Yves Carcelle, the former chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, passed away on Sunday in Paris, aged 66.
Yves Carcelle, the longtime LVMH executive, who passed away on Sunday in Paris after a battle with cancer, was a hugely admired figure in the fashion industry. The former chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton – he stepped down from his position at the French luxury goods house in 2012 – was one of those rare executives with a voice and vision. In 1997 he recruited Marc Jacobs – putting his faith (and the company’s fortune) in the hands of a then young rebel designer. Carcelle’s instinct proved to be right and Louis Vuitton went on to become the fashion powerhouse that it is today.
Carcelle could also be said to have helped propel the ‘it bag’ phenomenon of the mid 2000s by enabling Jacobs’ collaborations with artists (Stephen Sprouse, Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami) and ensuring said bags were available globally and with all the adequate marketing budgets to push the message out. While he seemed to understand the creative around him, Carcelle was also the ultimate brand architect – many powerful brands followed the Louis Vuitton recipe of brand extension (eyewear, fine jewellery) and rapid expansion into new markets.
In 2013, Carcelle was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer, reports WWD. He is survived by his wife Rebecca and his five children.
