American sportswear giant Under Armour has announced the appointment of fashion designer John Varvatos to the role of chief design officer at the company, effective September 11.
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Varvatos will lead the creative design direction of the company and oversee the design studios in New York, Baltimore and Portland, Oregon, said the Baltimore-based company in a press release.
Varvatos comes into the Under Armour role with decades of fashion design experience, having worked with brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Converse, and his namesake brand, John Varvatos.
The designer also created both the boxer brief at Calvin Klein and the laceless sneaker for Converse during the fifteen year collaboration with the John Varvatos brand.
“I am so excited to join Under Armour, an iconic American brand,” said Varvatos.
“The innovation, design and mission of the brand has never been more relevant as consumers demand clothes that function for both sport and everyday activities. I cannot wait to unveil that next chapter in Under Armour’s incredible story.”
Varvatos started consulting for Under Armour earlier this year, with the sportswear firm looking to tap into “his deep expertise in style and form.”
“We are thrilled to welcome John into the Under Armour family” said Stephanie Linnartz, Under Armour president and chief executive officer.
“His track record and thirty year career speaks for itself. John will work in partnership with our product team to bring apparel, footwear and accessories from concept to commercialization, blending performance and style.”
With the appointment, Under Armour is looking to rebrand and stem the hemorrhaging of sales in recent quarters, particularly in North America. In its most recent trading in August, quarterly revenue fell 2.4 percent to USD 1.32 billion, with Asia-Pacific sales rising 14.5 percent, thanks to a strong rebound in post-Covid China.