On November 18, Celine, under the LVMH umbrella, announced the appointment of Emilie Leblanc as its new Global Communications Director. This key appointment is part of a broader brand strategy following the change in creative director earlier in October, marking an important step for the fashion house.
Leblanc joins Celine from Saint Laurent, Kering’s flagship French brand and one of its largest. Taking on a pivotal role at one of LVMH’s core luxury brands, she will report directly to Celine’s CEO, Séverine Merle, and join the company’s executive committee.
Leblanc has built an impressive career in the marketing field for luxury brands over the years. At Saint Laurent, she served as the head of global marketing and international advertising from 2006 to 2016, contributing significantly to the brand’s growth during that decade.
Afterward, she moved to LVMH-owned jewelry brand Repossi, where she worked as the international marketing director for a year. In 2017, Leblanc returned to Saint Laurent as Worldwide Marketing & Media Director, where she successfully advanced her career, earning two promotions within just a few years.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Leblanc also gained experience outside the luxury industry. From 2004 to 2006, she worked as an advertising sales executive at Editions Jalou, the publisher of the French fashion magazine “L’Officiel.” Before that, she was a lecturer at Sciences Po, the prestigious Parisian institution specializing in political studies.
This new appointment comes seven weeks after the departure of Hedi Slimane, Celine’s former creative director. Slimane’s successor, Michael Rider, previously a designer at Polo Ralph Lauren, is set to begin his role at Celine in early 2025.
Under Slimane’s leadership, Celine experienced remarkable growth, nearly doubling its sales over five years and pushing annual revenues to close to €2 billion. With the new leadership team in place, Celine is well-positioned to continue its trajectory of innovation and evolution, embarking on its next exciting chapter.