Kering SA is considering naming Balenciaga chief executive officer Cedric Charbit as CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, according to people familiar with the situation.
He would replace Francesca Bellettini, who took on a bigger role at the struggling French fashion group in 2023.
The announcement could come as soon as next week, said the people, who weren’t authorised to speak publicly. He’s led Balenciaga since 2016, overseeing a period of growth thanks to successful sneaker launches, followed by a major scandal two years ago that dented sales.
The move would allow Bellettini, 54, to focus more on her role as Kering’s deputy CEO in charge of brand development, the people said. Charbit and Kering didn’t immediately reply when reached for comment outside of normal business hours Saturday.
Kering has made a number of executive changes lately, including naming Stefano Cantino as chief executive of Gucci. The former Louis Vuitton executive will be tasked from January to fix the Italian label, which is the biggest profit contributor at Kering. The Paris-listed group has seen its shares dive by more than 40 percent this year after poor results. Last month, Kering warned its annual profit would fall to the lowest level since 2016.
Kering’s biggest labels in order of sales last year were Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta.
Balenciaga two years ago apologised after launching an ad campaign which shocked consumers because it was seen as sexualising children. The scandal dented sales for the ensuing quarters. Despite the problems, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault kept Charbit and Balenciaga creative director Demna in place.
By joining Yves Saint Laurent, Charbit, 47, would work with Anthony Vaccarello, the designer who’s been praised for his creations at the Parisian label known for its elegant feminine looks on stiletto shoes, his reinvention of the late label founder’s popular Sahara designs.
The challenges at Kering have hurt the wealth of its controlling shareholder, the Pinaults. The fortune of the French family has dropped by $14.2 billion this year, and stood at $21.2 billion as of Friday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
By Jennifer Creery and Angelina Rascouet
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