LONDON — Following a fresh round of investment, Casablanca has named the longtime fashion and luxury executive Frederick Lukoff chief executive officer to work alongside founder and creative director Charaf Tajer.
An announcement is expected Monday.
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Lukoff was most recently head of Scotch & Soda, the Amsterdam-based fashion brand, and before that served as president and CEO of Stella McCartney for a decade when the company was part-owned by Kering.
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Prior to Stella McCartney, Lukoff held senior roles at Lanvin; Paco Rabanne, and Courrèges. He began his career at Apple and Cisco Systems.
“Frederick has worked with legends whom I have always looked up to, namely André Courrèges, and Alber Elbaz,” said Tajer, adding that his new CEO had a wealth of knowledge about the industry.
“A new era for the brand is on the horizon, and it’s time for Casablanca to take the next step,” Tajer added.
The company described the investment as “significant and long-term” and said it was made by a group of strategic advisers, whom it did not disclose.
The funds have been earmarked for a debut Paris boutique, which is set to open in the coming year. It will be an “immersive” physical space where customers can have a full brand experience, according to Casablanca.
The company also plans to grow its product lines, enhance the brand’s digital capabilities and invest in the supply chain as it expands internationally.
Tajer launched Casablanca in 2018, and the brand is sold in more than 300 stores worldwide.
As reported, Tajer has ambitions of turning Casablanca into a full-scale lifestyle label to rival France’s leading luxury brands.
With past tie-ups including luggage with Globe-Trotter, handbags with Bulgari, and collaborations with Caviar Kaspia and Coachella, the business continues to gain momentum.
Casablanca is a past winner of the LVMH Prize and has also been a finalist for the International Woolmark Prize and ANDAM Fashion Award.
Lukoff described Casablanca’s brand proposition as “highly compelling,” and impressive by its “breadth, depth and positivity. This creates so many opportunities for the future, and I look forward to working with Charaf and his talented team,” he said.
In addition to his experience running fashion and luxury companies, Lukoff was an ally of McCartney’s, supporting her efforts in sustainable sourcing, manufacturing and distribution.
He also oversaw Stella McCartney’s annual environmental profit and loss audit, which measured the impact of its sourcing, manufacturing and distribution on the planet.
A Dutch citizen, Lukoff was educated at UC Louvain and has spent the bulk of his career working outside his home country. He stepped down as CEO of Scotch & Soda after the company filed for bankruptcy in the Netherlands earlier this year. As reported by WWD late last month, Scotch & Soda has been acquired by Bluestar Alliance, a New York-based brand management company.