Prada hires former Burberry and Gucci executive

Prada has a new chief operating officer in the person of former Burberry president Brian Blake.

In a statement, Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of the Italian fashion house, expressed confidence in Blake, saying "I believe that Brian's contribution will allow us to ... exploit all the opportunities to continue to grow our businesses".

No stranger to the fashion business, the 51-year-old Blake worked as president and chief operating officer of the British label from 2004 to 2005, when he quit for family reasons. Before working at Burberry, he has also had a stint with the Gucci Group.

As the new COO of one of the most influential labels in the fashion industry, Blake will be tasked with overseeing the main Prada brand, as well as its more experimental but fast-growing Miu Miu line, which has spurred sales 39.4 percent to 100.26 million euros.

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