John Hardy appoints first creative chairman
Krakoff will become a minority equity stakeholder in the business, and he brings over 30 years of experience growing luxury brands
John Hardy has appointed Reed Krakoff, former chief artistic officer at Tiffany and Co, to the newly created role of creative chairman, as well as strategic advisor to L Catterton, John Hardy’s majority shareholder.
In his new role, Krakoff will oversee the creative and artistic direction of the business with a focus on accelerating the growth of the artisan, hand-crafted jewellery brand. He will also become a minority equity stakeholder in the business.
Krakoff brings over 30 years of experience growing and redefining luxury brands. He most recently served as chief artistic officer at Tiffany and Co. from 2017 to 2021.
From 1996 to 2013, he served as president and executive creative director of Coach, where he transformed the brand into a global $5bn (£4.4bn) fashion house.
J. Michael Chu, chairman of the John Hardy board of directors and global co-CEO of L Catterton, said: “L Catterton has been a strong believer in the growth opportunities ahead for John Hardy, and we are confident that, with Reed’s artistic eye, the brand’s distinctive heritage will continue to be set apart.”
Krakoff added: “John Hardy has a strong reputation for its authentic combination of artistry, sustainability, and craftsmanship and I believe the brand has tremendous untapped potential. I look forward to working with the talented team to build on John Hardy’s unique history and pursue exciting opportunities to grow the brand.”
Kareem Gahed, John Hardy CEO, said: “We are excited to welcome a creative leader of Reed’s calibre to John Hardy. We have admired his work and remarkable track record of injecting new creative energy and bold strategies into established and successful brands.
“We are confident that Reed’s industry expertise and innovative ideas will help us realise our mission of building a sustainable future for our community worldwide.”
