La Perla has appointed Alessio Vannetti as its new chief executive officer, turning to a former Gucci executive with deep roots in Italian luxury to steer the heritage lingerie house through its next phase of repositioning.
The appointment signals an intent to sharpen La Perla’s product narrative. The Bologna-based maison, founded in 1954, has long commanded respect for its handcrafted lace and silk foundations, but in recent years has struggled to translate that heritage into consistent commercial momentum amid a crowded market for luxury intimates and loungewear.
Vannetti’s merchandising background suggests a focus on product architecture — strengthening the core ready-to-wear offer, recalibrating the balance between iconic heritage pieces and new seasonal statements, and potentially expanding into adjacent categories such as swimwear and sleepwear where La Perla’s brand equity remains underexploited.
The luxury lingerie space has grown more contested over the past five years, with heritage houses, direct-to-consumer disruptors, and ready-to-wear brands all vying for the same customer. Vannetti’s task is to differentiate La Perla not through volume or price-point competition, but by reinforcing the craft narrative and the emotional register that its name still carries in the global imagination.
Vannetti arrives from Gucci, where he most recently served as senior vice president of global merchandising and had spent nearly a decade across the Kering-owned brand’s commercial and product divisions. His résumé also includes stints at Brioni and Bottega Veneta, giving him a fluency across the full spectrum of Italian luxury — from the tailored rigour of Roman suiting to the leather-goods craft of Veneto.
