Berluti’s creative director Kris Van Assche is officially leaving the company
LVMH-owned men’s label, Berluti, has announced that it’s parting ways with creative director, Kris Van Assche. The Belgian designer, who has been overseeing the brand’s ready-to-wear and signature leather goods since 2018, also confirmed that he’s stepping down his role at the company on Instagram earlier, indicating that there will be no new Berluti collections coming up under his direction. Van Assche's recent Fall/Winter 2021 presentation’, “Living Apart Together” would be his last collection for the brand, though he mentioned there will be “some projects” to be completed for the brand in upcoming weeks in the post.
Commenting on the change, Berluti’s CEO Alexandre Arnault said, “In order to maintain our commitment to both savoir-faire and innovation we have decided to let Berluti lead its own rhythm and give freedom to its presentation schedule. I would personally like to thank Kris, who throughout his journey within the LVMH Group has shown remarkable talent in the world of menswear. He has brought his own vision to Berluti, particularly by integrating new codes into its signatures.”
Reciprocating, Van Assche also expressed gratitude to the house for its support, “I definitely think I became a better designer thanks to my work at Berluti and I couldn’t thank enough my studio and the artisans there. I have always loved working with ateliers—be that on tailoring, shoes, or leather goods—and the level of expectations on quality and research was definitely stimulating.”
There is no word where Van Assche could be headed next. Prior to joining Berluti as creative director, the designer had been helmed by Dior Homme as artistic director from 2007 to 2018.
See also: Berluti Launches New Ready-To-Wear Essentials Line With Brand Ambassador Eddie Peng