LONDON — Simon Holloway has been named creative director of luxury British men’s brand Dunhill and his appointment is effective immediately, WWD has learned.

Holloway was previously creative director of James Purdey & Sons which, like Dunhill, is an element of the Compagnie Financière Richemont stable. Dunhill said his successor at Purdey will likely be revealed shortly.

Holloway succeeds Mark Weston, who exited as chief creative officer of Dunhill in late 2022 following greater than five years on the brand. He left shortly after the arrival of chief executive officer Laurent Malecaze, who’s setting a latest tone at Dunhill.

Malecaze said that Holloway’s “creative energy, coupled along with his a long time of experience in luxury, will likely be instrumental as we evolve and expand our house’s iconic codes within the context of today’s client.”

“Simon’s sense of quality and craft, together with a transparent understanding and appreciation of the Dunhill DNA, will ensure we proceed to innovate through products which might be timeless, purposeful and relevant,” Malecaze added.

Holloway described the home’s founder Alfred Dunhill as “a pioneer, an innovator and one of the influential British tastemakers of the twentieth century. His obsession with ingenuity and refinement established a house synonymous with purposeful luxury and quality — an everlasting and powerful inspiration.”

The corporate said Holloway’s appointment “reinforces the deal with Dunhill’s guiding principles of British craft, innovation, functionality and masculine elegance.”

It is known that Dunhill desires to accent tailored clothing, luxury fabrics and classic menswear silhouettes. In contrast, Weston had brought a sporty touch to the brand, along with his signature wrap jackets, split-hem trousers, and nonchalant chic that attracted customers from all over the world.

At Purdey, Holloway set a latest template, creating lifestyle and accessories collections for men and girls.

The brand is thought chiefly for its high-end guns and functional countryside attire, and accessories. It’s a Royal Warrant Holder, or official supplier, of guns and cartridges to members of the British royal family.

For his fall 2023 outing for Purdey, Holloway looked to blur the lines between city and countryside, whipping up pieces including a double-face, belted cashmere cape, luscious camel coats, and checks galore on sleek trenches or hacking jackets.

He paired his jackets with knitted ties, slim rollnecks or V-neck cardigans, and added a splash of Black Watch tartan suiting to eveningwear.

Holloway is British, based in London, and studied fashion design at Kingston University School of Fashion. He is thought for his soft touch, luxury fabric and leather expertise, and skill to work across ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories.

Before joining Purdey, Holloway served as creative director of Agnona, and has spent a profession in fashion and luxury, holding senior creative roles at brands including Hogan, Jimmy Choo, Narciso Rodriguez and Ralph Lauren.

Holloway succeeded Stefano Pilati at Agnona, and left his role in 2020 following Ermenegildo Zegna’s sale of a majority stake to the Aimone family, a branch of the Zegna family.

Dunhill is one among Richemont chairman Johann Rupert’s most treasured fashion properties and sits in the luxurious group’s portfolio alongside businesses including Alaïa, Chloé, Delvaux, Montblanc, Peter Millar, Purdey and Serapian.

As an entire, those soft luxury businesses grew 27 percent at actual exchange rates and 19 percent at constant exchange rates in the primary half of the 2023 fiscal yr. The division generated profits of 56 million euros.