Asos appoints new womenswear director

Online fashion retailer Asos has appointed Elena Martínez Ortiz as its new womenswear director to lead the vision and strategy of its own-brand offering, Asos Design.

In a statement, Asos said that Ortiz would be relocating to London to take up her new role on August 30 and that she will report into Asos chief executive, José Antonio Ramos on an interim basis, while the process for replacing his previous role as chief commercial officer is underway.

Ortiz has more than 15 years experience across fashion design, sourcing and product development and joins Asos from Inditex’s Stradivarius, where she has been product director for bottoms, denim and outerwear for the past nine years in Barcelona. In that role, she was responsible for Stradivarius’ largest Womenswear division leading a multi-disciplined product team of designers, buyers, and planners.

Asos names Elena Martínez Ortiz as Asos Design womenswear director

Before that, she was Asia sourcing director for Stradivarius parent company Inditex for seven years, leading sourcing, product development, production, quality, and merchandising across Shanghai, Dhaka and Delhi.

Asos states that the Asos Design womenswear director role “drives a critical part of Asos’ growth strategy” as it looks to focus on its own-branded products.

Ortiz, who studied Fashion Design at IED Madrid, alongside courses at Central Saint Martins, will be responsible for strengthening the e-tailer's own-brand offering by expanding the range and availability of Asos Design products.