Simon Porte Jacquemus hands over CEO reins to ex-Celine President


On the again of a slew of boutique openings throughout the globe and saying its foray into magnificence with L’Oréal, Jacquemus has appointed Sarah Benady as its Chief Government Officer, efficient instantly.

Simon Porte Jacquemus, the model’s founder, has been on each the Inventive Director and CEO responsibility since Bastien Daguzan stepped down in December 2023. Now, Sarah Benady, who was most lately Celine’s North America President, is taking the helm, leaving him to focus on design and the model’s well-known storytelling.

“It has been a 12 months that I used to be in search of somebody to assist me, to be subsequent to me and to completely embrace what I’ve had in thoughts for this home since ceaselessly”, Jacquemus instructed WWD. “I feel it is lovely in an setting the place there are a number of males. I am surrounded by girls immediately. It is lovely, and I am comfortable.”

Designer Simon Porte Jacquemus based Jacquemus in 2009, constructing a now cult-favourite model with the precise concoction of fashion, worth level and marketability. Famend for its itty-bitty Chiquito baggage and effortlessly cool vogue reveals that grow to be viral sensations, with runways passing by way of picturesque fields of lavender or wheat, the style model has garnered a hefty vogue following.

In her new position, Benady will likely be tasked with exploring extra worldwide markets and main the model because it enters the magnificence class with French large L’Oréal. Not solely did it signal a brand new long-term, unique magnificence partnership with L’Oréal Group, however the magnificence large has additionally invested within the luxurious vogue model, “supporting its unbiased growth”.

Sarah Benady mentioned: “After I first spoke with Simon, I instantly felt that he was the designer of our century. There’s something very particular about him- his vitality, his work, his authenticity. There’s one thing very photo voltaic, very heat and also you simply need to be round him and be surrounded by that. There’s nothing fresher than to have the ability to assist his imaginative and prescient and the model.

“There usually are not many manufacturers which can be solely 15 years outdated and which have completed that a lot at this stage.”

Benady began her profession as a challenge supervisor at French division retailer Printemps, later becoming a member of The Kooples as Worldwide Director earlier than being promoted to President. She then spent 4 years as North American President of Ba&sh and most lately spent 4 years on the helm of Celine’s North American operations.

First up on Benady’s to-do listing is opening the Jacquemust Los Angeles boutique in late April, adopted by its Miami retailer, which is able to open within the first quarter of 2026.