Bally and creative director Rhuigi Villaseñor part ways
An unexpected announcement from Bally. Rhuigi Villaseñor is leaving after joining the Swiss luxury brand as creative director, a little over a year ago. The studio will act as interim manager until a new organisation is put in place. The house, owned by JAB Holding Company, and the Californian designer of Filipino origin have come to the mutual decision to end their collaboration, the brand announced in a press release, without giving any further explanation.
His appointment in January 2022 came as a surprise. Especially seeing as the designer, who founded the high-end streetwear brand Rhude in 2015, was really trying his hand at women's ready-to-wear for the first time. During his time at Bally, he was only able to produce two collections. Time enough to imagine an ultra-sophisticated and sexy woman who loves leather pieces with character. Bringing the venerable Swiss house back to the catwalk after 21 years, he increased its visibility by repositioning it at the top end of the market, while dusting off its image.
"I would like to thank Rhuigi for all his creative contributions during his time at Bally. His passion, energy and creativity have helped propel Bally into the spotlight, further rejuvenating the brand's 170-year heritage through a modern and glamorous vision. I wish him all the best for the next chapter of his creative journey," comments the label's CEO, Nicolas Girotto.
For the next chapter, the house says that design will be driven by the in-house studio "until a new creative organisation is announced."
In the meantime, the brand already has a new creative project in the pipeline with Adrien Brody. Last March, Bally recruited the Oscar-winning American actor, known for his performance in Roman Polanski's The Pianist, to create several capsule collections, the first of which should be launched by the end of 2023.
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