Bally is back in the fashion game after five years without a creative director.
BALLY has announced its new creative director Manila-born Rhuigi Villaseñor will debut for the Spring/Summer 2013 season.
Rhuigi has already been making waves in the fashion industry as the founder and creative director of the L.A.-based streetwear brand Rhude.
The news came as a surprise for many given that the 171-year-old brand has not named a new creative director in five years.
He succeeds Pablo Coppola, who helmed the brand from 2014 to 2017.
“I entrust Rhuigi, a talented visionary, to continue evolving the contemporary relevance of our brand and accelerate growth while preserving Bally’s core values,” Bally CEO Nicolas Girotto said in a statement.
While known for streetwear fashion, Rhuigi’s Rhude brand is considered as one of the pioneers of modern luxury streetwear who has worked with Kendrick Lamar, car manufacturer McLaren, and NBA’s LA Lakers.
The designer has since attributed his style to being inspired by his mother who was a tailor and his architect father, as well as moving constantly in various continents during his youth.
“I have always admired the Swiss approach to luxury, its discreet representation of excellence, and symbiotic openness and care for the environment,” Rhuigi said in a statement.
Falling behind other luxury brands, Bally currently has 569,000 Instagram followers compared to Gucci and Louis Vuitton, which has 47 million each.
The Swiss brand is expected to catch up after Rhuigi’s debut, especially on the US market, where luxury sales are steadily growing even during the pandemic.
However, the choice of designer is not the first of its kind after other luxury players have earlier announced the addition of street and modern talents to connect with the younger audience.
Louis Vuitton appointed Virgil Abloh in 2018, and plenty of brands then followed. Givenchy with Matthew Williams, Kenzo with Nigo, and now Rhuigi at Bally.
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