Stefanel spring-summer 2009

Equipped with a new managing director, Stefanel is not short of ambition. Luciano Santel left Geox to take the reins of the business alongside Giuseppe Stefanel, the president of the group, and the brand has now signed an agreement with El Corte Ingles with a view to open fourteen concessions between now and 2010 in their Spanish department stores.

Luciano Santel is therefore being kept busy. Before his current role, the 52 year old was in management at Geox for eight years and had previously held the position of operational director at Luxottica from 1999. Prior to this he performed a similar role at Retail Brand Alliance, the business that holds, amongst other brands, Brooks Brothers. For that role he worked in the USA, after having graduated from the Ca’Foscari University in Venice with a business studies degree and beginning his career in an audit office.

From now on, he will be charged with the development of Stefanel across the world. Already counting close to three hundred and fifty points of sale, the brand should grow rapidly in Spain from this autumn onwards; top spots for Spanish fashion and large cities are already being targeted.

Cities such as Madrid and Valencia should quickly help swell Stefanel’s turnover which reached €275.4 million last year.

While takings dropped by 7% in 2008 when compared to 2007, 2009 should be solid for the brand. The brand is moreover looking to add to this Iberian vigour and has signed with Staff Service to explore the vitality of the Russian market.

By Jonathan Fulwell (Source: Emilie Kremer)