Joseph Altuzarra to become CEO of his namesake company

Dive Brief:

• Joseph Altuzarra will become CEO of his namesake company effective Jan. 1, 2025, according to a press release sent to Fashion Dive.
• Altuzarra, who is the company’s founder and creative director, succeeds Shira Sue Carmi, who is stepping down from the role after nearly five years. Altuzurra will continue in his current duties as he assumes the dual role, per the release, and Carmi will take a seat on the company’s board.
• Marta Lastra, who became the company’s chief operating officer in April 2021, was promoted to president in October. She will take over day-to-day managerial responsibilities, per the release, and will work with founder Altuzarra and the company’s board to oversee overall performance.

Dive Insight:

Altuzarra received an investment from retail innovation firm P180 in October, and while the deal’s financial terms were not disclosed, P180 became an equity partner in the company.

Under terms of the deal, the Altuzarra company will license e-commerce operations to P180, and part of the partnership also includes the addition of a rental feature to the Altuzarra digital platform. The newly expanded offerings are projected to debut in December.

Alongside those changes, an executive shift is not unexpected.

In the press release, Altuzarra thanked Carmi for the role she played in leading his company, and said he enthusiastic about his label’s next steps.

“The brand has expanded substantially, and I am excited to continue to lead its growth as CEO in close partnership with Marta, who has been instrumental in leading product and operations and will now expand her purview to distribution and marketing as well,” Altuzarra said.

Before taking on her role as COO, Lastra, who joined the brand in 2020 according to her LinkedIn, served as the company’s vice president of studio operations. She previously worked with luxury fashion labels Loewe and The Row, and spent nearly four years as senior manager of product development and production accessories at Ralph Lauren.

“Marta has played a crucial role in operational and strategic development, and her expanded leadership will continue to drive the brand’s growth and enhance its global presence,” the Altuzarra company said in the release.