NEW YORK — Zac Posen has found himself his first president.
The designer has tapped Barry Miguel as president of his five-year-old sportswear company. Miguel joins from Ermenegildo Zegna, where, in the last five years, he was global president of Z Zegna, developing and growing the luxury apparel house’s trendier line.
Miguel joined Zegna from Marc Jacobs Inc., where he was president of Marc by Marc Jacobs during its launch. Prior to that, he was director and general manager of Nike’s U.S. and European apparel organizations.
“This is an initiative that we have been intent on for many months,” chief executive officer Susan Posen said of the newly created president’s position. “We felt we needed somebody who could lead us into the future. We had talked to a lot of people and had a lot of advice on the subject, and Barry is our man.”
At Zac Posen, Miguel will run day-to-day operations, and he is being charged with expanding the designer’s domestic and global distribution and looking for growth opportunities. The line is currently sold at retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York.
“We have, in a span of five years, created a brand and have a distribution for the clothing that is amazingly broad,” Posen said. “We are looking to solidify that, improve that always and find the right ways to move into the future, because many opportunities are presented to us.”
Miguel added, “I think I am joining at just the right time in terms of growth and what we want to accomplish. Zac has a clear vision to become a leading modern luxury brand, and that’s really what I am here to do. I see this as an opportunity to provide leadership to grow to the next level.”
Miguel reports to the company’s board, which includes Susan Posen and Sean “Diddy” Combs, who made an investment in the company in 2004.
“Bringing Barry Miguel’s vast experience and expertise to the company will add tremendously to the growth the company has enjoyed over the last five years and will help to cement Zac’s role as an international fashion leader,” Combs said in a statement.