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Reed Krakoff, Former Head of Design at Tiffany, Joins John Hardy
Krakoff is the jewelry brand’s new creative chairman and strategic advisor to L Catterton, the private equity firm that owns John Hardy.
A file photo of Reed Krakoff from his time at Tiffany & Co. Krakoff, who worked at Coach for 16 years and spent four years at Tiffany as chief artistic officer, is now creative chairman at John Hardy. It is a newly created role for the company.
New York—Reed Krakoff, who spent nearly two decades as creative director at Coach and about four years at Tiffany & Co., is now joining John Hardy.
The jewelry brand announced Wednesday it has named Krakoff to the newly created role of creative chairman as well as strategic advisor to L Catterton, the private equity firm that holds a majority stake in John Hardy.
As creative chairman, Krakoff will work alongside CEO Kareem Gahed and oversee the creative and artistic direction of the business. He’ll also become a minority stakeholder in John Hardy.
“John Hardy has a strong reputation for its authentic combination of artistry, sustainability, and craftsmanship, and I believe the brand has tremendous untapped potential,” Krakoff said.
A graduate of Parsons The New School of Design in New York, Krakoff has more than 30 years’ experience with luxury brands.
He rose to prominence during his time with Coach (1996-2013), most of which was spent as president and executive creative director. He is credited with overhauling and reviving the brand’s image and turning it into a $5 billion business.
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The jewelry brand announced Wednesday it has named Krakoff to the newly created role of creative chairman as well as strategic advisor to L Catterton, the private equity firm that holds a majority stake in John Hardy.
As creative chairman, Krakoff will work alongside CEO Kareem Gahed and oversee the creative and artistic direction of the business. He’ll also become a minority stakeholder in John Hardy.
“John Hardy has a strong reputation for its authentic combination of artistry, sustainability, and craftsmanship, and I believe the brand has tremendous untapped potential,” Krakoff said.
A graduate of Parsons The New School of Design in New York, Krakoff has more than 30 years’ experience with luxury brands.
He rose to prominence during his time with Coach (1996-2013), most of which was spent as president and executive creative director. He is credited with overhauling and reviving the brand’s image and turning it into a $5 billion business.
From 2017 to 2021, Krakoff served as chief artistic officer at Tiffany & Co., lending his touch to the jeweler’s in-store restaurant, the Blue Box Café, which opened in 2018; the collection of “Everyday Objects,” which included the $1,000 tin can that lit up the internet right before the café’s opening; and the “Paper Flowers” jewelry collection.
He left the company shortly after LVMH’s acquisition of the jeweler was complete, exiting alongside a handful of other executives in early 2021.
Krakoff is a three-time winner of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s “Accessory Designer of the Year” award and serves on the CFDA’s board of directors.
“L Catterton has been a strong believer in the growth opportunities ahead for John Hardy, and we are confident that, with Reed’s artistic eye, the brand’s distinctive heritage will continue to be set apart,” said Michael Chu, global co-CEO of L Catterton and chair of John Hardy’s board of directors.
“L Catterton will also benefit from Reed’s role as a strategic advisor across select investments and future acquisitions.”
L Catterton, which focuses on buyouts of consumer-facing brands, acquired John Hardy in 2014. It reportedly was exploring a sale of the brand earlier this year, before the deal-making market softened.
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