Saint Laurent’s chief executive officer Paul Deneve is heading to greener pastures as a vice president at Apple, Bloomberg confirmed this morning. Deneve will be working on special projects for the tech brand and will report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
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Though Apple is known for promoting from within its own ranks, the acquisition of Deneve is not entirely surprising. The 52-year old Belgian previously worked at Apple in Europe during the 1990s. Before his tenure at Saint Laurent, Deneve helmed the labels Nina Ricci and Lanvin.
At Saint Laurent, Deneve was responsible for replacing former creative director Stefano Pilati with designer Hedi Slimane last March. Slimane, a photographer who served as creative director of Dior Homme from 2000-2007, has brought a younger, edgier vibe to the Paris fashion house. But his actions at the top, such as dropping “Yves” from the brand’s name and imposing strict rules about press coverage his runway shows, haven’t been without controversy.
Deneve’s background in the luxury sector will no doubt prove beneficial at Apple, where marketing sleek, stylish consumer goods at a premium price is company ethos. WWD reports Francesca Belletini, previously an executive director at Bottega Veneta, will replace him at Saint Laurent.
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