Fashion Designer Paul Andrew Leaves Ferragamo

FILE - Creative director Paul Andrew, right, accept applause flanked by menswear designer Guillaume Meilland, at the conclusion of the the Salvatore Ferragamo men's Fall-Winter 2020/21 fashion show, that was presented during the fashion week, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
FILE - Creative director Paul Andrew, right, accept applause flanked by menswear designer Guillaume Meilland, at the conclusion of the the Salvatore Ferragamo men's Fall-Winter 2020/21 fashion show, that was presented during the fashion week, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
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Fashion Designer Paul Andrew Leaves Ferragamo

FILE - Creative director Paul Andrew, right, accept applause flanked by menswear designer Guillaume Meilland, at the conclusion of the the Salvatore Ferragamo men's Fall-Winter 2020/21 fashion show, that was presented during the fashion week, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
FILE - Creative director Paul Andrew, right, accept applause flanked by menswear designer Guillaume Meilland, at the conclusion of the the Salvatore Ferragamo men's Fall-Winter 2020/21 fashion show, that was presented during the fashion week, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

British designer Paul Andrew said on Thursday he would leave Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo in May, a high-profile departure that comes at a time when the group is seeking to recover from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"After five years, with pride and a heavy heart, I have decided it's time for a new challenge," Andrew said in a post on Instagram, following months of speculation about his possible departure from the brand, famous for shoes worn by Hollywood stars such as Audrey Hepburn.

Shortly after the post was published, a statement from Ferragamo confirmed Andrew would step down, adding that from next month the 30-strong in-house design team would be in charge of creating the group's new collections, starting with September's fashion shows.

The brand plans to hire a new creative director, but does not want to rush a new appointment given the challenging market conditions, a source close to the company told Reuters.

Ferragamo's sales has been hit harder by the pandemic harder than many rivals, partly because of its heavy focus on airport spending.

Paul Andrew joined Ferragamo in 2016 to design shoes for its womenswear division, while he was living in New York and running his own shoe brand. He became creative director for the whole group in 2019.

Two sources familiar with the matter said that relations between Andrew and the Ferragamo family, which controls the group, became increasingly strained in recent months.

The group dampened speculation of an imminent management shake-up last month when it confirmed Chief Executive Micaela le Divelec in her role. However, sources have said that it was not clear whether she would stay on for the full three-year mandate of the new board, due to be appointed by shareholders on April 22.

"A new direction is a must, not a choice, for what remains one of the most famous luxury brands globally that has been plagued with significant underperformance in recent years," said Jefferies analyst Flavio Cereda.



Hong Kong Investigates Louis Vuitton Data Leak that Affected 419,000

People pose for pictures next to "The Louis", a large ship-shaped structure of the Louis Vuitton brand, in Shanghai on July 15, 2025. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)
People pose for pictures next to "The Louis", a large ship-shaped structure of the Louis Vuitton brand, in Shanghai on July 15, 2025. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)
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Hong Kong Investigates Louis Vuitton Data Leak that Affected 419,000

People pose for pictures next to "The Louis", a large ship-shaped structure of the Louis Vuitton brand, in Shanghai on July 15, 2025. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)
People pose for pictures next to "The Louis", a large ship-shaped structure of the Louis Vuitton brand, in Shanghai on July 15, 2025. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)

Hong Kong's privacy watchdog said on Monday that it was investigating a data leak at Louis Vuitton affecting about 419,000 customers, just after a cyberattack on the luxury brand in South Korea in June.

Leaked data included names, passport details, addresses and email addresses as well as phone numbers, shopping history and product preferences, Hong Kong's Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said in an emailed statement.

Louis Vuitton submitted the data breach incident to the office on July 17. Its French head office found suspicious activities on its computer system on June 13 and then discovered on July 2 that it affected Hong Kong customers, Reuters quoted the statement as saying.

The office said it had launched an investigation into Louis Vuitton Hong Kong, including whether the incident involved delayed notification. No relevant complaints or inquiries have been received so far, it said.

The incident comes after a systems breach at Louis Vuitton in Korea in June led to the leak of some customer data, including contact information, but it did not involve customers' financial information, the company said.

Louis Vuitton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.