They said/We said: BCBG’s former president heading to Halston
Since Sarah Jessica Parker, Harvey Weinstein and Marios Schwab left Halston, rumours have been running rampant about who their successors will be. Now, WWD is reporting that although he initially denied rumours of heading to Halston, Ben Malka, the former president of BCBG Max Azria Group, has been crowned as chairman and chief executive officer of the company.
In his 16 years at BCBG, Malka established the company in womenswear and built relations for BCBG with retailers like Bloomingdale’s, which—coincidentally—is stocking Halston for the first time this fall. For now, we’ll have to wait to see if Malka can perform the same magic to revive what’s left of Halston.
The company is still missing a creative director, but there’s a chance that the former creative director of BCBG, Marie Mazelis, will be following Malka’s lead. If that’s the case, you can bet on a total transformation of Halston into something a little more…BCBG.
WHAT THEY SAID…
Ben Malka: “I am very excited to join Halston. This is a wonderful opportunity and I look forward to defining a new era for this iconic brand.” [WWD]
The Cut: “So what will the new Halston look like? A lot like BCBG Max Azria, probably. Malka is likely to bring over more BCBG folks, including Marie Mazelis, former creative director of the Hervé Léger and Max Azria lines, who left the company last week.” [The Cut]
FashionEtc: “One potential creative head could be prime for the position: Marie Mazelis, the recently departed creative director of the Hervé Léger and Max Azria lines, who has worked under Malka for over 10 years.” [FashionEtc]
Fashionista: “Can Malka turn Halston around? We’d love to see this brand restored to its former glory.” [Fashionista]
WHAT WE SAID…
Caitlan Moneta, assistant fashion editor: “Halston’s hit a bit of a bumpy road of late. I think they’re smart to hunker down and focus on the clearly established direction of the heritage collection. Clearly, success is trickier than hiring a bold-faced figurehead.”
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