PARIS, Jul 26, 2007 / FW/ — After six years at the helm of Spanish fashion house Loewe, José Enrique Oña Selfa (photo at left) is taking his final bow on the runway this October as the brand’s Creative Director.
On a statement released today, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, owner of Loewe, announced that British-born Stuart Vevers has been named Creative Director of the house. He is expected to start at his new post in January 2008.
In the same statement, LVMH and Loewe thanked José Enriqué Ona Selfa “for the quality of his work during the six years he has dedicated to the brand.”
Ona Selfa, who was named Creative Director for Loewe in September 2001, had a good run at Loewe. His original contract was only for three years, then it was renewed for another three, thus totaling six years.
The son of Spanish émigré parents, Oña Selfa was born in Brussels and attended the city’s prestigious Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels de la Cambre. After graduation, he worked with Oliver Theyskens, and launched his own label “JE Oña Selfa” in Feb 2000 where he took charge of the artistic direction as well as designing.
During his reign at Loewe, Oña Selfa stopped designing and producing his own label as he put his full concentration in the Madrid-based fashion house. Though the designer has not announced any new plans when he leaves Loewe in December, fashion observers are expecting him to revive his eponymous label.
Meanwhile, Oña Selfa’s replacement, Stuart Vevers is expected to debut on the Paris runways on March 2008. A graduate of the University of Westminster, his résumé includes collaborating with Bottega Veneta and Givenchy (part of the LVMH Group).
In 2002, Vevers joined Louis Vuitton to take responsibility for the runway bags under the direction of Marc Jacobs. Two and a half years ago, he became Design Director for Mulberry. He was named Fashion Accessories Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council in 2006.
“Stuart creative talent and wealth of experience are perfectly suited to enhance the current development of Loewe, a house whose legitimacy as luxury accessories specialist is rooted in over 160 years of leather goods craftsmanship,” said in the official announcement.
[SARA CONDE]
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