Relatively new creative director of the Swiss brand Bally, Rhuigi Villaseñor, is officially stepping down after just over a year of holding the title.
During his time with Bally, Villaseñor rejuvenated the brand’s runway presence. Last September in Milan, he produced a ready-to-wear show, followed by his second runway show displaying Bally’s Fall/Winter collection this past February. The shows were both well-received and allowed Villaseñor’s vision for the brand, as a Western Americana meets Swiss sporting, to shine through.
Villaseñor was supposed to oversee expanding Bally throughout the US market this year. However, with the news of him stepping down from his position, Bally’s design studio will now be gaining creative control until the brand selects a new creative director.
So far, no bad blood has come to light or explanation for Villaseñor’s leaving. Chief creative officer at Bally, Nicolas Girotto, has had many positive things to say about Villaseñor and his “creative contributions” to Bally. He went on to praise Villaseñor for his “passion, energy, and creativity [that] helped catapult Bally back into the spotlight, further rejuvenating the brands 170-year legacy through a modern, glamorous lens. I wish him all the best in the next chapter of his creative journey.”
Villaseñor returns the praise that Girotto gave him to Bally as a whole. He told reporters, “My experience at Bally has been an incredible honor. I wish the brand nothing but the best in all its future endeavors and look forward to enjoying its next creative chapter.”
Bally is set to produce a co-ed runway show in Milan this September for their Spring/Summer 2024 collection. Villaseñor has yet to announce the next steps in his career, but it is unlikely that the fashion industry has seen the last of him.