THE DARK HORSE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR TO WATCH Nina-Maria Nitsche, Brioni

Following a turbulent 14 months at the Italian house of Brioni where it hired, then quickly fired, social media darling Justin O’Shea as its creative director and then coasted for eight months without anyone at the helm, it appears that the dust is settling. In June, Brioni announced Nina-Maria Nitsche, a 23-year veteran at Maison Martin Margiela, as its new creative director.

Unlike O’Shea, who has a penchant for showiness – his only collection for Brioni featured statement pieces like mohair and croc-skin jackets that likely alienated the brand’s conservative clientele – Nitsche is notoriously media-shy, preferring to let her work speak for itself. She spent most of her career working closely with Margiela on the creative direction for Maison Martin Margiela, before taking over when he retired in 2009.

With Brioni, Nitsche says: “The House’s philosophy is based on a pioneering approach to menswear. My aim is to reinforce and invigorate this long-standing tradition.” It is clear the house is eager to reconnect with its understated yet ultra-luxe roots by appointing a creative director like Nitsche, who has proven design chops and a preference for remaining low-key.

CEO Fabrizio Malverdi says that he is “impressed by her creative approach, starting from a clearly defined concept and then transforming that into products that accurately resonate with the customer”.

He adds: “Her point of view will allow the brand’s core values to prosper, and yet inject a contemporary dialogue that will enable Brioni to evolve into the future.”