Azzaro and Maxime Simoëns part ways

Maxime Simoëns, who joined Azzaro in March 2017, is leaving the Parisian luxury label after just four seasons. The French fashion house, established in 1967 by the French-Italian designer Loris Azzaro and acquired in 2006 by the Adorra-based family office, Reig Capital Group, announced the end of its collaboration with the creative in a press release of just a few lines.

The label briefly acknowledges “the contribution” of the designer “to his revival” of the brand, without giving any further details.

The young couturier, who was head of the couture collections as well as both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, was appointed amid the relaunch of Azzaro with the creation of a womenswear line.

The fashion house said simply that it will “present a new collection at the next Haute Couture fashion week in July 2019, the details of which will be communicated soon.”

There was no mention of a replacement for the creative direction of the house. No representatives of Azzaro were available on Monday to comment on the label’s new strategy.

A 2006 graduate of the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, Simoëns served briefly at Jean Paul Gaultier, Elie Saab, Christian Dior and Balenciaga before making a splash at the Hyères Festival in 2008. He subsequently decided to launch his own couture label, joining the Parisian couture schedule in 2011. Within one season, by the end of 2011, Simoëns had also become the head of design at fashion label Léonard.

Simoën’s work is characterised by structured cuts inspired by architecture, as well as by his motifs and prints. In 2013, the LVMH group took a stake in his label. But the partnership came to an end in 2015 and the designer suspended the womenswear line. One year later, in June 2016, he made a comeback with M.X Paris, a menswear line with a contemporary, sporty approach, and for which a store was opened in 2017 in the Marais district of Paris.

Azzaro and Maxime Simoëns part ways

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