DVF Names New CEO

Diane von Furstenburg named Paolo Riva as her new ceo of Diane Furstenburg Studio. Furstenburg said of the post, "I think we're going to disrupt a little."

Riva has spent the past three years serving as vice president, apparel and visual merchandising for Tory Burch LLC, and before that he worked for Valentino and Salvatore Ferragamo. Riva brings his finance experience and global merchandising, marketing and product development to DVF, where he starts May 18.

"This is a most important decision for me. This is an heir, somebody to take it on for the next decades," von Furstenberg told WWD. She said she met with a lot of candidates over the past two years and "Barry [Diller, her husband] said, 'You should stop looking for those who are already ceo's, and you should look for the next superstar.' That was a magic word."

Riva won DVF over during his interview. She said, "He completely seduced me in the way he sees me, the way he sees the brand, the way he sees the potential, and the way he sees the world in disruption. I want somebody who really loves product. We don't sell numbers. We sell dresses, we sell shoes, we sell accessories, bags. Numbers are extremely important, but I have a very special relationship with the consumer over the decades, and I've dressed generations of women, I'm talking to the Millennials. It's a love brand, it's very unique and people have to understand that. I don't want somebody who compares me to another brand. I want somebody who sees it as it is. Because we're a Private company, we have a lot of flexibility. I don't think we want to go with anybody's formula."

Riva said of his new position, "What is special about Diane is that she connects emotionally with women of all generations, all around the world. My vision is to unlock the brand potential by offering the relevant mix of products with a unique experience for the consumer. Only a well-orchestrated team can achieve that, and I look forward to leading that team."

He went on to say that he sees the brand "as an incredible jewel. It's one of the best-kept secrets. In order to unlock the potential of the brand, we need to give the woman a reason to enter the DVF world and to give them a reason to buy. We need to offer a valuable and compelling merchandised collection so the customer can embrace every aspect of it, across ready-to-wear, accessories and shoes."

It will be exciting to see DVF under Riva's lead and see how the brand continues to flourish and grow.