The Carlyle Group Taps Cocreative Directors for the Twin Set Label

MILAN — The Carlyle Group appointed Bill Shapiro and Lara Davies as cocreative directors for the Twin Set Simona Barbieri fashion label. The designers succeed the brand’s founder Simona Barbieri in the role, as she exited the company in April after selling the remaining 10 percent stake in her namesake label. As a result, The Carlyle Group owns 100 percent of the Italian brand.

As part of the company’s new course, The Carlyle Group has renamed the label Twinset Milano.

The new creative duo counts former experiences in the industry, as Shapiro served as creative director of Moschino’s men’s wear line while Davies previously worked at Philosophy, Chloé and Alberta Ferretti.

Twin Set’s chief executive officer Alessandro Varisco also joined the Italian company from Moschino, where he held the same role, in July 2015.

The Carlyle Group first acquired 70 percent of Twin Set in 2012, upping its stake to 90 percent in 2015.

Twin Set is only one of the significant investments The Carlyle Group has made in European fashion and apparel sector, along with Moncler, Golden Goose Deluxe Brand and Dutch lingerie firm Hunkem?ller International BV.

This week, speculation arose about an investment of the private equity group in the Supreme streetwear brand.

Founded in 1990 in Carpi, Italy, by Barbieri and business partner Tiziano Sgarbi, Twin Set operates in the premium women’s wear segment.

Last year, Twin Set registered revenues for 243.4 million euros, up 2.5 percent compared to 2015. In the first half of the year revenues decreased 1.1 percent compared to the same period in 2016, totaling 121.9 million euros.

In July, Barbieri and Sgarbi made a move in real estate acquiring the building housing the renowned Milanese conceptual store 10 Corso Como.

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