Vince hires Club Monaco's Caroline Belhumeur, Katayone Adeli departs

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
May 10, 2017

Vince made two executive changes this week that went unannounced. On May 8, Artistic Director Katayone Adeli parted ways with Vince, and on May 9, the company hired Caroline Belhumeur as SVP, Creative Director, effective May 15, 2017.

 
The new Creative Director joins the company from Club Monaco where she served as Creative Director and Senior Vice President of Women’s Design. Belhumeur joined Club Monaco in 2013 and was instrumental in the brand’s new look and product offering that included third-party items from contemporary brands, collaborations with designers for its Makers & Muses series, and partnerships with other companies to make Club Monaco stores a lifestyle destination.
 
The designer started her career at Calvin Klein after attending Kingston University in London.

In addition, Adeli departs Vince after two years with the company. She joined the company from Helmut Lang where she served as Creative Director and she operated her namesake brand for six years.

Belhumeur’s appointment and Adeli's departure follows weak fourth quarter and fiscal year performances from Vince that raised concerns at the company and led to the suspension of its fiscal year guidance. Full year net sales fell 11.3% to $268.2 million and net loss for the year was $162.7 million compared to net income of $5.1 million in the prior year.
 
Vince co-founders Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice rejoined the company as consultants to reset the brand aesthetic and merchandise. According to the company, the co-founders were successful in overhauling the product due to positive responses from customers, but this did not translate into sales dollars. The duo ended their consulting agreement in February.
 
Brendan Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer, said following their departure, “While our financial results do not yet reflect the progress we have made to the merchandise assortment, we believe the return to the design aesthetic and commitment to quality that made Vince a leading luxury brand in the premium department store channel is an important step in driving future growth.”