Leblanc Moves Back to LVMH After Over a Decade at Saint Laurent
Celine has announced the appointment of Emilie Leblanc to the role of global communications director, effective from Monday, November 18. Leblanc, reporting directly to CEO Séverine Merle, is also now a member of the company’s executive committee.
Leblanc’s move to Celine comes after an extensive career at Saint Laurent, where until recently she held the position of associate chief marketing officer. Leblanc’s tenure with the brand spans over a decade wherein she held the dual roles of head of global marketing and international advertising from 2006 to 2016.
Post her initial stint at Saint Laurent, Leblanc served as the international marketing director at LVMH-owned jeweler Repossi for a year. She later made her return to Saint Laurent, then under Kering’s control, as worldwide marketing and media director in 2017, and was subsequently rewarded with two promotions. Her other career milestones include serving as an advertising sales executive at Editions Jalou, a French magazine publisher from 2004 to 2006.
Leblanc’s appointment at Celine comes amid significant changes, with the fashion house transitioning to a new creative director. Polo Ralph Lauren’s former creative director, Michael Rider, is expected to join Celine in early 2025, taking over the reins from Hedi Slimane, who ended his successful seven-year tenure with Celine last month.
According to insider reports, LVMH intends to leverage Celine’s current success, ensuring minimal deviation from the effective formula Slimane had built, which skillfully blended French bourgeois themes with subtle nods to grunge and other alternative music scenes.
It has been reported that Celine, along with Loewe, is one of the fastest-growing brands under LVMH Fashion Group, with estimated revenue figures around 2.5 billion euros.