Dior is taking action on the supply chain by creating a new industrial department, which will be in charge of strengthening production capacity in the long term and ensuring the continuity of its know-how. The decision, many note, seems to be influenced by recent news events: Manufactures Dior (the Italian operating arm of the fashion house) has been under judicial administration since June 2024 as part of investigations by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office into the phenomena of gangmastering in the Lombard fashion supply chain.

What’s new

Starting January 2, 2025, Dior’s new industrial department will be headed by chief industrial officer Giorgio Striano (former Luxottica). Working with him will be former Louis Vuitton Nicolas Carré, who from Monday, December 2, will be in Florence as director of leather, footwear and fashion jewelry. On site he will take over from Patrice Guillemin, who will assume the role of director of industrial projects. Dior points out that Carré is an “expert in leather goods and production”, with a background as “director of the historic atelier d’Asnières”. “It’s more important than ever to sustainably support our different production processes at every stage of manufacturing”, Delphine Arnault, CEO of Christian Dior Couture, told WWD. ”By respecting current ethical standards, overseeing all of the Maison’s activities, preserving and promoting Dior’s creativity, craftsmanship and exceptional savoir-faire”.

The background

Last June, the Court of Milan placed Manufactures Dior, a company under the Italian branch of the Christian Dior fashion house, in receivership. The company has production hubs in Scandicci (Florence) for leather goods and in Fossò (Venice) for footwear. Although they aren’t being contested criminal liability, the Milanese authorities have called for receivership for the company because it has allegedly not put in place all the necessary tools to monitor the supply chain. In response to this (and the antitrust investigation), Dior promised to increase the share of in-house production. The new division seems to be functional to a closer supervision of the supply chain, so that such incidents do not happen again.

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