LVMH has announced the passing of former Louis Vuitton Chief Executive Yves Carcelle on 31 August, aged 66, following a long struggle with illness.
Carcelle has been credited with the establishment of Louis Vuitton as the world’s foremost brand in the luxury sector during his 20 over years as CEO. He was instrumental in the brand’s development worldwide, particularly in Asia and Japan, and oversaw its entry into the world of fashion, through Marc Jacobs’ shows, and also into the jewellery and watchmaking sectors.
A graduate of France’s prestigious Ecole Polytechnique and INSEAD business school, Carcelle joined LVMH Group and its Executive Committee in 1989. Following his departure from Louis Vuitton in 2012, he served as Chairman of the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
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Yves Carcelle was instrumental in turning Louis Vuitton into the world’s leading luxury brand |
Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke described Carcelle as “a visionary, passionate, and inspirational having written one of the most brilliant chapters in the history of worldwide luxury”.
LVMH Chairman & CEO Bernard Arnault said: “It is with deep emotion and regret that I learned of Yves Carcelle’s passing. A tireless traveller, Yves was a pioneer who embodied the image and values of Louis Vuitton. Always curious, passionate and in motion, he was one of the most inspiring leaders of men and women whom I have ever had the privilege of knowing. My thoughts today are with Yves’ family, as well as with all his former staff at Louis Vuitton, who will long remember him as a manager and mentor who was accessible, human and sincere.
“Today, the LVMH Group has lost one of its closest and dearest friends and I join in the sorrow of each of us as we mourn Yves passing, but also importantly in our collective appreciation for his life, his work and his legacy,” he added.
