Robert Rizzolo has landed at Alexander Wang, where he has been named global president.
Most recently Rizzolo was with Marc Jacobs as chief merchandising officer. He had been with Jacobs for four years. When he departed Jacobs last month, he wrote on LinkedIn, “These years have marked some of the company’s most profitable and transformative eras, and I’m incredibly proud to have been part of it.”
Rizzolo claimed in the post that he had helped shape some of Jacobs’ major milestones, including “the meteoric rise of The Tote Bag, the revival of Stam (a popular bag) and Beauty, the re-launch of Ready-to-Wear, Footwear and Jewelry, the cultural impact of Heaven.”
Earlier, Rizzolo was divisional vice president of global merchandising at Michael Kors and before that he was with Gucci as divisional merchandise manager. Other roles included buyer for Burberry, associate merchandiser at Calvin Klein, and assistant merchandiser at Gap, where he spent nearly eight years.
Neither Rizzolo nor Alexander Wang could be reached for comment Wednesday morning.
In a LinkedIn post, Rizzolo said he joined Wang on Tuesday. “This brand has held a place in my heart for two decades — genre-defying, culturally sharp, relentlessly creative. To take on this role alongside Alex and lead this exceptionally talented team into a new chapter is an honor I welcome with gratitude and energy.
“I have always been inspired by the passion that fuels founder-led brands, and I’m thrilled to match Alex’s drive and dedication to the brand and the business. The next chapter starts now,” he wrote.
In a WWD story in December 2023, Wang said it was searching for a new chief executive officer. The company’s adviser has been Paula Sutter (former president of Diane von Furstenberg), who’s been advising the brand for over 15 years. Sutter couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.
In the 2023 WWD story, Wang said he had gone through “a complete transformation both personally, and through work,” after being accused of sexual misconduct and sexual assault in 2000. The company, which had moved into sprawling offices at 139 Beekman Street in 2023, was recommitting to its North American business. It had committed to building the bodywear category, opening freestanding stores in North America and strengthening its online business. It had also planned growth in Europe in 2024. It was reported that the company was tracking to close out 2023 with more than $200 million in global revenues. China had become its number-one market, followed by North America.
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