Dondup bids adieu to creative director Manuela Mariotti

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Mar 22, 2017

As Dondup ramps up its acceleration plans with a new management team at its helm, the Italian brand has lost its creative soul, Manuela Mariotti. The designer has decided to leave the high-end denim brand, which she founded in 1999 with her husband Massimo Berloni, "to devote herself to new personal projects," according to a press release.

The departure comes at time of big changes for Dondup. The firm is in the first stages of acceleration after an injection in 2010 from L Capital, the investment arm linked to French group LVMH, joining majority stakeholder L Catterton, which owns 93% of the brand.

In last September, the brand welcomed a capital shot from Matteo Marzotto, heir of the famous textile dynasty. Since Marzotto's arrival, the scion has been appointed brand president, succeeding co-founder Massimo Berlono, while Marco Casoni was attributed the role of chief executive.

The organisation, which has seen exponential growth in recent years, has churned out revenues of 55 million euros, of which 80% were made overseas. Dondup is eyeing revenues of 90 million euros over the next three years to 2020.