Creative Director Giovanni Morelli is leaving shoemaker Stuart Weitzman after just a year on the job for reasons related to his behavior.
Morelli, who took over in May 2017 from founder and creative head Stuart Weitzman, didn’t meet the conduct requirements of the company, parent Tapestry Inc. said Monday. A search is underway for a replacement, said the company, formerly known as Coach Inc.
“While we greatly admire Giovanni’s creative talents, Tapestry is committed to an environment where every individual feels respected, and at times his behavior fell short of these standards,” Chief Executive Officer Victor Luis said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for Tapestry declined to provide further comment on the circumstances of Morelli’s departure.
Tapestry joins other apparel makers, including Nike Inc., Lululemon Athletica Inc. and Guess? Inc. in facing challenges with workplace behavior. Nike has ousted a handful of leaders starting in March with Trevor Edwards, former president of the Nike brand, following an internal review of office conduct. Lululemon’s CEO left in February for reasons said to include a relationship with a subordinate. Guess Chairman Paul Marciano relinquished his day-to-day duties in February in the wake of sexual-harassment accusations by model Kate Upton and other women.
Career History
Prior to joining Stuart Weitzman, Morelli served as a leather goods designer for Loewe and held various posts at Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Prada and Burberry.
Stuart Weitzman has experienced other recent setbacks. Last quarter, its performance was hindered by production problems and design misses. Luis said “lack of freshness” in new styles hampered sales. The label is best known for its over-the-knee boots and minimalist sandals.
Tapestry acquired Stuart Weitzman in 2015 for $574 million, and executives consider it a key piece of its strategy to morph Tapestry into an international house of luxury brands. The shoe brand represents about 6 percent of the company’s total sales. It had $374 million in revenue in the last fiscal year.
