"Maison Kitsuné Resets Brand with New Creative Vision and Paris Fashion Week Goal

PARIS — After more than two decades of quietly building a cult following across music, fashion, and cafés, Maison Kitsuné is preparing for what founder and chief executive officer Gildas Loaëc calls a “reset.”

It follows the hiring of Abigail Smiley-Smith as creative director after three years without a formal design lead. When revealed in September, co-founders Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki described her arrival as “the next chapter” for the co-ed house.

With more than 20 years of experience at Calvin Klein, Victoria Beckham, Chloé and Stella McCartney, Smiley-Smith was brought in to re-establish a more refined, accessible luxury profile.

“We have a strong core fan base,” Loaëc told WWD, citing label loyalty driven by both product and price point. “We are also bringing in some modern func