Former Tory Burch executive Kerstin Dorst to lead Hugo Boss womenswear

Metzingen, Germany-based fashion group Hugo Boss has appointed Kerstin Dorst to the newly created role of senior vice president of womenswear.

Dorst will take up her new role effective January 15, Hugo Boss announced on Thursday. In this position, she will report to Oliver Timm, chief sales officer at Hugo Boss.

New head of womenswear comes from Tory Burch

She joins from the US fashion company Tory Burch, where she worked for more than ten years and played “a key role” in the expansion of the brand's main collection and sportswear, according to the announcement. Previously, she worked for the sporting goods company Adidas for more than five years in various positions across Germany and Asia. She contributed to the launch of the premium sportswear line SLVR.

“Her extensive international experience and profound expertise will play a key role in taking our womenswear business to the next level in the coming years,” said Timm of Dorst. She will also be responsible for the creative direction of the womenswear collections and will work closely with Marco Falcioni, creative director of Hugo Boss.

The appointment follows the realignment of the organisational structure, which was presented in December under the “Claim 5 Touchdown”. The aim is to establish menswear and womenswear as two “independent powerhouses”. This will leverage the existing potential for profitable growth, which the company sees particularly in womenswear.

“With the new organisational structure, we are realigning our business units to further sharpen our focus on womenswear and lay the foundation for future growth,” Timm continued. “The new setup allows us to better consider gender-specific needs and to offer collections in both areas with a consistently customer-centric approach in the future.”

The Boss brand's menswear business will continue to be managed by Christian Schwinn. He will also take on responsibility for Hugo Menswear as senior vice president.