MILAN — Bally and Rhuigi Villaseñor are parting ways in what was characterised as a joint and mutual decision.

Villaseñor joined the Swiss brand in January last yr and chief executive officer Nicolas Girotto underscored the designer’s “creative contributions,” in addition to his “passion, energy, and creativity [that] helped catapult Bally back into the highlight, further rejuvenating the brand’s 170-year legacy through a contemporary, glamorous lens. I wish him all one of the best in the following chapter of his creative journey.”

Bally’s design studio will proceed to hold the direction of the brand forward until a latest creative organization is called. A coed fashion show in Milan is planned to present the brand’s spring 2024 collection through the city’s Fashion Week in September.

Villaseñor upped the brand’s visibility by bringing Bally back to the runway with a show in September 2022 in Milan — presenting a sensual and daring woman —  followed by his sophomore show in February. He also added his own spin, celebrating the brand’s storied curling boot by fusing unexpected Western details with traditional mountaineering motifs.

“My experience at Bally has been an incredible honor,” Villaseñor said. “I wish the brand nothing but one of the best in all its future endeavors and stay up for having fun with its next creative chapter.”

Born in Manila, Villaseñor grew up in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley and rose to change into a fashion go-to for Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z, founding his own brand Rhude in 2015. 

In a previous interview, Girotto told WWD that he realized tapping Villaseñor was “a daring selection, but you may’t win in the event you do what is predicted of you. Should you have a look at Bally’s past, it has a history of innovation — social, industrial — and it’s fascinating. The industry needs risk-taking and daring selections, youth and creativity to raise and convey energy to the brand.”  

The plan was also for Villaseñor to assist Bally further develop the U.S. market, an objective for 2023.

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 overall. Ready-to-wear makes up the remaining share.

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

As reported,  Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody is designing a series of capsule collections to be unveiled in January next yr.

After an in depth refurbishment, in April Bally reopened its flagship in Latest York’s Meatpacking District — the primary to roll out the brand new design concept by Villaseñor, decorated with vintage furniture and soft colours and opulent fabrics.

The Bally Foundation at Villa Heleneum opened in April, with a primary exhibition titled “Un Lac Inconnu.”

In May, the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation celebrates the seventieth anniversary of the primary successful summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay, who wore Bally reindeer boots on the trip. To commemorate the anniversary, Bally has created a dedicated capsule, where 100% of net proceeds profit the inspiration’s mountain preservation efforts.