Joëlle Pellegrin leaves La Perla for Vanity Fair Brands Europe

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Dec 2, 2015

Joëlle Pellegrin was recently appointed President of the Vanity Fair Brands Europe group. The news was announced in a press release by the Perceva investment company, which bought from US billionaire Warren Buffet the European lingerie operations of US company Fruit of the Loom last October.

The French executive, a graduate of EM Lyon and the Université Dauphine, acquired a wealth of experience in the fashion and distribution industries.

Joëlle Pellegrin notably filled in the post of CEO Europe for La Perla. She joined the company in 2009, and led the Italian luxury lingerie brand through its relaunch in the high-end segment.

Pellegrin started her career in 1987 as product manager with the Printemps group, then she worked in succession for the high-end multi-brand retailer Rodier Airport, for Nike, where she was Retail and Retail Marketing Director France, for Marithé et François Girbaud and finally for Timberland France, where she was General Manager from 2007 to 2009.

Vanity Fair Brands Europe designs and distributes five brands of lingerie and swimwear (Variance, Lou, Vanity Fair, BestForm and Cherry Beach). The group generates a revenue of €60 million and employs a staff of nearly 300, in France and Spain. Joëlle Pellegrin's arrival within the group, in the wake of its acquisition by Perceva, is part of a significant investment phase.

"The lingerie market is highly competitive. France is currently the company's main market, generating nearly 60% of its revenue, but the expansion potential in Europe and internationally is significant," said Franck Khelif, partner and founder of Perceva, who plans to turn Vanity Fair Brands Europe into "a benchmark European player in the industry."