Trussardi CEO Sebastian Suhl Reveals New Brand Identity
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
MILAN — Expect change at Trussardi.
An interview with chief executive officer Sebastian Suhl at the brand’s Milan headquarters near the La Scala theater conveyed the idea of future developments, as the entire building remains hidden by scaffolding, symbolizing the company’s new course.
More from WWD
“It won’t be anything at all like before,” promised Suhl, who has been regrouping Trussardi’s different activities under one roof, building a design, digital, marketing and management team, since his arrival in October 2020.
Not everything has to go, though, as Trussardi — one of the first fashion houses to feature a restaurant in its palazzo — will continue to make food a key element of the brand’s lifestyle appeal. In his first interview since joining the company, Suhl said he has inked an agreement with a new partner, while staying mum on the details for now. The restaurant was never an afterthought, obtaining several awards, such as the first Michelin star under the lead of chef Andrea Berton in 2008.
Suhl described the building housing the flagship, which is being entirely renovated, as “epicentric,” also in light of its prestigious and central location. While works will be completed in the second half of the year, Trussardi will unveil its first fashion designs by creative directors Serhat Işık and Benjamin A. Huseby on Feb. 26 during Milan Fashion Week.
The design duo was appointed to the role last May. Işık and Huseby design their own label, the Berlin-based GmbH, launched in 2016, and are known for their commitment to inclusivity and sustainability and their socially engaged perspective.
Suhl touted this vision and the designers’ talent, which he believes will be able to reflect a “young and more accessible Trussardi, elegant and timeless, not classic, but modern,” in line with the late Nicola Trussardi’s own forward-looking vision, believing in “giving back to the city, opening fashion to the outside world, to culture and art.” He was a pioneer in famously staging fashion shows in Milan’s Piazza Duomo by the cathedral, for example, when this was a novelty. The entrepreneur died in 1999 in a car accident.
“The brand has pedigree and heritage, but it was missing a creative direction that would re-engage with the brand’s original values,” Suhl contended.
Trussardi has not had a creative director since Gaia Trussardi’s exit in 2018. She succeeded the likes of Umit Benan Sahin and Milan Vukmirovic.
The brand is marking a major milestone in 2022, having been founded 111 years ago. Its signature greyhound logo, first introduced in 1973, and its wordmark are being revisited with “a fresh and more modern, decisive lettering with generous spacing” in a new font. Suhl characterized the greyhound symbol as “a recognizable, huge asset” and it is being modernized into a graphic circular form inspired by the ouroboros, the ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail — representing the eternal and cyclical renewal of life.
image courtesy of Trussardi
Suhl has been slashing “the previous complex set of multiple Trussardi brands” to focus on the single signature label, which he believes has a “very high notoriety, standing for leather goods in the collective memory,” but that at the same time has growth potential, also reaching out to younger generations who may not be familiar with it. Opportunities also lie in markets such as the U.S., he noted. The company has around 60 stores, 30 franchised units and the brand is available at 900 doors worldwide.
The executive brings to the table years of experience in growing brands globally. He was previously managing director of global markets at Valentino, and before, that, CEO of Marc Jacobs International, which he left after a three-year stint, during which he was charged with, among other things, with readying the house for an initial public offering, which never occurred. Suhl spearheaded the elimination of the Marc by Marc Jacobs label launched in 2000, consolidating the signature brand, focusing on accessories and tightening the label’s retail footprint.
He arrived at Marc Jacobs in 2014 from Givenchy after an 11-year career at Prada Group.
Suhl joined Trussardi after Italian independent asset management company QuattroR, chaired by Andrea Morante which specializes in corporate restructuring, took a controlling stake in the company in 2019.
Nicola Trussardi’s daughters, Gaia and Beatrice, are no longer involved in the company, while his son Tomaso remains a strategic advisor of the house.
Trussardi is also gearing up to present its home collection during Milan’s international furniture and design trade show Salone del Mobile, which, as reported, was moved to June in the wake of the Omicron variant. This has historically been a strong business for Trussardi, together with fragrances, which are licensed to Angelini Beauty.
While Suhl declined to reveal sales figures for the brand, given the ongoing transformation, he said that after the disruption caused by the pandemic, he saw business bounce back in the second half last year, with growth comparable to the 2019 levels.
E-commerce is also showing a strong performance, becoming “a major part of business, accounting for a third of Trussardi’s wholesale channel.” The company’s own online store is available in the eurozone and will enter China and Russia over the next year.
In the spring, Trussardi will publish its sustainability report as it is also redesigning its products and packaging with environmentally friendly materials.
image courtesy of Trussardi
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
