Alasdahair Willis, co-founder of The Anonymous Partner & former publishing director of Wallpaper* magazine, has been named the new creative director of Hunter. The London-based fashion consultant will work with Hunter’s new CEO James Seuss, who took control of the heritage boot brand in December of 2012, to expand the business into new categories (i.e. lifestyle brand… Hunter bed sheets anyone?). Willis, the husband of Stella McCartney, said “Hunter is a fantastic British brand with enormous potential. It has a very strong history dating back nearly 160 years, and I believe the Hunter story and spirit are just as relevant today. Going forward, we will be focused on expanding the footwear business while building on the exciting opportunities in other categories such as outerwear.”
Hunter, currently sold through wholesale channels and directly on the brands website, plans to open stores in the U.S., Asia and Europe. Hunter CEO Seuss said that Willis’ “experience with British heritage brands and developing brands globally makes him an ideal choice to lead the creative team at Hunter as we enter our next stage of growth. Alasdhair will define the vision for the brand and develop our creative voice, while working closely with our strong commercial team to bring the world of Hunter to consumers worldwide.” If Hunter is to turn itself into a global lifestyle brand built “on its strong tradition of marrying craftsmanship with design” that captures “a particular breed of luxury that will endure for many generations to come” this might be the ideal time to consider moving its manufacturing back to the UK.
Alasdhair Willis’ debut collection for Hunter will be for autumn/winter 2014-15. Shop the Hunter men’s collection here.
Images courtesy of Hunter
