DKI TAPS ARMANI’S KALBERER
Byline: Arnold J. Karr
NEW YORK — Tisha Kalberer will leave Giorgio Armani Corp., the U.S. arm of Giorgio Armani SpA, to join Donna Karan International in the new post of chief operating officer, WWD has learned.
Sources told WWD that Kalberer, who has been chief operating officer of Armani here since her promotion from the chief financial officer’s position of the company in February 2000, will be reunited with her former boss at Armani, Pino Brusone.
As reported, Brusone will take over the reins of Donna Karan International as chief executive officer upon completion of the acquisition of the company by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which is expected in September. John Idol, the current ceo, will step down at that time.
Brusone joined the LVMH Fashion Group in January as senior vice president of acquisitions and brand development. He spent 14 years with Armani and was managing director of the designer’s business when he left in June 2000, reportedly after Brusone failed to convince Armani that he should sell all or part of his business.
Officials at DKI declined comment on the report, and calls to Kalberer at Armani’s offices here weren’t returned.
Sources described Kalberer as a “calming influence” at Armani during a tumultuous two years that have included the dissolution of a number of licenses in favor of in-house production, the purchase of factories from former men’s wear licensee GFT Net and the departures of Brusone and Andrew Grossman, her predecessor as chief operating officer.