MILAN — Bally has named Simone Bellotti design director of the Swiss brand.

The appointment follows the exit earlier this month of Rhuigi Villaseñor, who held the title of creative director and had joined the corporate in January last yr. 

Bellotti’s first collection for Bally shall be presented with a show during Milan Fashion Week in September.

The designer quietly joined Bally last October after a 16-year tenure at Gucci. Previously, he held senior design positions at Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, and Gianfranco Ferré, boasting an experience in each each ready-to-wear tailoring and accessories — the latter category Bally’s core business.

Chief executive officer Nicolas Girotto said that Bellotti’s work over the past nine months with the Bally team will allow him to “proceed to interpret and rejuvenate our signature codes within the context of today. Simone’s passion and appreciation for Bally’s heritage, coupled together with his extensive industry experience, will enable us to proceed to execute on our vision of making timeless and chic products that uphold our legacy of craft and stand the test of time.”

Bellotti lauded Bally’s “extraordinary legacy. The home’s unique Swiss heritage, coupled with its beautiful history rooted in a pioneering spirit and relentless pursuit of excellence, is a strong inspiration.”

Milan Fashion Week in September will even see the debut of former Valentino designer Sabato De Sarno at Gucci, following the exit of Alessandro Michele last November.

Bally is headquartered in Caslano, Switzerland, and has 1,500 employees worldwide.

It has greater than 320 stores worldwide and 500 multibrand points of sale spanning across 60 countries. Its e-commerce platform serves 61 countries.

Menswear accounts for 60 percent of revenues and Girotto is about on growing the womenswear category, originally Bally’s core business.

Shoes account for 40 percent of sales, followed by accessories, which represent 35 percent of the whole. Ready-to-wear makes up the remaining share.

While declining to offer a sales figure, as per parent JAB Holding Company’s policy, year-to-date sales rose 20 percent compared with 2022.

As reported, adding buzz to the brand,  Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody is designing capsule collections to be unveiled in January next yr.