Vanguards appoints chief brand officer

Fashion holding group Vanguards, behind European labels Nanushka, Aeron and Sunnei, has appointed journalist and luxury consultant Christopher Morency as its chief brand officer, effective immediately.

In the newly created position, Morency will be responsible for leading the global brand strategy for the fashion holding group, developing its brand portfolio, and positioning Vanguards as “a leader in the new luxury space”. He will also identify new investment opportunities for the fashion group.

Before joining Vanguards, Morency was editorial director of global media brand Highsnobiety, where he worked across a variety of content channels. He has also worked for Business of Fashion, Fantastic Man and Vice.

Vanguards was founded in 2020 by Peter Baldaszti, chief executive and co-owner of Nanushka, and is led by a roster of industry veterans, to provide its portfolio of brands with a foundational framework covering commercial, financial, and strategic guidance that allows founders to focus on creativity.

The group has added three fashion labels to its portfolio, starting with contemporary womenswear, menswear, and accessories brand Nanushka. It then invested in Budapest-based womenswear label Aeron in early 2020, followed by a majority stake acquisition of Milanese men’s and womenswear brand Sunnei.