LONDON — Francesco Giannaccari has been named chief executive officer of Anya Hindmarch, replacing Helen Wright.
Giannaccari was most recently general manager of Etro, a role he held for nine months in 2014 and 2015. His previous roles included vice president of Tom Ford, and president of international operations at Abercrombie & Fitch. He has also held key roles at Gucci and Bottega Veneta.
He will join the company on March 22 and report to the board of directors.
Anya Hindmarch, which counts Mayhoola as a minority investor, said Giannaccari would focus on continuing growth and international expansion, while lending his “extensive knowledge” of operations.
The designer pointed to Giannaccari’s “broad experience and a great track record. In particular, his knowledge of luxury brands and operations will play a big part as we deliver our next phase of development.”
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She added that Wright had contributed a “huge amount to the growth of the business” across all channels. “I would like to thank her for her impressive work and wish her the very best of luck in the future.”
During her tenure at Anya Hindmarch, Wright oversaw the brand’s international wholesale and retail expansion, including new store openings in Los Angeles, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Riyadh and Paris. In 2016, the brand said it saw growth of 21 percent.
Giannaccari called the brand “highly creative” and added it was a “key time in its growth strategy.”
The last year was a busy one for the company, which reopened for business in Los Angeles at a new Martino Gamper-designed boutique at 8461 Melrose Place in November.
The company also opened at Bergdorf Goodman and Galeries Lafayette, and cut ribbons on stores in Hong Kong and Singapore, among other regions.
She will be named Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, later this year while in May, the company plans to launch a new Build a Bag concept.
Wright had joined the company in 2015 from Karl Lagerfeld, where she was global vice president of retail. She had replaced James McArthur who was with the brand for four years.