Jacquemus taps ex-Coty digital chief to power scale-up and beauty push
Bottom Line Impact
This leadership and digital pivot positions Jacquemus to convert its €250m-plus scale and L'Oréal partnership into higher-margin, multi-category growth, strengthening market position and brand equity if execution in DTC, pricing, and beauty rollout is tightly managed.
Key Facts
5- Jacquemus has surpassed €250m in annual turnover, entering a scale phase where digital, pricing, and assortment decisions have disproportionate impact on margin and brand equity.
- L'Oréal acquired a 10% minority stake in Jacquemus in February, alongside an exclusive long-term agreement to develop Jacquemus-branded perfumes and makeup as a growth and independence lever.
- Alexandra Larrue joined as chief digital officer in November, after 5 years at Coty with responsibility for DTC and ecommerce across brands such as Kylie Cosmetics, Philosophy, Orveda, and Infiniment Coty Paris.
- Larrue most recently held the interim role of vice president of global DTC ecommerce at Coty, directly aligning her skillset with Jacquemus' need to scale online while retaining tight brand and pricing control.
- In March 2025, Jacquemus confirmed Sarah Benady as CEO following a transition after former CEO Bastien Daguzan's departure, signaling a broader top-management reset ahead of the brand's beauty rollout and next growth phase.
Time Horizons
Executive Summary
Jacquemus, now exceeding €250m in annual revenue, has appointed ex-Coty DTC leader Alexandra Larrue as chief digital officer to accelerate its online channels and prepare for a strategic entry into beauty under its long-term partnership with L'Oréal. This move tightens governance around pricing, positioning, and digital control at a critical maturity stage, as the brand raises prices, searches for its next iconic bag, and reorganizes top management under new CEO Sarah Benady from March 2025.
Actionable Insights
Immediate Actions (Next 30-90 days)
Mandate an integrated fashion-beauty roadmap that synchronizes product calendars, pricing architecture, and digital launch playbooks across the next 18-24 months, led jointly by the CDO, CMO, and L'Oréal team.
Rationale: Without tight governance, beauty launches could cannibalize or confuse brand positioning, while a unified roadmap can maximize halo effects, cross-sell, and global PR impact at controlled cost.
Role affected:CEO
Urgency level:immediate
Within 90 days, establish a DTC performance blueprint including clear KPIs (CAC, LTV, digital gross margin, return rates) and a phased roadmap for personalization, CRM, and data infrastructure ahead of beauty rollout.
Rationale: Beauty's high purchase frequency and lower price points require a more granular, data-driven DTC model than fashion alone; early infrastructure decisions will lock in economics and scalability.
Role affected:CDO
Urgency level:immediate
Short-term Actions (6-12 months)
Design a digital-first community relaunch centered around Le Valérie and upcoming beauty teasers, combining waitlists, limited drops, and influencer-led storytelling to test demand and refine pricing.
Rationale: The brand must reconnect with its audience after price increases; orchestrated digital activations can validate hero products, de-risk inventory, and rebuild emotional affinity among core fans.
Role affected:CMO
Urgency level:short-term
Strategic Actions
Reassess channel mix and margin structure to quantify target DTC penetration for both fashion and beauty, including scenario analysis for different levels of ecommerce share and wholesale rationalization.
Rationale: As Jacquemus scales, unoptimized channel economics could erode margins despite topline growth; a clear target mix will guide investment in logistics, tech, and partner negotiations.
Role affected:CFO
Urgency level:strategic
Risks & Opportunities
Primary Risks
- Brand dilution risk if beauty expands too quickly or at misaligned price points, weakening Jacquemus' aspirational fashion positioning.
- Customer backlash and volume softness driven by recent price increases if not paired with elevated product, service, and storytelling, especially in a more cautious global luxury demand environment.
- Operational and organizational strain from simultaneous leadership transition, digital transformation, and beauty build-out, leading to execution gaps and slower decision-making.
Primary Opportunities
- Beauty can add a recurring, high-margin revenue stream and broaden the consumer base, potentially lifting total revenue by 20-40% over 3-5 years if well executed.
- Strengthened digital capabilities can reduce dependence on wholesale, improve full-price sell-through, and raise EBIT margins via better inventory turns and lower marketing waste.
- A tightly orchestrated iconic product strategy (e.g., Le Valérie as a hero bag) combined with beauty launches can create a powerful cross-category halo, reinforcing brand desire and pricing power.