MILAN — Changes are brewing at Bally, according to sources.
The Swiss brand is planning a coed show in February during Milan Fashion Week and Bally unveiled a capsule collection with DJ Leo Mas on Sunday — but sources believe creative director Simone Bellotti could be eyeing the door.
This would come after the sale of the brand last August, followed by the exit in October of chief executive officer Nicolas Girotto, who had tapped Bellotti.
As speculation mounts about a potential exit of Luke and Lucie Meier from Jil Sander after the fall 2025 show next month, sources say Bellotti could be considered as a successor. His style does gel with that of the brand, which is controlled by Renzo Rosso’s OTB group.
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Bellotti quietly joined Bally in October 2022 after a 16-year tenure at Gucci. Previously, he held senior design positions at Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta and Gianfranco Ferré, boasting an experience in both both ready-to-wear tailoring and accessories — the latter category being Bally’s core business.
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He was named design director of Bally in May 2023, succeeding Rhuigi Villaseñor.
His first collection for Bally was presented with a show during Milan Fashion Week in September 2023 and he has since garnered positive reviews for his rigorous designs, sleek tailoring and understated chicness, respectful of the brand’s history spanning 174 years, but at the same time showing confidence in his own vision. Cue the irreverent and whimsical twists to his sober and tailored suits and trenches, like the tiny cowbells referencing the Swiss heritage of the brand or his diving into the country’s folk stories, such as the legend of an Engadine lake mermaid, for fall 2024.
Art and design have been key inspirations for the eloquent and thoughtful designer, such as German poet Hugo Ball, a founder of the Dada artistic movement and of Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, for his spring 2025 collection.
In August last year, an affiliate of Regent, the owner of Club Monaco and Escada, acquired Bally International A.G. from JAB. As reported, unions are negotiating with Bally’s new owner to avoid the closure of a plant in Tuscany’s Lastra a Signa, which would leave 55 artisans without a job. The company is now led by general manager Ennio Fontana.
With contributions from Miles Socha, Paris.