logo
Ludivine Pont named CEO of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

Ludivine Pont named CEO of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

Fashion Network16-07-2025
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the historic Florentine brand founded in 1221 and considered the oldest pharmacy in the world, has appointed Ludivine Pont as its new CEO.
Pont is a well-known figure in the luxury industry. She joins Officina Santa Maria Novella from Balenciaga, where she was Chief Marketing Officer. Her new position takes effect in September.
Pont's appointment comes 18 months after Giovanna Paoloni was named CEO of the Florence-based brand. According to her LinkedIn profile, Paoloni quit Officina Santa Maria Novella in January this year.
In a busy career, Pont has held leadership roles across several major global fashion houses, notably contributing to the international expansion of Philipp Plein. Subsequently, she joined Moncler in 2016, where she led the development of new brand platforms and innovative communication models.
In 2021, she moved to Balenciaga, where she worked closely with artistic director Demna to develop a culturally resonant strategy, expanding the brand's global resonance through a creative-led approach and digital innovation. In 2022, she was named among Forbes' Most Entrepreneurial CMOs in Marketing.
In her new role, Pont will be responsible for leading the brand's global development, building on the unique heritage and artisanal know-how of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, with the ambition to affirm its positioning as the original and timeless expression of pharmaceutical and botanical care, the brand said in a release.
'We are delighted to welcome Ludivine Pont to the Italmobiliare Group: thanks to her profound skills, international experience and strategic vision, we are certain she is the right person to contribute to the growth of the Group, giving further impetus to the global development of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, always respecting the values and peculiarities that make the company a brand without equal in the world,' said Carlo Pesenti, CEO of Italmobiliare and Chairman of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella,
Added Pont: 'It is a great honor and a profound responsibility to take on the leadership of Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella.'
'This is a house with an extraordinary legacy, over eight centuries of botanical and pharmaceutical excellence. My goal is to carry this heritage forward and create an experience of timeless care that speaks to the senses, to beauty, and to time,' she continued.
Until September, the company will continue to be led by General Manager Giampiero Pesenti and the current management team. Thereafter, Giampiero Pesenti will continue to play a central role in the operational guidance of the company, supporting the new phase of strategic development under the leadership of Ludivine Pont.
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is currently present in over 30 countries, with a network of more than 400 points of sale. Since its acquisition in 2020, Italmobiliare has supported the company's international development and strategic transformation.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chanel strengthens its production network across the board in Italy
Chanel strengthens its production network across the board in Italy

Fashion Network

time25 minutes ago

  • Fashion Network

Chanel strengthens its production network across the board in Italy

"We also support the members of our ecosystem of factories in securing their own network and production capacities," stressed the rue Cambon brand. In addition to the creation of the Volfoni tannery, this type of consolidation has also taken place in the knitwear sector. Paima hosiery, owned by Chanel since 2021, "took a majority stake in Samo Cotton hosiery". This hosiery, acquired in 2024, is located, like Paima, near Ancona in the Marche region. Similarly, in the footwear segment, the Group pointed out that Roveda, the company specialising in high-end women's footwear that it acquired in 2000, "has strengthened its expertise in the manufacturing of uppers thanks to the activities of Ibisco and Primula", two companies created in 2023. Since Roveda became 100% owned by Chanel, this family-run business founded in 1955 in Parabiago, not far from Milan, has modernised and grown significantly, becoming a strategic entity for the French group, while continuing to supply other international labels. Last year, Chanel, which also includes shoemakers Gensi Group, controlled by the French company since 2015 and which expanded its production site in 2024, and Nillab Manifatture (Calzaturificio Ballin), also took over the historic luxury shoe manufacturer Grey Mer, its supplier for thirteen years, based in San Mauro Pascoli, Emilia-Romagna. In the leather goods sector, the label invested in Lombardy-based Renato Corti in 2019 as well as in Mabi International, a producer of leather bags and accessories with two factories in Veneto and one in Tuscany, in whose capital it took a 100% stake in 2023. In addition, the group has interests in other sectors. In 2022, for example, Chanel acquired 60% of jeans specialist FashionArt, and in 2023 took a minority stake in Marche cashmere spinning mill Cariaggi Lanificio. In 2020, it had already acquired the Piedmont-based producer of fancy wool yarns Vimar 1991, invaluable to the creation of its signature tweeds. In silk, beyond Mantero Seta, it has also secured the services of Como-based weaver Biseta, in which it acquired a 100% stake last year. Finally, in early 2025, it took a minority stake in Tuscan costume jewellery and metal accessories specialist Leo France. The Group has been present in Italy since 1986, and at December 31, 2024 counted twenty-nine subsidiaries in the country, active not only in manufacturing, but also in sales, marketing, distribution and logistics, employing over 2,500 people.

AYT Studio carves a path between contemporary fashion and artistic expression
AYT Studio carves a path between contemporary fashion and artistic expression

Fashion Network

time33 minutes ago

  • Fashion Network

AYT Studio carves a path between contemporary fashion and artistic expression

Like the great painters and sculptors, fashion designers and luxury brands now find themselves featured in retrospectives in museums around the world. While the number of links between fashion and art has multiplied over the past decade, the motivations of those involved in the ready-to-wear sector can be diverse, ranging from the search for artistic legitimacy to the creation of new experiences or successful commercial operations. For Yasmine El Kadiri, who worked for Kenzo, Celine, and Saint Laurent as a merchandising specialist, and who was at the forefront of observing this flourishing of collections centred around artworks and artists, this trend represents an opportunity. "When I observed these initiatives, they were often linked to an artist's work. But I believe there exists a space to create a dialogue with artists, where the artist participates in and influences the creative process. For me, creative engagement is a driving force, even though I have a commercial background. I have this desire for co-creation." The designer first put her concept to the test in the IFM Entrepreneurship program, before developing the first AYT Studio collection from mid-2024, with the intention of creating limited editions around her collaborations with artists. "I wanted to approach these collections under the concept of editions because I didn't want the work to be associated with a particular season, there's a kind of timelessness." For this first edition, the designer has collaborated with Lille-based artist Remed (Guillaume Alby) to translate the painter's works into garments. Together, they explored the possibilities of using details from certain artworks to create prints. The collaboration covers around twenty pieces, focusing on flowing viscose dresses featuring all-over prints. Produced in Italian workshops, the garments echo Remed's graphic and colourful work. Shirts, t-shirts, silk squares, and leather bags, made in the Tarn region of France, make up a comprehensive, colourful wardrobe that has been divided into four chapters. "I work in print, which is a niche in the fashion world, but it's an interesting expression in terms of colour and volume," said the entrepreneur. "I appeal to a community that is sensitive to the artistic approach. I think in terms of silhouettes, with dresses, shirts, but also accessories," said the designer, who is proud of her local sourcing. "And while each edition will explore the work of a particular artist, I can also express the AYT Studio style through contemporary cuts, fluidity and optimism, as well as the presence of certain pieces that are my references, like oversized shirts. I want to add markers that will reassure the customer." The brand can be found online via its aesthetic e-commerce store, but Yasmine El Kadiri relies on physical encounters to best express her concept. This approach was validated after a pop-up in the Marais district of Paris in spring, in which Remed's works mirrored the clothes on display, enabling the label to reach both French and international customers. The designer is continuing in this vein, exhibiting her creations until the end of July at the We Are club in Paris, located on rue Saint-Honoré and dedicated to the creative industries. The brand will then move on to the new We Are location in Lille, at 22, place Louise-de-Bettignies, in the heart of Vieux-Lille. This will be followed by another installation for a few days in the Parisian space, during the next Women's Fashion Week. "This period is also an opportunity to meet buyers, particularly department stores who are interested in concepts that blend different universes. I'm convinced that in the plethora of ready-to-wear on offer, what's going to make the difference is authenticity and commitment. The relationship with wholesale can take time, but there are opportunities around different venues, such as art foundations, and I'm a big believer in hotels. These are places where it's possible to express this relationship between the collection and the artist's work", said the entrepreneur, who is moving ahead with partnerships with resorts, to offer her editions as cruise collections. With its original concept, beyond seducing buyers, AYT Studio is also imagining a new approach to fashion distribution.

Chanel strengthens its production network across the board in Italy
Chanel strengthens its production network across the board in Italy

Fashion Network

timean hour ago

  • Fashion Network

Chanel strengthens its production network across the board in Italy

"We also support the members of our ecosystem of factories in securing their own network and production capacities," stressed the rue Cambon brand. In addition to the creation of the Volfoni tannery, this type of consolidation has also taken place in the knitwear sector. Paima hosiery, owned by Chanel since 2021, "took a majority stake in Samo Cotton hosiery". This hosiery, acquired in 2024, is located, like Paima, near Ancona in the Marche region. Similarly, in the footwear segment, the Group pointed out that Roveda, the company specialising in high-end women's footwear that it acquired in 2000, "has strengthened its expertise in the manufacturing of uppers thanks to the activities of Ibisco and Primula", two companies created in 2023. Since Roveda became 100% owned by Chanel, this family-run business founded in 1955 in Parabiago, not far from Milan, has modernised and grown significantly, becoming a strategic entity for the French group, while continuing to supply other international labels. Last year, Chanel, which also includes shoemakers Gensi Group, controlled by the French company since 2015 and which expanded its production site in 2024, and Nillab Manifatture (Calzaturificio Ballin), also took over the historic luxury shoe manufacturer Grey Mer, its supplier for thirteen years, based in San Mauro Pascoli, Emilia-Romagna. In the leather goods sector, the label invested in Lombardy-based Renato Corti in 2019 as well as in Mabi International, a producer of leather bags and accessories with two factories in Veneto and one in Tuscany, in whose capital it took a 100% stake in 2023. In addition, the group has interests in other sectors. In 2022, for example, Chanel acquired 60% of jeans specialist FashionArt, and in 2023 took a minority stake in Marche cashmere spinning mill Cariaggi Lanificio. In 2020, it had already acquired the Piedmont-based producer of fancy wool yarns Vimar 1991, invaluable to the creation of its signature tweeds. In silk, beyond Mantero Seta, it has also secured the services of Como-based weaver Biseta, in which it acquired a 100% stake last year. Finally, in early 2025, it took a minority stake in Tuscan costume jewellery and metal accessories specialist Leo France. The Group has been present in Italy since 1986, and at December 31, 2024 counted twenty-nine subsidiaries in the country, active not only in manufacturing, but also in sales, marketing, distribution and logistics, employing over 2,500 people.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store