EXCLUSIVE: Dunhill Taps Simon Holloway as Creative Director

Samantha Conti
·3 min read

LONDON — Simon Holloway has been named creative director of luxury British men’s brand Dunhill and his appointment is effective immediately, WWD has learned.

He will present his first collection for the brand in London in February, 2024.

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Holloway was previously creative director of James Purdey & Sons which, like Dunhill, is part of the Compagnie Financière Richemont stable. Dunhill said his successor at Purdey will be revealed shortly.

Holloway succeeds Mark Weston, who exited as chief creative officer of Dunhill in late 2022 following more than five years at the brand. He left shortly after the arrival of chief executive officer Laurent Malecaze, who is setting a new tone at Dunhill.

Malecaze said that Holloway’s “creative energy, coupled with his decades of experience in luxury, will be instrumental as we evolve and expand our house’s iconic codes in the context of today’s client.”

“Simon’s sense of quality and craft, along with a clear understanding and appreciation of the Dunhill DNA, will ensure we continue to innovate through products that are timeless, purposeful and relevant,” Malecaze added.

Holloway described the house’s founder Alfred Dunhill as “a pioneer, an innovator and one of the most influential British tastemakers of the 20th century. His obsession with ingenuity and refinement established a house synonymous with purposeful luxury and quality — an enduring and powerful inspiration.”

The company said Holloway’s appointment “reinforces the focus on Dunhill’s guiding principles of British craft, innovation, functionality and masculine elegance.”

It is understood that Dunhill wants to accent tailored clothing, luxury fabrics and classic menswear silhouettes. By contrast, Weston had brought a sporty touch to the brand, with his signature wrap jackets, split-hem trousers, and nonchalant chic that attracted customers from around the world.

At Purdey, Holloway set a new template, creating lifestyle and accessories collections for men and women.

The brand is known chiefly for its high-end guns and functional countryside attire, and accessories. It is a Royal Warrant Holder, or official supplier, of guns and cartridges to members of the British royal family.

For his fall 2023 outing for Purdey, Holloway looked to blur the lines between city and countryside, whipping up pieces including a double-face, belted cashmere cape, luscious camel coats, and checks galore on sleek trenches or hacking jackets.

He paired his jackets with knitted ties, slim rollnecks or V-neck cardigans, and added a dash of Black Watch tartan suiting to eveningwear.

Holloway is British, based in London, and studied fashion design at Kingston University School of Fashion. He is known for his soft touch, luxury fabric and leather expertise, and ability to work across ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories.

Before joining Purdey, Holloway served as creative director of Agnona, and has spent a career in fashion and luxury, holding senior creative roles at brands including Hogan, Jimmy Choo, Narciso Rodriguez and Ralph Lauren.

Holloway succeeded Stefano Pilati at Agnona, and left his role in 2020 following Ermenegildo Zegna’s sale of a majority stake to the Aimone family, a branch of the Zegna family.

Dunhill is one of Richemont chairman Johann Rupert’s most treasured fashion properties and sits in the luxury group’s portfolio alongside businesses including Alaïa, Chloé, Delvaux, Montblanc, Peter Millar, Purdey and Serapian.

As a whole, those soft luxury businesses grew 27 percent at actual exchange rates and 19 percent at constant exchange rates in the first half of the 2023 fiscal year. The division generated profits of 56 million euros.

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