Dior CEO talks creative disruption, learning from China, and authenticity
- Pietro Beccari has created one Dior identity for womenswear and menswear, and hired Kim Jones to head the latter. E-commerce is his next target
- He says young Chinese consumers stimulate Dior’s creativity because they are less brand-loyal and ‘it’s really about the products that speak to them’
LVMH veteran Pietro Beccari has one of the most coveted jobs in fashion. As CEO of Dior, he oversees the most prestigious brand in the luxury group, which also owns houses such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Bulgari and Givenchy.
Beccari started his career in 2006 under the late Yves Carcelle at Louis Vuitton, and his business acumen and unparalleled ability to turn around a heritage brand became evident during his tenure as CEO of Fendi from 2012 to 2017. He led the transformation of the previously staid Roman furrier and leather-goods maker into a billion-dollar brand and one of the hottest labels in the world.
Ambitious and with a laser focus on delivering results, Beccari is not one to rest on his laurels. He has only been at Dior for nine months, but hasn’t wasted time in bringing change to the storied house. His efforts so far have mainly focused on menswear, for which the artistic director is former Louis Vuitton men’s designer Kim Jones – Beccari’s first high-profile hire.
To foster unity at the brand, whose womenswear division is led by former Valentino co-designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, there is now only one Dior (the former Dior Homme branding and Instagram account have disappeared).
