Streetwear has undoubtedly infiltrated the luxury world and has taken over. Bally has just appointed Rhuigi Villaseñor as its new Creative Director, set to oversee the artistic direction of the Swiss brand.
Since founding Rhude in 2015, the brand has grown into a staple amongst streetwear fans all over the world, and since 2020, Rhude has grown immensely. “The culture I’m building with my team is about giving everyone a voice,” Rhuigi told Highsnobiety last year, adding that the pandemic allowed the brand to expand. "I hate to say this, but we were able to grow the company three times larger."
His success in both building a brand, as well as a team, is obvious, and he's entering the luxury world headfirst. " I have always admired the Swiss approach to luxury, its discreet representation of excellence, and symbiotic openness and care for the environment," the designer said.
Villaseñor's first collection will be part of the Spring/Summer 2023 season, and we'll see Bally be reinvented and modernized whilst still staying true to the Swiss luxury heritage. "As a brand that is very dear to my heart, Bally has been worn in my family from generation to generation, from my grandfather to myself."
"Having acutely followed Rhuigi’s ascent I am excited by how his natural creativity and energetic spirit have made him one of the industry’s greatest idea generators and community builders. Rhuigi’s deep understanding of Bally’s history coupled with a distinct appreciation of the Swiss lifestyle will be instrumental in ushering the brand into the future,” said Nicolas Girotto, Bally's CEO.
Bally's choice to appoint Rhuigi comes as no surprise, as plenty of luxury players are looking for talent that can modernize and reinterpret brands for a new audience – staying relevant has never been more important. Louis Vuitton was early, appointing Virgil Abloh, and plenty of brands then followed. Givenchy with Matthew Williams, Kenzo with Nigo, and now Rhuigi at Bally.
There's still some time before we'll see Rhuigi's first collection, so while we wait, catch up on our interview with the Rhude team.
