’Shea is unlikely to radically shake up the design of Brioni’s suits, he will no doubt amp up the brand’s fame, and, with any luck, its fortunes.