Carolina Herrera: Raffaele Ilardo appointed Vice-President of Design

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Aug 31, 2016

On the eve of its 35th anniversary celebrations, Carolina Herrera has announced a change in its creative department. According to WWD, the Puig group's luxury ready-to-wear brand has recently appointed Raffaele Ilardo as Vice-President of Design. He will take charge of the Carolina Herrera New York ready-to-wear collection, and of the wedding line.  

Raffaele Ilardo, 50, is Naples-born and comes from a family of tailors. He trained at the haute couture 'Chambre syndicale' (the French haute couture union) before starting his career at Chanel. He is not known by the general public, but does have a long experience as a couturier to his credit, having worked behind the scenes for the leading Parisian fashion houses, notably as lead tailor for several labels.

He worked for Oscar de La Renta and spent ten years at Christian Dior under the aegis of John Galliano, whom he came across again in 2015 at the Maison Margiela, always as lead tailor.

Ilardo left that post to join Carolina Herrera, where he will take over some of the responsibilities which were formerly under the purview of Creative Director Hervé Pierre. The latter left the company last February, after working for Carolina Herrera for 14 years.